Mirta M. Martin

On Wednesday, May 18 members of the campus and surrounding communities attended the swearing-in of Fairmont State University Chief of Police and Director of Police Academy, Jeffrey McCormick, with Marion County Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Patrick Wilson, officiating.

The Fairmont State Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the organization’s 2021 philanthropy awards. Awardees will be celebrated during the Fairmont State Foundation Scholarship and Stewardship Banquet planned to take place this fall. 

Fairmont State University’s Third Annual Falcon Day of Giving will take place on Thursday, October 28, with the Fairmont State Foundation aiming to raise $325,000 during the 24-hour campaign. Falcon Day of Giving encourages alumni and friends of Fairmont State to donate to the areas that matter most to them.

A Fairmont family has pledged $25,000 for the creation of a new scholarship at Fairmont State University in memory of Stephen Guentert, a Fairmont State alumnus who passed away in February of 2021. The Stephen L. Guentert Memorial Endowed Scholarship will provide financial support for computer science and cybersecurity students in the College of Science and Technology.

On Wednesday, June 30, Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed Fairmont State University’s stable outlook with an A2 rating to the University’s revenue refunding bonds, maintaining its score from the most recent ratings received in 2018. Although national trends are reflecting downgrades in ratings for higher education institutions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fairmont State University has remained stable due to its financial position and leadership under President Mirta M.

Fairmont, West Virginia’s A3L Federal Works, LLC has committed $25,500 to the Fairmont State Foundation to establish a scholarship honoring the father of President and CEO, Roya Maher.

The Mr. Karim Maher Memorial Scholarship will offer four annual awards of $1,250 to Fairmont State University students, with preference given to minorities and women majoring in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) related fields.

More than 1,000 Fairmont State University students have been honored for their academic achievements throughout the spring 2021 semester. 

When Bonnie Proudfoot, a New York native, arrived in West Virginia in the 1980s, she was instantly drawn to the profound sense of resilience that characterized the Appalachian way of life.

“There’s a real sense of tradition and history here,” Proudfoot, a Fairmont State University alumna, said. “It’s a very special region and the people are so self-reliant. I was just enthralled by that.”

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center has received a grant of $7,500 from the Daywood Foundation in support of Ruth Ann Musick’s Trunk of Tales, a Fairmont State University project to promote folklore and West Virginia cultural heritage studies in K-12 public schools in the state.

The results from the 2020 audit were highlighted by the University’s independent auditing firm, Suttle and Stalnaker, during today’s Board of Governors meeting. The findings presented demonstrated the University concluded its fiscal year in strong financial standing for the third consecutive year.