Distinguished Alumni Award
Requirements
Both dental and dental hygiene graduates of the WVU School of Dentistry are eligible for this award. Recipients must be current, active members of the School of Dentistry Alumni Association.
Outstanding service acceptable for consideration of this award includes reputation and formal recognition attained by the nominee within professional, political and public groups.
Deadline for nomination is December.
Eligibility
Eligibility will usually require some history in at least two of the three areas listed below:
- Election or appointment to positions in state or national groups (requiring major responsibilities), honorary memberships in state or national groups, the American College of Dentistry and/or the International College of Dentists.
- Recipient of awards for service and contributions to professional and public areas.
- Scholarly development and attainment by advanced and honorary degrees, advancement to senior ranks in academic appointments, multiple professional presentations of scientific merit, and/or multiple publications in professional journals.
Nomination and Election Procedures
- Criteria given above should be printed periodically in the Alumni Bulletin.
- Nominations should be delivered to the secretary‑treasurer.
- Nominations will be reviewed by the awards committee.
- Nominations will be returned by the committee to the Board of Governors with recommendations.
- Final approval for the award is made by the Board of Governors.
- The secretary will confirm “special requirements” before completing arrangements.
Recipients
- 1985: Norton P. Smith, DDS, '77
- 1986: Nathaniel Kennedy, DDS, '61
- 1987: Jimelle Farris Rumburg, BSDH, '75
- 1988: Frank Stevens, DDS, '62
- 1990: A. Ed Skidmore, DDS, '66
- 1991: Sam V. Holroyd, DDS, '61
- 1995: Christina DeBiase, BSDH, '77
- 1996: David A. Whiston, DDS, '65
- 1997: David T. Puderbaugh, DDS, '64
- 1998: Edward E. Herschaft, DDS, '70
- 1998: Errol Reese, DDS, '63
- 1999: Gary Hartwell, DDS, '66
- 1999: David Myers, DDS, '65
- 2000: Everett Bowling, DDS, '75
- 2000: James E. Valentine, DDS, '75
- 2001: James J. Caveney, DDS, '68
- 2001: Carol Spear, BSDH, '69
- 2002: Brad W. Neville, DDS, '77
- 2003: David C. Fogarty, DDS, '68
- 2003: John M Wright, Jr., DDS, '73
- 2004: Robert S. Raynes, DDS, '73
- 2005: William R. McCutcheon, DDS, '63
- 2006: Robert L. Wanker, DDS, '70
- 2007: David C. Funderburk, DDS, '73
- 2007: Ronald D. Jackson, DDS, '72
- 2008: Robert H. Hornbrook, DDS, '68
- 2008: Charles L. Smith, DDS, '83
- 2009: Clara M. Spatafore, DDS, '84
- 2010: Michael D. Medovic, DDS, '80
- 2010: Harold H. Reed, DDS, '70
- 2011: Shelia S. Price, DDS, '86
- 2011: David H. Walker, DDS, '71
- 2012: Cathryn Frere, BSDH, '72
- 2012: Gregory Lacy, DDS, '77
- 2012: Richard D. Smith, DDS, '77
- 2013: David Edwards, DDS, '73
- 2013: Daniel Joseph, DDS, '78
- 2013: Louise Veselicky, DDS, '88
- 2014: Jay Dyer, DDS, '69
- 2015: James Courrier, DDS, '70
- 2015: H. Richard Marshall, DDS, '70
- 2015: Stephen Pachuta, DDS, '85
- 2016: James Szarko, DDS, '76
- 2017: Dawn Ann Dean, MSDH, '92
- 2017: Michael Meador, DDS, '77
- 2018: Laura Aliff, BSDH, '82
- 2018: C. Richard Gerber, DDS, '83
- 2019: Melissa Suann Gaydos, BSDH, '88
- 2019: Mark Kilcollin, DDS, '74
- 2019: Dawn Yost, BSDH, '78
- 2020: Larry Keith Hildebrand, DDS, '80, MS, '84
- 2021: David Bridgeman, DDS, '80
- 2022: Les Bakos, DDS, '72, OMS Residency, '75
- 2022: Amy Funk, BSDH, BSDH, '92, MSDH, '97
- 2022: Michelle Klenk, BSDH, '85
- 2022: Tom Leslie, DDS, '80
- 2022: Bill Queen, DDS, '78
- 2023: Karen Avey, BSDH, '84
- 2023: Mark Byron, DDS, '85, MS, '94
- 2023: Susan K. Morgan, BSDH, '77, DDS, '88
- 2023: John B. Wilfong, DDS, '62
- 2024: Mike George, DDS, '84
- 2024: Gina Sharps, BSDH, '93
- 2025: Bruce Cassis, DDS, '80
- 2025: Tiffany Summerlin, BSDH, '08
- 2025: Lorena Surber, BSDH, '72, DDS, '90
- 2025: W. Craig Wilcox, DDS, '75