About Us
General Information
The pylons located in front of the Health Sciences North building were designed in 1954 by the sculptor Milton Horn. On the sides of these pylons are 8 panels depicting important developments and individuals in the history of the healing arts.
West Virginia University
WVU Website
West Virginia University was established in 1867 as a land grant institution, and is the largest college in the state with an enrollment of approximately 23,000 students. The university is currently ranked in the highest tier of national doctoral research universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. West Virginia University has 13 colleges and professional schools including the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and Economics, College of Humanities, Engineering School, Law School, and a Health Sciences Center comprising Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy and Medical Schools.
Morgantown Area
Morgantown was selected as the No. 1 "Dream Town" in America (September 2000) by bizjournals.com.
West Virginia University is located in a picturesque setting in the hills of northern West Virginia, five miles from the Pennsylvania border. Morgantown is a small city of approximately 55,000 people and WVU is a dominant influence in the life of the community. These features allow a combination of the best features of rural and urban living. The state has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation and a low cost of living. Morgantown was recently recognized for its high quality of life by being named the 3rd best small city in America. The city is located in the Appalachian highlands on the banks of the Monongahela River. This area is hilly, green and lovely, and has a moderate climate.
Outdoor sports are popular in the area with hiking, biking, white water rafting and skiing having many enthusiasts. Cheat Lake and Cooper's Rock State Forest lie just outside of town and provide many recreational opportunities. West Virginia University competes in Division I athletics in the NCAA. Athletic facilities are available for intramural sports and recreational activities. Artistic and cultural events are presented by the excellent performing arts departments and by visiting groups. The modern Creative Arts Center provides a facility for presentations of the performing arts. Additional shopping and cultural activities are provided by our proximity to major metropolitan centers. Pittsburgh is the nearest large city, about a 90 minute drive north on Interstate 79 and Washington, DC is a 4 hour drive to the east. Direct air service to both Pittsburgh and DC is provided from Hart Field in Morgantown.
The Health Sciences Center
HSC Website
The Health Sciences Center complex consists of the Health Sciences Building (housing the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dentistry). Ruby Memorial Hospital, the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, the Physicians Office Center, Chestnut Ridge Psychiatric Hospital and Mountainview Rehabilitation Hospital. A division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is located adjacent to the Health Sciences Center complex and concentrates on respiratory health problems.
Research Facilities
In addition to many recently renovated laboratories that contained specialized equipment for individual researchers, the department has common facilities available for general use including a computer facility, an isotope suite with liquid scintillation and gamma counters, histology area and confocal microscope, high pressure liquid chromatograph, high speed centrifuges, and machine shop. Institutional facilities and equipment shared with other departments include a mass spectrophotometer, gas chromatograph, electron microscopes, image analysis system, recombinant DNA core facility, monoclonal antibody facility, cell sorting and sizing equipment and a SPEX instrument cation measuring system. Excellent animal-holding rooms and animal sterile surgery suites are located within the building. The Health Sciences Library, also located within the building, receives over 2,000 journals and has facilities for Medline Computer Search, programmed learning, and inter-library loan services. A Biomedical Illustration and Photography facility is located within the Health Sciences Center.