FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2017

For more information:
Glenville State College
Public Relations and Marketing
(304) 462-4115

GLENVILLE, WV – Glenville State College Public Relations Specialist Dustin Crutchfield has been selected to receive the 2017 Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award. The award is rotated annually between GSC 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, although the awardee can use the money to further their particular area of interest in lieu of traditional professional development activities. Crutchfield has used the funds to purchase assorted recording equipment in order to make online and social media video content.

GSC Public Relations Specialist Dustin Crutchfield with some of the equipment purchased with the Barr Professional Development Award

“Video has been and continues to be a popular format to share information online. Outside research has shown it to be an effective way to communicate with a variety of groups, especially younger audiences like potential students,” Crutchfield said. “My intent when applying for the award was to acquire some compact, easy-to-use equipment and software that would allow us to be a little more agile with our online content; something that would allow us to go from idea to output a bit more seamlessly, especially for brief messages.”

The addition of the equipment will mark the first time that the Marketing and Public Relations office will be generating their own video content. “I’m hoping that we can work to slowly begin integrating more video content into our everyday communications to both current and prospective students, alumni, the general public, and others,” he said. Crutchfield says he expects a learning curve and looks forward to working with some experts on campus to acquire new skills.

“I was pleased and surprised to learn that my proposal had been selected. The goal is to live up to the high standards set by the eight previous recipients in their professional development efforts to assist the campus. I extend my thanks to the Barrs’ for funding the award and to the numerous well-wishers who have congratulated me since hearing of the award decision,” said Crutchfield.

Crutchfield graduated from Glenville State College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with an emphasis in marketing in 2009. He is currently in the process of completing a master’s degree from the West Virginia University Reed College of Media. He is a Burnsville, West Virginia native.

Previous recipients of the Barr Award have included: GSC Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Sara Sawyer (2010), Administrative Secretary for the GSC Athletic Department and Title IX Coordinator/Senior Women’s Administrator Amanda Frymier (2011), Associate Professor of Business Cheryl Fleming McKinney, CPA (2012), Registrar’s Office Certification Analyst Denise Ellyson (2013), Assistant Professor of Spanish Dr. Megan Gibbons (2014), GSC’s Sports Medicine Staff (2015), and Professor Dennis Wemm (2016).

The next Barr Award will be presented in January 2018 to a selected faculty applicant. A committee comprised of two faculty members and two staff representatives reviews all applications and selects the awardee.

For more information about the Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award, contact Vice President for College Advancement and Executive Director of GSC Foundation and Chairman of the Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award Selection Committee Denny Pounds at Dennis.Pounds@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6381.