MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—West Virginia University has reappointed
Joyce E. McConnell as Dean of the College of Law for another five years.
“Joyce McConnell is commended for an excellent first term as dean,” said
Michele G. Wheatly, WVU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
“Under her leadership, the future of the College of Law is very bright.”
Since being named Dean in 2008, McConnell has spearheaded a
$25 million fundraising campaign to invest in the future of legal education
at WVU. This includes the construction of a 20,000-square-foot addition to
the law school as well as improvements to teaching facilities, resources, and technology.
In 2011, McConnell established the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, which is playing a prominent role in shaping the energy and environmental policies of the future. She also oversaw the creation of the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic, which is working in a dozen West Virginia communities.
In her first term as Dean, McConnell founded the law school’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Law Clinic, and reinvigorated the Center for Law and Public Service and the West Virginia Innocence Project. McConnell’s emphasis on a law curriculum that develops practice-ready skills helped WVU Law earn the 2012 Excellence in Pro Bono Award from the rating agency Super Lawyers.
Throughout her tenure as dean, McConnell has sought to increase WVU Law’s national prominence. Results of this effort include high rankings by U.S. News & World Report, preLaw Magazine, and The National Law Journal, among other publications.
“Joyce McConnell is perceived as a compassionate and caring leader who also holds faculty, staff and students accountable,” said Wheatly. “She sets high standards for those she leads and then provides the support needed to be successful.”
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