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������Ƶ’s welcomed more than 100 students from a variety of majors, as well as faculty and professional staff at the annual welcome reception on Sept. 3.

The event was an opportunity to connect and engage with the school’s mission of strengthening local communities and improving lives through expertise in public service. 

Interim Vice President and Provost John McCarthy gave opening remarks at the event and connected the work of the Voinovich School’s various research teams to community health. McCarthy praised the program’s connections and ability to leverage them to better the communities they work with. 

“I don't think there's really any other school or place at the University that has connections as much as the Voinovich School does,” McCarthy said. “I think in a world with 7 billion people in it that has lots of digital connectivity, connections are really important to pursue and foster.”

Paul Valentine, an instructional faculty member for the Voinovich School’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program, shared his thoughts on the importance of the school’s mission.

“The school not only has a variety of programs to encourage things like economic development, infrastructure improvements and environmental sustainability, but translates those skills through a model of partnership,” Valentine said. “These programs can improve the lives of ������Ƶans while also building and strengthening technical and leadership skills within their communities.”

When asked how the school prepares its students for the workplace, Valentine explained how the program supplements a traditional education.

“The large network of partnerships that our various programs have built allow students to network and leverage those connections to enhance their education and learn from a variety of perspectives,” he said. “Our goal is to help students become effective, well-rounded and influential public servants.”

Camryn McGlumphy, a senior returning to the Voinovich School's Undergraduate Research Scholar Program, works on community health assessments and improvement plans, creating reports to identify a community's key areas of improvement, along with step-by-step procedures to address them. 

As a hearing, speech and language sciences major in the College of Health Sciences and Professions, McGlumphy described how the program continues to help expand her professional skills.

“This program has actually allowed me to explore public health, which is something I didn't really know before,” she said. “I think it'll help give me more of an interdisciplinary approach in my future studies.”

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Brynn Farris, a sophomore studying strategic leadership and management in the College of Business, is looking forward to her first year working with the Voinovich School. She is working for the school’s Impact Enterprise Team, which provides consulting for nonprofits and entrepreneurs in the Appalachian region.

When asked what she is most looking forward to as she begins her work this year, Farris described her personal connection to the program and her eagerness to refine her skills.

“I’m working on a farm initiative with my team, and I worked on a farm in high school,” she said. “I’m really excited to look more into that. They did a great job placing me in work that I want to do.” 

As the school year gears up, the welcome reception taught and reminded students of their mission to serve Appalachian communities and make meaningful, positive change. Students with different interests and skill sets from business, communications, or health sciences can collaborate to solve challenges.

This school year offers students and scholars an opportunity to apply academic learning through hands-on experience and make their communities better.

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