About Concord University
For more than 150 years, Concord University has served the southern region of West Virginia, southwest Virginia and beyond, educating teachers, business leaders, scientists, social workers, as well as future medical and legal professionals. With a 14:1 student to faculty ratio and over 70 programs of study, Concord provides you with a quality education no matter what you choose.
Featured Stories
Class of 2017
Michael Yost attended Concord University from 2014-2017, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in pre-professional biology. He was then accepted to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, where he earned his medical degree. He is currently in the Family Medicine residency program at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Lewisburg, WV. His most memorable experience while attending Concord is meeting his wife in University 101 on the first day of class. When asked about a unique story that many people don’t know about him, he related, “I won The WV State Arbor Day Poster competition in fourth grade and there is a tree planted in my honor in front of Athens Elementary School still today, less than a mile from Concord University.”
Michael Yost
Class of 2017
Nicholas Gonzales
Class of 2005
Dr. Tracy Luff
Professor of Sociology & Director of Honors Program
Carolyn Worley '17
Director of Student Activities & Student Center
Assistant Professor/Training Manager
Dr. Samantha Byrd began at Concord as an adjunct professor in the Masters of Social Work program in 2020, and was advanced to a full-time position in 2022. She received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Concord in 2016, and her Masters of Social Work degree in 2018, also from Concord. She went on to the University of Kentucky to earn her Doctor of Social Work degree in 2023. Dr. Byrd has practice experience in child and adolescent mental health, grant management, and foster parent training. She is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) interventions. In addition to teaching, Samantha volunteers in the counseling center at Concord, and provides community service in various ways. She founded and manages a foster closet and foster parent support group, and serves on the board of directors for Child Protect of Mercer County. She says of her most memorable experience at CU, “Since starting in academia, I have had the pleasure of working in different capacities with some of the professors and mentors I had during my time as a student at CU. It is incredible to see how everyone comes together behind the scenes to support students in various ways.”
