This year’s winners are Daniel Campa, of Morgantown; Colin Krisulevicz, of Salisbury, Maryland; Rebecca Ozbolt, of Akron, Ohio; and Samuel Stalnaker, of Atwater, California and Cowen.

Governor Patrick Morrisey today (May 5) announced the launch of Ascend Heroes, a new initiative aimed at attracting veterans to West Virginia, alongside state leaders and program partners, by building on the success of the Ascend WV program and extending its reach to those who have served the nation in uniform.

Most of this year’s cohort are from the Honors College and, overall, the group represents a diverse range of backgrounds, including two ROTC cadets, two emerging business professionals, a professional soccer player, a curious storyteller, an aerospace engineer and an aspiring neurosurgeon.

Syd Peng, of Fremont, California, pledged $3 million in his will to establish endowed chair and professor positions at the WVU Statler College. His gifts reflect a devotion to WVU that has endured for more than 50 years, including nearly 40 as a faculty member and 28 as department chair of mining engineering.

The festival, led by the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative in the WVU Office of the Provost, is celebrating 11 years of bringing hands-on learning focused on science, engineering, technology, the arts, reading, and outdoor learning to children of all ages and their families.