MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) – West Virginia University’s President Gordon Gee delivered his annual “State of the University” address on Monday. He spoke in front of a nearly-packed Fitzsimmons Event Hall at the WVU’s College of Law.

Gee echoed the successes of the university over the past year by highlighting people, programs and new additions that have made an impact for WVU and the community.

“We believe education is not just about pursuing a major. It is about pursuing the path you want to travel for a lifetime. It is about knowing who you are and using your strengths to their fullest potential,” Gee said.

For new buildings, he highlighted Reynolds Hall opening, the brand-new WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital. During the address, it was announced that the former building for the college of business and economics will now be the new home of the social sciences program.

As for students, he spotlighted Amanda Valentine, Cassandra Stewart and Azeem Khan, who helped launch the Mountaineer Fentanyl Education Task Force.

“Educating our people is our central purpose, and it has never been more critical. An educated citizenry will lift us above our current challenges,” Gee said.

One of the major acknowledgments from the address was that 41% of students that graduated in May 2022 from the Morgantown campus left WVU with a diploma in hand and zero debt.

“The last two years have been unimaginably difficult as each of us battle different challenges. Collectively though, we move forward no matter the difficulties,” Gee said. “That is simply in our nature to persevere, to be resilient. This determination is rooted at West Virginia University and within West Virginians and within us in this community.”