Michael Benson Inaugurated as West Virginia University’s 27th President
Michael Benson was formally inaugurated as the 27th president of West Virginia University in Morgantown. During the ceremony, he outlined his vision for the university, emphasizing strategic planning, its commitment to West Virginia, and the importance of public trust.
Parkersburg, WV, October 19, 2026 —
Michael Benson was formally inaugurated as the 27th president of West Virginia University during a ceremony in Morgantown. In his remarks, he outlined a vision for the university centered on strategic planning, its commitment to West Virginia and the importance of public trust.
The account of the ceremony identifies those priorities but does not provide further details about Benson’s plans, including specific goals, proposed initiatives or timelines. It also does not state when the ceremony took place or provide information about other speakers or attendees.
Benson’s emphasis on strategic planning and the university’s relationship with West Virginia formed the central themes of the vision described during the inauguration. The available information does not explain how the university plans to carry out that planning or how its commitment to the state will be reflected in particular programs or decisions.
Public trust was also highlighted as important. No further explanation was provided about how Benson intends to address that priority, or how progress might be assessed. The account does not include direct quotations from his remarks.
The inauguration formally marks Benson’s position as the university’s 27th president, while the details available about the ceremony are limited to his stated priorities. Further information about the university’s plans, implementation and next steps was not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Evan Bevins on www.newsandsentinel.com, see more information here.
