An electric charging station was officially unveiled on Marshall University’s campus last Friday. This is the first charging station for electric vehicles on Marshall’s campus, but according to Marshall President Jerome Gilbert, hopefully not the last.

The money for the charging station was donated by Marshall Biological Sciences Professor, Dr. Rick Walker. President Gilbert said the generous donation will help the university in a few different ways.

“We’re the benefactors of his generosity. Dr. Walker fully funded the charging station which our physical plant installed and we’re now willing to offer it for free for people that want to come and charge their electric vehicles here. And we’re hoping that a lot of visitors will come and use this when they come and visit campus,” Gilbert said.

There are two spaces available for use. The charging stations are available for anyone to use for free. Many community members and Marshall faculty were present for the unveiling, as well as the West Virginia Electric Auto Association. Thornton Cooper, a member of the West Virginia Electric Auto Association said he believes having more charging stations available for use in West Virginia will encourage more people to come to the state.

“It’s important to have a charging station in Huntington and other places in West Virginia to encourage people to purchase electric cars and also for people who don’t live here to come to and from Huntington and any other location in the stat,” Cooper said.

Cooper also said having more charging stations for electric vehicles will encourage more people to come to West Virginia and do business in the state.

“The more charging stations there are in West Virginia the more it will make people who have electric cars able to come here and get a charge and also do their business. It’s completely changing the way we do things in West Virginia,” Cooper said.

President Gilbert said he believes the addition of the charging stations may help attract more students to come to Marshall as well.

“It’s a resource that would be available to tell people that we are looking to the future and we have this resource for you if you have an electric car for you to come charge up while you’re visiting our campus,” Said Gilbert.

The electric vehicle charging stations are located outside of Corbly Hall in the pay parking lot.

Kyra Biscarner can be contacted at [email protected]