The Land-Grant Mission in Action: 

The devastating floods that killed 23 West Virginians and destroyed 1,200 homes in June 2016 prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency in 44 of the state’s 55 counties and led the federal government to release “major disaster” funds to help respond to the state’s dire needs. It also revealed the depth and breadth of West Virginia University’s commitment to our state, a commitment that continues months after the event. As our panelists will discuss, mere hours after the flooding had begun, the university mobilized many resources, both on campus and across the state through our Extension offices—including vaccines, medical personnel and student and faculty volunteers. Volunteers and donations from the WVU community inspired creative quick thinking on the part of our first-responders, and the depth and breadth of WVU’s response has changed the way we look at crisis intervention. In the weeks and months since the floods, many experts at WVU have turned their talents and attention to the aftermath of the floods, the scope of the damage, how best to help people and communities recover and how to plan for future crises. All across the university—from our Land-Use Clinic to our Extension Service, and from the WVU Hospital System to our Center for Service and Learning—WVU has committed to making sure recovery does happen, in unprecedented synthesized efforts and programs that may well redefine the land-grant mission for the future.