Dr. Jose "Zito" Sartarelli has been named West Virginia University's chief global officer, a role he will assume in addition to serving as dean of the College of Business and Economics. This appointment will centralize responsibility for all international activities in teaching, research and service. Sartarelli will continue to report to Provost Michele Wheatly. Sartarelli will develop strong collaborations with the chancellor of health sciences and with the vice presidents of student affairs and research. He will also be accountable to the president for advancing the global engagement goal of the university's 2020 Strategic Plan.

Hugh Kierig, who has served as director of the West Virginia University Department of Transportation and Parking for the last 5 years, will be taking a similar position at the University of Rochester. His last day is May 3, 2013. In addition, Hudak has appointed Facilities Planning Manager Kim Hartsell to interim assistant director of Parking Management. She will serve in both positions until the parking position can be filled permanently.

West Virginia University launched the WVU Clinical and Pharmacological Research Center to conduct human clinical trials on new medications. The drugs are being developed for use in the United States as well as other countries. The center can perform studies to establish that generic medications have the same properties as their name-brand equivalents and research that measures how drugs are absorbed by the human body. Clinical and Pharmacological Research Center will recruit volunteers from the Morgantown area and beyond to participate in the trials.