Biochemistry:
The study of Biochemistry in Morgantown, West Virginia began at the turn of the century. The first biochemist at West Virginia University was Dr. Otto Folin, who was appointed as assistant professor of chemistry in 1900. Throughout his career at WVU and Harvard, Professor Folin was fascinated by the measurement of minute amounts of biological substances. The Folin-Ciocalteau reagent developed by Dr. Folin is still widely used for protein determination. In 1917, a School of Medicine was established, which offered the first two years of training, including biochemistry, toward the MD degree. In 1957, a modern Health Sciences Center was opened offering all four years of medical training plus graduate studies in Biochemistry. The first Ph.D. in Biochemistry was granted in 1960.

Morgantown:
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 in a metropolitan area of approximately 55,000 people in which the university plays a dominant role in the life of the community. Morgantown was recently recognized for its high quality of life by its selection as the No. 1 "Dream Town" in America (September 2000) by bizjournals.com. The city of Morgantown 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. 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. The university is presently completing construction of four major state-of-the-art buildings: a new university library, a Life Science building, a conference center and a new student recreational facility. 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.