GLENVILLE — Glenville State University (GSU) Creative Director, Kristen Cosner, has been selected to receive the 2021 Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award. The award, first established in 2010 by former GSU President and First Lady Drs. Peter and Betsy Barr, alternates annually between GSU faculty and staff and must be used within eighteen months of being awarded.

The award is designed primarily for the recipient to further their professional growth; however, the awardee can use the money to further their particular area of interest in lieu of traditional professional development activities.

Cosner applied the award to upgrading photography and videography equipment within the Office of Marketing and Public Relations.

“In our increasingly digital world, photo and video content has become invaluable to branding and telling the story of Glenville State University,” said Cosner. “One of the most rewarding and special parts of my job is having the opportunity to connect with GSU students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and tell their stories. We all know how special Glenville State is, and through digital storytelling, we can share that with the world. The Office of Marketing and Public Relations takes great pride in producing nearly all of our creative content in-house, and these equipment upgrades will allow us to continue representing Glenville State University through the best lens possible.”

“I am honored to be selected as this year’s recipient of the Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to those involved in the selection process and to Pete and Betsy Barr for their generous support of GSU faculty and staff,” she adds.

Cosner graduated from Glenville State University in 2016 and earned a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University in 2018. She brings years of experience in photography and videography, graphic design, social media management, campaign and brand management, and more. She also teaches fine arts and graphic design courses on campus as an adjunct instructor. The Fort Hood, Texas native has lived in West Virginia for seventeen years and is a Buckhannon-Upshur High School graduate.

Previous recipients of the Barr Award have included: Dr. Sara Sawyer (2010), Amanda Frymier (2011), Cheryl Fleming McKinney (2012), Denise Ellyson (2013), Dr. Megan Gibbons (2014), GSU’s Sports Medicine Staff (2015), Dennis Wemm (2016), Dustin Crutchfield (2017), and Dr. Jeffrey Bryson (2020).

The next Barr Award will be presented in 2022 to a selected faculty applicant. A committee reviews all applications and selects the awardee.

For more information about the Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award, contact Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of GSU Foundation David Hutchinson at David.Hutchinson@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6381.