Highlights and News

Dr. Melany B. Atkins (Order of Augusta 2002) received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from West Virginia University in 2002 and was named to Phi Beta Kappa. After graduating from the WVU School of Medicine in 2006, she completed her radiology residency in 2011.  From 2011-2012, she was a Cross-Sectional Imaging Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD.

 Congratulations to the fifteen Presidential Student Ambassadors selected as Outstanding Seniors and the *seven also named to Order of Augusta. Outstanding Seniors/*Augusta recipients include: *Lillian Bischof, Aubrey Cumberledge, *Michael DiBacco, Katilyn Hepler, Matthew Hudson, *Marleah Knights, James Lamp, *Giana Loretta, Melina McCabe, *Lowell Parascandola, Devin Price, Jenna Sergent, Anthony Siler, *Lauren Volk, *Callyn Zeigler.

Established in 1995 to signify the 40th anniversary of the WVU Foundation, the Outstanding Seniors award recognizes students for their contributions and achievements in scholarship, leadership and service. The Order of Augusta further recognizes the students’ superior scholarship, demonstrated leadership and record of community and public service.
To read more about the honorees and their stellar accomplishments, see WVU Today.

In Fall 2022, PSAs in Cohort 9 zoomed with both Garrett Burgess and Liz Blemings, former Order of Augusta recipients. Dr. Kenneth Blemings, Dean of the Honors College joined to listen to his daughter.

Ginny Thrasher, Olympic Gold Medalist and a 2019 Order of Augusta recipient graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, 12 All-American Honors, 4 NCAA Individual Medals, and 2 NCAA Team Titles. She also was awarded NCAA Top 9 Women of the Year spanning her college career.

On September 21, 2021,  Stephanie Taylor (Order of Augusta 2003), Vice President and General Counsel at WVU, discussed her trajectory from the WVU College of Law.  Graduating first in her class from the WVU College of Law in 2006, she was selected to the prestigious Order of the Coif.  After working as a judicial law clerk, she joined the international Pittsburgh-based law firm Jones Day. In 2016, she became part of the University’s executive leadership team;  and provides advice and counsel to the President, the University’s administrators, faculty, and staff, and the University’s Board of Governors. In her presentation, she discussed her career path and leadership strategies that have been critical to her development as a leader, specifically emphasizing the importance of building and valuing one’s team. 

During the Spring 2021 semester, Cohort 5 of the Presidential Student Ambassadors “welcomed home”  ten West Virginia University Order of Augusta recipients who shared their knowledge about leadership and service. By reconnecting with WVU, these ten leaders became Presidential Augusta Ambassadors.