Five thousand dollars was awarded to Levi Summe from the Appalachian College Association (ACA) for his senior research project on Northern saw-whet owls. Summe is a natural resource management major with a minor in biology at Alderson Broaddus University, an ACA affiliated institution.

In September, Summe presented his research on “assessing nesting box location preferences to improve conservation of Northern saw-whet owls (Aegolius acadicus) in the Highlands of West Virginia” at the ACA Annual Summit in Tennessee during the Ledford Scholars poster presentation.

The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial assistance for students enrolled at ACA member institutions with summer research in the fields of laboratory and fieldwork, interviews, analyzing special collections, and participant observation. Ledford scholars then present their research each year at the annual summit.

Summe spent his summer building habitats for Northern saw-whet owls and setting up cameras for monitoring. His project is a continuation of research conducted by his former professor, Dr. Ross Britain. Research on the habitats of Northern saw-whet owls is minimal due to their secretive lifestyle, which is what sparked Summe’s interest in the subject.

“My research will hopefully give us a better understanding of Northern saw-whet owl habitats that we currently don’t know much about,” Summe said. “This project and scholarship are the reasons I am at Alderson Broaddus University. College is expensive, but my education at AB enabled me to be part of this invaluable project which in turn helped me fund and finish out my four years.”

Summe is from Mullens, West Virginia and plans to continue pursuing natural resource research in either forestry or wildlife management after graduating from Alderson Broaddus University in May 2020.

The Appalachian College Association is a non-profit, independent organization associated with more than 35 private institutions. Their main purpose is education which inspires them to support and offer higher education to numerous students in the Appalachian region. The ACA is dedicated to serving more than 65,000 students and offers numerous scholarships annually as part of their efforts.

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The AB Board of Trustees and Governors is pleased to announce the naming of Dr. James “Tim” Barry as the official 10th president of Alderson Broaddus University. Dr. Barry has served as interim president since December 2015, and in his three years of service has garnered the trust and support of all campus constituencies with a solid track record of leadership. His impact is felt not just by faculty, staff, students, and alumni, but also by fellow college and university presidents and higher education organizations throughout the state.

“We were fortunate that Dr. Barry was in the pool of presidential candidates brought to us by The Registry in December 2015. He’s a perfect fit for AB at this point in time as we stabilize and position ourselves for continued success and future growth,” wrote Dr. Becky Hooman’81,’17 (honorary), chair of the Alderson Broaddus University Board of Trustees, in a message to the AB community.

Since Barry’s arrival, AB has undergone an innovative and creative planning process for the future of the University. Working alongside faculty, staff, and the AB Board of Trustees, Dr. Barry and his cabinet members drafted a strategic decision-making model to focus on three main areas to ensure AB’s excellence for the future: expanding academic programs, expanding enrollment, and increasing organizational efficiency.

“I’m honored and privileged to be the 10th president of Alderson Broaddus University,” said Dr. Barry. “These past three years serving as interim have been a wonderful experience for me, and I look forward to this time to continue to move the institution—along with the faculty, staff, and board of trustees—into greater success.”

Dr. Barry has extensive experience in higher education in various capacities, including serving as the former president of Mount Marty College in Yankton, South Dakota. He has been affiliated with The Registry of College and University Presidents, serving as vice president of advancement at Elmira College in Elmira, New York.

“We appreciate the opportunity to continue to work with The Registry in extending Dr. Barry’s tenure at AB,” said Hooman. “He has conducted himself as a permanent president would from the day of his arrival, and we’re extremely grateful for his continued service.”

Currently, Dr. Barry serves on the following boards: Appalachian College Association, Barbour County Chamber of Commerce (vice president), Barbour County Economic Development Authority, Great Midwest Athletic Conference, Independent College Enterprise (president), and West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities (president).

Dr. Barry is married to Ronda Barry, and together they have two children, Liz (Eric) Brewer and Matt (Kaci) Barry, who both reside with their families in the Kansas City area. The Barrys are also the proud grandparents of Jack, Molly, and Will Brewer.

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To listen to the November 14th radio interview on “The Gary Bowden Show” on 103.3 WAJR FM, please click here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/ajrnewsnetwork/episodes/2018-11-15T09_53_54-08_00

Addressing the community in his official capacity, Dr. Barry spoke to the Barbour County Chamber of Commerce on November 13 about the University’s challenges and opportunities, AB’s economic impact on the community, and his permanent appointment as the 10th president of Alderson Broaddus.

Dr. Barry explained that despite the challenges facing West Virginia and higher education in general, AB continues to move forward to provide the highest quality education and deliver innovative programs to meet students where they are in a contemporary society. In return, AB students work with our communities to solve today’s and tomorrow’s problems, providing faith for solutions to the toughest issues and challenges ahead.

“We’re a $48 million impact on the Barbour County economy and surrounding areas,” Dr. Barry said. “It’s integral that we work with the city and county as we’re not distinct from the City of Philippi and county; we’re a product of this community.”

AB has increased the number of jobs in the community from 193-301 in recent years. Also, AB employees volunteer over 16,000 hours per year to local, state, and national organizations.

The value of higher education was addressed during President Barry’s speech.

“A degree is needed now more than ever, yet the skepticism of the value of a higher education degree is going up as well,” Dr. Barry said. “Our recent accolades show that we are creating and delivering that value for our students.”

Dr. Barry spoke of recent accolades, including AB being ranked 30th nationally and first among West Virginia colleges in the 2019 Best Regional Colleges in the South category while also being ranked 10th nationally and first among West Virginia colleges in the Best Value Schools 2019 category in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings. In addition, AB earned the Best College in West Virginia for 2018, with a first-place ranking by College Consensus and Best Online College in West Virginia by SR Education group.

Since Dr. Barry’s interim appointment in 2015, AB has undergone an innovative and creative planning process for the future of the University. Working alongside faculty, staff, and the AB Board of Trustees, Dr. Barry and his cabinet members drafted a strategic decision-making model to focus on three main areas to ensure AB’s excellence for the future, including expanding academic programs.

“We’re expanding our academic offerings and adding majors such as a Bachelor of Science in cyber-security, an online Master of Education in teacher leader, and a Master of Science in anatomy,” Dr. Barry explained. “These programs are built with the student in mind and to be delivered using methods that best accommodate each distinct type of student enrolled.”

Dr. Barry closed the State of the University by thanking the City of Philippi, Barbour County, and his Alderson Broaddus family.

“I don’t feel that I was invited, but I was picked up and planted at AB for a purpose. We do good work at AB. I’m blessed to work with great people and blessed to be here as the official 10th president,” Dr. Barry said. “The line continues. The legacy, the history, the town and gown partnership, and contribution continues. This is an opportunity for me to say thank you to the City of Philippi and Barbour County for what they have done and will do for us in the future.”

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For the complete recording, please visit our YouTube page here