Glenville State University Associate Professor of Business and Faculty Athlete representative, Dr. Dwight Heaster has been selected to receive the 2025 Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award.

The award, which was first established in 2010 by former GSU President and First Lady Dr. Peter and Betsy Barr, is rotated annually between Glenville State 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 traditional professional development activities.

As the recipient of the award, Dr. Heaster plans to take the funding and expand the university in the area of Artificial Intelligence. He hopes to further enhance his expertise in this rapidly evolving field by attending an in-person conference in May, participating in a series virtual conferences, and undergoing AI training through Google Grow. These opportunities will allow him to deepen his knowledge and bring his personal experiences back to the university’s AI initiatives.

“My hope is to bring this information back to campus and develop a multidisciplinary group” Heaster said. “The goal is to create a human first approach to AI that would give our students the next generation of knowledge and experience needed to work and live in the future.  While my goal is to expand our student’s knowledge and experience, there are so many opportunities for us to utilize AI to be more efficient in our work.  Thus, it will create a more balanced work life experience,” he added.

Previous recipients of the Barr Award have included: Dr. Sara Sawyer (2010), Amanda Frymier (2011), Cheryl Fleming McKinney, CPA (2012), Denise Ellyson (2013), Dr. Megan Gibbons (2014), Sports Medicine Staff (2015), Dennis Wemm (2016), Dustin Crutchfield (2017), Dr. Jeff Bryson (2020), Kristen Cosner (2021), Dr. Mark Sarver (2022), Bridget Carr (2024).

The next Barr Award will be presented in 2026 to a selected staff 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 Advancement and Executive Director of GSU Foundation David Hutchinson at David.Hutchinson@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6381.