WVU Rockefeller Institute for Policy Research

Non-Partisan Policy Research and Analysis The Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs provides non-partisan research and analysis to state, county, and municipal officials and members of the nonprofit and business community in West Virginia and the broader Appalachian region. We cover all areas of public policy, nonprofit, and public-private partnerships. The Institute’s initiatives seek to build data infrastructure and fuse analysis and information systems in the region to help facilitate data-driven decision-making in public policy, good governance, and aid in economic and community development. Our work focuses on policymaking systems adapted to the challenges and opportunities presented by social and economic transitions. We provide support to state, local, and community leaders to solve today's problems and seize tomorrow's opportunities. We ground our mission in the recognition that many of our most complex societal problems are difficult not because we lack quality natural and biological science but because we need a broader and deeper commitment to social science to solve those problems. The Institute is committed to tackling complex issues at the intersection of natural, biological, and social systems. Public Outreach and Community Engagement The Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs provides commentary and analysis to public officials, journalists, and the public concerning important policy issues, governing systems, and public policies. We believe that co-designed research partnerships, where scientists work with officials and community leaders on the ground to develop research programs, offer the greatest benefit to state, local, and community leaders and best fulfill the land-grant mission of the university. To that end, we consult these perspectives in the design of our research and initiatives. We exist to provide support for communities to solve their own problems and explore their opportunities for development and adaptability. The Institute also serves as a hub for state and local officials, non-profits, the business community, and the general public for relevant policy expertise on WVU's Morgantown campus and the broader WVU system. We help to fulfill the land-grant mission of WVU by undertaking cutting-edge public policy research and research partnerships co-designed with the state's communities. We work with scientists across campus to understand the social science of the state's and region's communities. We work to make science and community values fuse in ways that allow those communities to understand and solve problems while remaining rooted in those values that make them unique. #research #data #development #community #leaders #science #partnerships #nonprofit #publicpolicy #research #university #engagement

Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 2023 during a Thursday ceremony in front of the State Capitol. The bill passed during the West Virginia Legislature's recent special session will reduce the state's income tax rates by 2% effective Jan. 1.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed House Bill 206 , which provides $2 million in funding to the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.  The funding will allow the RNI to expand upon its current world-leading research using focused ultrasound technology to treat Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, and other conditions.

WATT Corporation and Hope Gas are developing a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that will soon be available to residential customers.

Nearly 30 pounds of methamphetamine and other dangerous controlled substances are off the streets now and in the hands of the state.

West Virginia University will lead a first-of-its-kind center that will leverage student and faculty expertise to help businesses enhance their cybersecurity and cyber-resilience efforts. Supported by a $1.5 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Cyber-Resilience Resource Center will benefit more than 200 students, who will gain real-world cybersecurity experience from working with West Virginia businesses. Christopher Ramezan Azeem Khan WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics https://lnkd.in/eysirXkC

Catch my latest comments on turnout and party changes in #WestVirginia. Thanks to, Amelia Ferrell Knisely at WV Watch for the interview. Understanding these issues intersect directly with employment and economic development priorities in the state. Academics, talk to your local reporters! #Elections2024 #vote #campaign #governance #publicpolicy https://lnkd.in/dss7W7Ze

In-person early voting in West Virginia gets underway on Wednesday, leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.

We at WVU Rockefeller Institute for Policy Research continue providing content and context for the 2024 elections in West Virginia. Below, I've included a precinct-level map showing Joe Manchin's vote share in the 2018 Senate general election in the Mountain State. The top left is precinct-level data for the entire state. The other three maps zoom in on Kanawha, Cabell, and Monongalia counties, which house the three largest cities in the state. As the election train rolls to its terminus on November 5th, this is an important context for understanding how things have changed. You'll note in the map below that Manchin's support was fairly strong, even in some more rural parts of the state. He was weakest in the eastern panhandle, where opponent Patrick Morrisey (the current front-runner for governor) is typically strong. Looking within the counties housing our three largest municipalities—Kanawha and the state capital of City of Charleston, WV, Cabell and the City of Huntington, WV, and Monongalia, where City of Morgantown and #WVU are located—West Virginia has the same "urban"/rural divide as much of the rest of the country. Even in 2018, the Democrats fared much better in town than out, with levels of support dissipating the farther away from population centers we get. How will Governor Jim Justice alter this, if at all, in his run for Manchin's seat? We'll be comparing how well he does in more populated areas soon. Thanks to the West Virginia GIS Technical Center and Election Lab at UF for voting and precinct data and shaplefiles. #Elections2024 #politics #publicpolicy #governance #campaigns #WestVirginia #Appalachia

Mon Power and Potomac Edison, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp have completed the second utility-scale solar site in West Virginia.