Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.  

Today is Wednesday, June 19, 2024 

Scholarships help boost women pursuing degrees in STEM fields at WVU…Cranberry Glades hosts a nature tour to observe rare orchids…and construction is progressing at the Timet plant site in Jackson County…on today’s daily304.

#1 – From WVU TODAY–  West Virginia University senior Paislee Adlington was first drawn to engineering on family vacations to Disney World, where the roller coasters piqued her interest. Today, she is shooting for the stars — literally — as she pursues dual bachelor’s degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Adlington, of Bridgeport, is among a growing number of women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields as STEM job opportunities expand. At WVU, women account for about 18% of undergraduate students and 24% of graduate students at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and those figures have increased over the past 20 years.

For Adlington and many of her female classmates, scholarships have empowered them to find their purpose and excel. 

“If it wasn’t for the scholarships I received from WVU, I don’t think I would have been able to take part in as many opportunities as I have as an engineering student,” Adlington said. “Encouraging students like myself and underrepresented people in STEM — females, minorities — to pursue their dreams and providing scholarships to help them pursue their dreams without the financial burden is something that’s extremely important.”

Read more:

https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2024/06/12/scholarships-empower-women-to-pursue-engineering-degrees-at-wvu

#2 – From WBOY-TV – The Cranberry Glades in Webster and Pocahontas counties offer a chance to see plants that are typically found much farther north in Canada, including carnivorous plants and several types of rare orchids.

Visitors will have the opportunity to view these orchids, including rose pogonias and grass pinks, on a guided tour later this month. The free program begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 29 at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center. 

If you can’t make the tour but still want a chance to see the orchids, they are typically in peak bloom during the first few weeks of July, according to the U.S. Forest Service. You can view them along the Cranberry Glades boardwalk.

Read more:

https://www.wboy.com/news/webster/tour-being-offered-to-see-rare-pink-orchids-in-cranberry-glades/

#3 – From METRO NEWS – The future of manufacturing is well underway at the Timet construction site in Jackson County.

Timet, which is short for Titanium Metals Corporation, is building a plant on Route 2 where it will use large furnaces to melt titanium.

“It’s lighter than steel but stronger and it’s used in aerospace, Department of Defense-type work, commercial industrial applications as well as medical applications,” Timet Director of Operations Aaron Valentine.

HR Manager Hannah Hesson said Timet is hiring. Those interested can apply here.

“Right now we’re looking for a lot of engineers, technical people that we can get in here and really let them own this project from dirt to building,” Hesson said. 

There are also a number of hourly positions available. Hesson said those hired as operators will be sent to other Timet facilities to train.

Read more:

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/06/11/titanium-manufacturer-timet-making-progress-at-ravenswood-area-site/

Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304.

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That’s all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.