Celebrating 50 Years of Granting PhDs in Psychology

With the first PhD in Psychology at West Virginia University being granted over 50 years ago, the department honored all 603 PhD recipients and the faculty who supported them in obtaining these important academic milestones during a celebratory event that took place in June of 2016.

Click here to view the chronology of psychologists who received PhDs in Psychology from WVU

Over 250 graduate students and faculty, past and present, participated in this 3-day celebration, strangely scheduled during the same month the 17-year cicadas made their presence known in Morgantown. Many stories were told about the events that have been chronicled on this website.



The last 8 department chairs were in attendance, their collective terms spanning almost 40 years. Sequentially, from left to right in the photo below are: Jon E. Krapfl (1978-1982), Kathleen A. McCluskey (1982-1985), William J. Fremouw (1985-1989), Barry A. Edelstein (1989-1993), Philip N. Chase (1993-1998), Michael T. Perone (1998-2010), Tracy L. Morris (2010-2013), and Kevin T. Larkin (2013-now). Previous department chairs were: John E. Winter (1929-1948; died 1959); Quin F. Curtis (1948-1968; died 1985), K. Warner Schaie (1968-1973), and Roger F. Maley (1973-1978, died 2009).



Looking toward the Monongahela River from the Department of Psychology’s home in the Life Sciences Building, one can still see the historic towers of Woodburn Hall, the original home of psychological science at West Virginia University. Fully participating in the 150 years of our land-grant institution in the Mountain State, the department faculty and students are well poised to continue our rich tradition of making significant contributions to psychological science, training the next generation of scholars, and serving the State of West Virginia and those who call it home.

                 


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