Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science

Ecomorphological Diversity of Phyllostomid Bats:

Jillian Davis, Brianna Myers — Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Access to specimens is a common barrier in the development of educational models for science outreach. However, 3D scanning and printing create an opportunity to produce small files that can be inexpensively reproduced as scaled 3D objects, dramatically expanding the diversity of specimens that may be used to introduce K-12 students and other members of the public to scientific concepts, creating models that are more interesting, engaging, and easy to maintain. Here, the skulls of seven species of phyllostomid bat, representing extreme dietary and morphological diversity, but generally unavailable to the public due to small size and scarcity of specimens, were microCT scanned, scaled up, and 3D printed as an educational tool for elementary school science outreach programs. Specimen files for printing (.stl format) and educational fact sheets are included in supplemental materials for others to access and use.

A Poynting Vector Analogue in Rotating Reference Frames

Allen Parks — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The equation of motion of a particle of mass m at position r and moving with velocity r dot in a non-inertial reference frame rotating with angular velocity w can be expressed in terms of mechanical electric E and magnetic H field analogues of those found in electromagnetic theory. In this paper these analogue fields are used to define a Poynting vector analogue field S interpreted as a force current vector field and it is shown that the S vector field has a natural Helmholtz decomposition - the irrotational component being 1/2 the previously identified centripetal force current vector obtained from Ampere's law when applied to these analogue E and H fields. The Divergence Theorem and Stoke' s Theorem are used to associate S with rotational power and rotational kinetic energy.

A Closer Look At West Virginia’s Broadband Barriers and The Potential of Open Educational Resources: A Systematic Review

Taylor Miltenberger — Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

West Virginia (WV) faces a unique convergence of socio-economic and geographic challenges, including persistent rural poverty, a declining extractive economy, and a severe opioid crisis (Alzarrad, 2024; Douglas & Walker, 2017; O’Leary et al., 2018; United States Census Bureau, 2024). These systemic barriers are rooted in the uneven geographical development produced by legacy Neoliberal frameworks, manifesting today as profound infrastructure deficiencies, most notably a digital divide that maintains the state’s position at the nation’s periphery regarding high-speed connectivity (Burdette, 2024; Bustillos, 2017; O’Leary et al., 2018; WV Office of Broadband, 2025). Such factors create inequities that hinder access to higher education, particularly within the community college system. Using a critical geography framework, this study employs a PRISMA-guided systematic review to examine the intersection of internet accessibility and Open Educational Resources (OER). The analysis seeks to answer how accessibility challenges impact rural community college students and whether OER initiatives can serve as a mechanism for social justice by mitigating these barriers. Results indicate that while OER offers a transformative pathway to decommodify learning materials and reduce the financial burden on students in an economically distressed region, its efficacy is currently throttled by physical and digital obstructions, ranging from the mountainous terrain and the National Radio Quiet Zone to the resource curse that diverts educational funding toward environmental and health remediation. The study concludes that while OER is a vital tool for advancing educational equity, its success in WV is inextricably linked to broader efforts to dismantle the systemic technological and socio-spatial barriers that marginalize rural learners.