William H. Miernyk (1918–2008)

Dr. Miernyk was on the faculty at Northeastern University, Colorado University and WVU, and was a visiting professor at MIT, Harvard and the University of Edinburgh.

At WVU, Dr. Miernyk founded the Regional Research Institute, where he served as director from 1965 until his retirement in 1983. He was the recipient of many honors and awards. In 1989, he was inducted into the Order of the Vandalia. In 2005, the first "William H. Miernyk Research Excellence Medal" was presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Regional Science Association. His titles at WVU were Claude Worthington Benedum Professor of Economics, Professor Emeritus, and Director Emeritus of the RRI.

Known for his critical insight and expertise, Dr. Miernyk served as a consultant for U.S. Senate committees, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and The World Bank, among many others. Dr. Miernyk authored and co-authored over 40 books, 144 monographs, articles and reviews, and wrote a weekly newspaper column on economic issues for The Charleston Gazette.