WVU Today
Reynolds Hall, the future home of West Virginia University’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics, will propel students to the forefront of business education thanks to a multimillion-dollar gift from alumni W. Marston “Marty” and Katharine Becker that will bolster building construction, ensure academic success for students and help attract and retain top-notch faculty.
The Beckers’ gift includes money for construction of Reynolds Hall, as well as an endowment to support operation of the Academic Engagement Success Center and an endowment to supplement faculty salaries. The Charleston couple also donated a significant piece of artwork for Reynolds Hall and previously established an endowed fund for undergraduate student scholarships and a doctoral fellowship.
“It is because of the generosity and the leadership of our alumni, such as Marty and Kathy Becker, that West Virginia University can continue to achieve great success,” President Gordon Gee said.
The Academic Engagement Success Center provides peer-assisted tutoring, mentoring and career coaching to help students excel in college and their careers, equipping them with real-world professional skills that offer a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
Chambers College Director of Recruitment and Retention Rachel Nieman said about 30 undergraduate scholars provide tutoring to students in challenging economics and accounting courses at hundreds of appointments each semester; another 23 upperclassmen trained in leadership skills and more work directly with roughly 450 first-time freshmen to help them succeed. All services are provided virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The center’s new facility at Reynolds Hall will create a hub for students to congregate and work collaboratively on their studies, with greater flexibility for concurrent tutoring, mentoring and coaching sessions.
“This additional funding will really enable us to invest in our students,” Nieman said. “We are so grateful for the opportunity to empower students to grow and provide support to develop future business leaders. Services like ours complement what students receive in the classroom. Participating in these kinds of activities, whether it’s receiving help or providing help to others, separate the good from the great. We know that this is going to take our students to the next level.”
“Kathy and I are privileged to have this opportunity to support West Virginia University and its land grant-driven mission to advance West Virginia,” Marty Becker said.
Reynolds Hall — named for alumnus Robert “Bob” Reynolds and his wife, Laura, who donated $10 million to the project — is under construction at the former site of Stansbury Hall, along Morgantown’s scenic waterfront on the Monongahela River. Slated for completion in 2022, the facility’s adaptive, collaborative spaces reflect a reimagined vision for business education at WVU.
A native of Huntington, Becker credits his West Virginia values, WVU education and family support for much of his success. He graduated from WVU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1974 and a law degree in 1977. Since then, he has led insurance, reinsurance and insurance brokerage organizations publicly traded and privately held. He serves on the boards of Encova Insurance, Axis Capital, MVB Bank and Amynta Group.
Katharine Becker earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from WVU in 1979. She has worked on Capitol Hill, for the U.S. Department of Commerce and as a senior aide to former West Virginia Gov. Arch A. Moore Jr.
The couple has two adult sons, James and Todd, who also attended graduate school at WVU.
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