WVSOM honors employees, retirees for West Virginia Day

LEWISBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine ( WVSOM ) recognized a number of individuals on the 161st anniversary of West Virginia’s entry into the union – also known as West Virginia Day.

The June 20 employee celebration saw distribution of 17 awards in five separate categories, and WVSOM chief human resources officer, Leslie Bicksler, offered praise to those devoted to educating aspiring physicians.

“This is a celebration of the contributions and accomplishments of so many of you,” said Bicksler. “Who we are as an institution and what we continue to accomplish is due to the dedication, hard work, and commitment of our faculty, staff, board, alumni, students, and the community that supports us. As a small institution, I’m constantly and consistently proud of all our employees.”

Awards given during the West Virginia Day ceremony include the President’s Outstanding Faculty Award, the Living Our Mission Award, the Statewide Campus Pride Award, the Rising Star Award, and many others.

Also recognized during the ceremony were WVSOM employees who were honored for their years of service. These included retirees, such as Bob Foster, D.O., an administrator and faculty member of WVSOM who retired in 2023 after having been with the institution for 45 years.

WVSOM Department of Clinical Sciences faculty member, Jill Cochran, Ph.D., was promoted to professor, while Christopher Pankey, Ph.D., was promoted to associate professor and was granted tenure. Pankey is with the WVSOM Department of Biomedical Sciences.

WVSOM Vice Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marina Diioia, Ph.D., was granted tenure as well, along with associate dean for research and sponsored programs, Dovenia Ponnoth, Ph.D.

West Virginia Day is celebrated each year on June 20 in acknowledgment of West Virginia’s admission into the Union in 1863 following the secession of multiple counties in the northwestern portion of Virginia which occurred during the American Civil War.