Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented by Wheeling University to graduates who exemplify the ideals of extraordinary competence and personal compassion in their chosen field: ideals for which alumni of Wheeling University have long been known. It is now presented each year during Alumni Weekend.
| 1981 | George R. Blake ’67 | Public Communications |
| Mary Kate Wittig Davitt, MD ’65 | Medicine | |
| John B. Yasinsky, Ph.D. ’61 | Industry | |
| 1982 | Charles Cuono, MD, Ph.D. ’65 | Medicine |
| Elaine Runner Dungan, CPA ’73 | Public Accounting | |
| 1983 | Stephen E. Haid, Ph.D. ’63 | Education |
| Derrick Latos, MD ’68 | Medicine | |
| Judith Noonan O’Brien ’65 | Law | |
| 1984 | William E. Cornforth ’72 | Education |
| Dennis W. Keogh ’61 (posthumously) | Public Service | |
| Sr. Marguerite O’Brien, CSJ ’66 | Religious Life | |
| Louis A. Volpe ’70 | Education | |
| 1985 | John S. Gasiorowski ’64 | Education |
| Rev. Margaret B.C. Phillimore ’74 | Religious Life | |
| Edward J. Shahady, MD ’61 | Medicine | |
| 1986 | Anthony T. Basil, Ph.D. ’60 | Education |
| Kenneth S. Ramsey, Ph.D. ’64 | Health | |
| Michael A. Santer, Jr., MD ’61 | Medicine | |
| 1987 | Victoria A. Casey, Ph.D. ’76 | Clinical Psychology |
| Hon. James T. Smith, Jr. ’64 | Law, Public Service | |
| 1988 | William P. Bresnahan, Esq. ’64 | Law |
| 1989 | Stephen E. Hannig ’73 | Business |
| Sr. Joanne Gonter, VHM ’59 | Education, Religious Life | |
| 1990 | Adam S. Monks, CPA ’64 | Public Accounting |
| 1991 | Andrea DiPiero Santer ’62 | Education, Religious Life |
| 1992 | Rev. Robert V. Arkle, Jr. ’62 | Education, Religious Life |
| Rev. John DiBacco, Jr. ’62 | Education, Religious Life | |
| 1993 | Rev. Joseph M. Doyle ’60 | Education, Religious Life |
| John Egan McAteer ’61 | Public Service | |
| 1994 | Kathleen M. Hawk, Ph.D. ’72 | Public Service |
| Jane F. Exner ’80 | Medicine, Public Service | |
| Jack F. Noonan, Ph.D. ’63 | Education | |
| 1995 | J. Davitt McAteer, Esq. ’66 | Public Service, Government |
| Daniel L. Haller, Esq. ’61 | Public Service, Law | |
| Cynthia Carr Rank ’65 | Public Service | |
| 1996 | M. Joan McDermott, Ph.D. ’70 | Criminal Justice |
| 1997 | Lawrence E. Bandi ’86 | Business, Public Service |
| 1998 | Christopher J. Searl ’87 | Education |
| 1999 | Don M. Benson, MD ’61 | Medicine, Public Service |
| Rosemary Vincentin Benson ’62 | Artist | |
| Robert E. Barker ’67 | Government, Public Service | |
| 2000 | C.T. O’Donnell II ’74 | Social Service |
| Mary Gerkin McKinley ’77 | Nurse | |
| 2001 | Phillip Rusciolelli ’66 | Public Service, Military |
| Barbara Davies Rusciolelli ’66 | Public Service, Military | |
| Lawrence R. Meagher ’65 | Health Care | |
| Suzanne E. Polen ’59 | Social Justice | |
| 2002 | John A. Glaser, Ph.D. ’66 | Scientific Research |
| Donald R. Mercer, Ph.D. ’60 | Scientific Research | |
| 2003 | L. Thomas Marchlen, Esq. ’67 | Leadership, Business |
| Timothy W. Daly ’67 | Leadership, Business | |
| Sisters of St. Joseph | ||
| 2004 | No award given | |
| 2005 | Peter E. Daley Esq. ’66 (posthumously) | Family Life |
| Alexandra Stanish Daley ’67 | Family Life | |
| Patricia Weitzel-O’Neill ’69 | Education | |
| 2006 | John “Rick” Berthold ’59 | Education |
| Michael L. Monahan, Esq. ’82 | Law | |
| 2007 | Mark F. Geary, Esq. ’62 | Law |
| J’Ann Schoomaker Allen ’67 | Social Justice | |
| James D. Allen, Jr. ’67 | Social Justice | |
| George “Ged” Young, Jr. ’72 | Communications | |
| 2008 | Brian E. McCagh ’68 | Health Care |
| 2009 | Mark Gresham ’84 | Publishing |
| Sr. Karen A. Bland, OSB ’94 | Religious Life | |
| 2010 | Michael V Murphy ’70 (posthumously) | Architecture |
| Marybeth Murray Emmerth ’85 | Education | |
| 2011 | Vera Barton-Caro ’82 | Nursing |
| 2012 | Kevin Kerrane ’62 | Education |
| Patrick “PJ” Reindel ’02 | Social Service | |
| 2013 | Charlie Lloyd, Ph.D. ’63 | Education |
| Dr. John Maris ’83 | Medicine | |
| Erin McDonald ’03 | Social Service | |
| 2014 | Robert Ritz ’84 | Medicine, Administrative |
| Paul Abernathy ’01 | Social Services | |
| 2015 | Timothy Williams ’71 (posthumously) | Law, Social Service |
| Elizabeth (Beth) Bender ’85 | Education | |
| 2016 | Micahel Zuscik, Ph.D. ’87 | Education |
| Sr. Kathleen Durkin ’71 | Education, Religious Life | |
| 2017 | Michael Zusick, Ph.D. | Education |
| Dr. Donald Benson ’92 | Research & Medicine | |
| Jim DiPiero ’67 | Service | |
| 2018 | Shirley Carter ’09 | Service |
| John J. Mensore ’60 | Business | |
| 2019 | Dr. Janet Huang Fitzpatrick ’89 |