Among those welcoming NAACP chair Julian Bond, keynote speaker at WVU’s annual Martin Luther King Commemoration Program, was longtime student advocate Horace Belmear whose work in the local community has paralleled Bond’s national efforts. Both men have dedicated their lives to ensuring equality for future generations.

Oman Medical College, formed in academic partnership with WVU, honored its first graduating class of physicians at commencement ceremonies Dec. 15. The 28 graduates - 27 of whom are women - finished their medical curriculum earlier this year and are in residency training at hospitals throughout the country.

Dana Brooks, dean of the College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, received one of five Living the Dream awards from the West Virginia Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission. The awards are given to those who best exemplify the principles and ideals of Dr. King in his pursuit for social change.

Building on a strong history of pediatric research, WVU is creating a $12 million Pediatric Research Institute that will focus on improving the lives of West Virginia children. "Whenever we invest in children, we invest in our future," says Giovanni Piedimonte, M.D., chair of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief at WVU Children's Hospital.

Being a Mountaineer is a spirit that envelops you. It's a lifelong connection to WVU that starts for some, like Jeffrey Reynolds, at a very young age. Two-year-old Jeffrey, son of Annette and Jeff Reynolds of Charleston, joined fans at the Meineke Car Care Bowl in cheering "Let's Go Mountaineers"!