West Virginia University hosted its annual Merit Badge University on March 1, a one-day event where Scouting America members work with WVU representatives to earn merit badges.
Faculty and students from the WVU School of Pharmacy helped scouts earn their Health Care Professions Merit Badge, organized in collaboration with WVU Women in Science and Health (WISH) committee, which was offered for the first time in 2024.
Teaching Associate Professor Marina Galvez Peralta and Clinical Associate Professor Gretchen Garofoli served as merit badge counselor and advisor, respectively. They were assisted by six student pharmacists — Inez Behrens, Connor Combs, Tristan Connard, Mitchell Cushey, Hanna Jandrain and Tyler Trayter. Behrens, Cushey and Trayter are Eagle Scouts.
In this merit badge, scouts learned and experienced the role of different health care professions, such as how they collaborate with each other through hands-on activities and simulations. The health care professions included medicine, nursing (NP and RN), physician assistant, pharmacy, audiology, occupational and physical therapy, speech pathology, radiology, medical records, medical technology and histology and respiratory therapy.
Merit Badge University is sponsored by WVU and the Mountaineer Area Council of Scouting America. View photos from the event on SmugMug.
