Allen Smith '05
Senior Admissions Counselor
A former Concord University graduate, Allen Smith works to bring new students to CU. Allen spends a lot of time on the road visiting high schools and attending college fairs. When he is on campus, Allen is organizing campus visitations and helping families navigate the enrollment process. From scholarships and financial aid, to finding the right program of study, Allen and all our admission counselors are here for prospective CU students.
“Concord feels like home.”
Staff
Karen Vuranch
Instructor of Theater and Communication Arts
Karen Vuranch brings decades of theater experience and extensive knowledge to Concord University. Vuranch has performed shows in every county in West Virginia, in 35 states and three foreign countries. She completed five performance tours of England and Wales, and toured China with 35 other storytellers. In 1982, she moved from Ohio to West Virginia to work for the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia as a storyteller. Here, she met her husband and together, the couple eventually founded their own theater company, WV Enterprises. Vuranch has written many performance pieces, including Coal Camp Memories, a play she wrote based on oral histories she collected. She also has 12 living history characters – remarkable women in history – that she researched and performs. “Teaching is a culmination of my years of work,” Vuranch says. “I have had years of being on stage and accolades. Now, I am ready to share what I know and to see my students flourish.”
Faculty
Steven Kennedy '18
Jolo, WV
After high school, Steven joined the military, and though he traveled to many different places in his career he was never able to find a place that he would call Home. His decision to leave the military lead him to look into other options, and that was college. After several visits to different campuses, he decided that Concord University would be the place he truly called home. He took advantage of the opportunities that were presented to him, and according to him one of the best was the opportunity to work with, and give back to, fellow student veterans and veterans in the community. Steven is now a graduate of Concord and pursuing his dream expanding his own small business. It Starts With You.
“Staying involved in as many things as possible at Concord gave me a sense of belonging.”
Alumni