The West Virginia Water Research Institute 3RQ Common Waters Initiative will host its Spring 2026 Common Waters Symposium from 4-6 p.m. April 22 at the NRCCE Building. 

This will be a small-scale symposium, with an expected seven presentation posters from involved students.

Common Waters connects WVU students with local environmental nonprofits to participate in various STEAM projects, which students have been working on through the semester and are excited to present during the symposium. Presentations will range from research-based projects to StoryMaps showcasing various environmental topics local to the region. 

Common Waters is active every semester, so students and faculty interested in getting involved are encouraged to attend the symposium to learn more about the program and explore the work being done by local environmental nonprofit organizations.

RSVP to attend.

For questions, contact amaya.hamilton@mail.wvu.edu.

BECKLEY, W.Va. — The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation has awarded $75,000 to RE-PATH, a new statewide substance use recovery advocacy organization, boosting the group’s foundational effort to expand recovery resources in rural West Virginia.

It is the second competitive grant RE-PATH — short for Recovery Empowerment through Policy, Advocacy, Transformation, and Hope — has secured in recent weeks. Jay Phillips, who leads Seed Sower, Inc. in Beckley and co-chairs the RE-PATH board, said the funding will help advance recovery best practices and workable local solutions.

“This is the second competitive grant we have secured in recent weeks,” Phillips said. “It is hard to put into words how grateful we are to have these funds and to advance substance use recovery best practices and workable solutions to meet real needs of our citizens.”

Rachel Thaxton of Kanawha County, who co-chairs the board with Phillips, said the Benedum funds will be used for professional staff, expert consultants, training and education materials, office space and supplies, and travel.

“It is a major achievement to secure grant dollars from the Benedum Foundation, one of the most trusted sources of funding for non-profits,” Thaxton said. “Leaders of the Benedum Foundation are true partners with the organizations they fund, and we are privileged to have their support.”

Kim Tieman, vice president and program director at the Benedum Foundation, said RE-PATH is filling critical gaps in rural parts of the state where local officials often lack the resources to sustain their own recovery strategies. “One of our foundation’s hallmarks is to level the playing field for areas of unmet need in our region,” she said.

RE-PATH launched in early February 2026. More on its mission is available on its Facebook page. The Pittsburgh-based Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation focuses on grantmaking initiatives supporting human development in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania.