With the largest one-time contribution by a single, living donor supporting it, West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) announced this week the creation of a new undergraduate summer research program, along with the first class of participants, thanks to a $1.5 million gift by John F. McCuskey ‘69.

 

The McCuskey Family Fellowship, an endowed scholarship, will be awarded on an annual basis to at least two incoming freshman students and a rising sophomore to conduct research, beginning in the natural sciences, with a fellowship slated in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Abigail Bowe ‘24 of Charleston, West Virginia; Logan Nelson ‘24 of Wenatchee, Washington; and John Rose ‘24 of Wheeling, West Virginia comprise the first class of McCuskey Fellows.

 

“The significance of this Fellowship cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Joel Thierstein, President of WVWC. “Receiving this Fellowship is a transformative moment in the life of the recipient and the program accelerates the student’s ability to understand higher level thinking.”

 

“John McCuskey is a genuinely nice person who cares about people and he exemplifies the best of West Virginia,” Thierstein said. “We’re grateful to John for his incredible generosity.”

 

McCuskey shared that his family’s deep roots at Wesleyan and his life-long passion for the Mountain State were a driving force behind the gift.

 

McCuskey said, “ I wanted to do something that would honor my family’s commitment to the small, liberal arts idea of education and something that would also honor my commitment to making West Virginia a better place to live and work.”

 

Wesleyan and McCuskey’s shared vision for the Fellowship is to engage students from diverse backgrounds in undergraduate research to better prepare them for a future in academia or the workforce. Criteria include, but are not limited to: students who hail from the Appalachian region; students of minority status; students with an intellectual or physical disability; and/or students who attend a high school deemed substandard by its State Board of Education. 

 

“The fellowship seemed like a great way for me to participate in the current research,” said Rose, a member of the first class of McCuskey Family Fellows, who aims to work at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration one day.

 

Talley Sergent, WVWC’s Chief Development and Marketing Officer shared that McCuskey’s gift will be game-changing for students while at Wesleyan and beyond.

 

“John McCuskey’s commitment to supporting West Virginia Wesleyan and the State of West Virginia is on full display with this monumental gift to his alma mater,” said Talley Sergent, WVWC’s Chief Development and Marketing Officer. “The true impact of the McCuskey Family Fellowship will come to life in the years ahead as we implement Mr. McCuskey’s vision.”

 

To support the McCuskey Family Fellowship or West Virginia Wesleyan, go to wvwc.edu/give.