The West Virginia University Division of Student Life is proud to announce the recipients of the 2014 Hall of Fame and Outstanding Achievement Award at the induction ceremony Monday (Oct. 6) at 5:30 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.

The Student Life Outstanding Achievement Award will be presented to Lisa Di Bartolomeo. The 2014 Student Life Hall of Fame Award will be presented to Gretchen Brown, Madeline Colvin and Kenneth Gray.

Student Life Outstanding Achievement Award

Lisa DiBartolomeo is an associate professor in the Department of World Languages, Literature and Linguistics. She received her Ph.D. in 2001 from UNC-Chapel Hill in Slavic languages and literatures. She graduated from WVU in 1991 and was the University’s first British Marshall Scholar, completing her master of letters at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. She returned to WVU in 2005 and worked to build a Russian program. DiBartolomeo teaches numerous courses including popular courses on vampires, science fiction, Russian literature, Russian folklore, Polish cinema and Holocaust literature and film. DiBartolomeo coordinates the Russian studies degree program as well as the Slavic and East European studies major. While at WVU, she has developed faculty-led study abroad programs to Romania, Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic. DiBartolomeo has established an active Russian Club on campus, which regularly holds fundraisers that send yearly donations to Russian orphanages. The WVU Russian Club also holds cultural events, such as telling Russian fairy tales at the Morgantown Public Library. Currently, Di Bartolomeo serves as the chair of the WVU Faculty Senate, as well as one of two faculty representatives on the WVU Board of Governors.

Student Life Hall of Fame

Gretchen Brown initially worked at the information desk at the Evansdale Residential Complex. She began working at WVU in 1980. She transferred to Student Life in April of 1982. Brown had the opportunity to work with staff members that continue to be life-long friends. Brown said the Office of Student Life was somewhat of an umbrella, serving students in many ways. Some of Brown’s many duties included working with international students, student housing, new student orientation, discipline hearings and student legal needs. She also assisted students in times of need, and answered many questions coming from parents. Brown retired in 1999. She is proud that her three children all attended WVU. Her first grandchild is also attending WVU.

Madeline Colvin began her career at WVU as a secretary in the sports communication office in the fall of 1988. She performed secretarial duties and answered the telephone. Colvin began working as a secretary in the Mountainlair in January 1989. She reported to the Assistant Director of Building Operations. In addition to her secretarial work, she also answered the telephone in the reservations office. During her 25 and a half years of working in the Mountainlair administrative offices, Colvin worked under several assistant directors, an administrative assistant and the director/assistant vice president for Student Affairs. One of her notable duties was handling the keys in the building. She was known as the “key lady.” She also assisted in various programming opportunities such as Mountaineer Week, Madrigal dinners, a benefit luncheon for the community, Mountaineer Mascot reunions, programs with the United Way and FallFest. Colvin said her time at WVU was extremely rewarding, she enjoyed being a support person in the Mountainlair, and assisting staff in the building operations and programming areas. She said she loved working in the Mountainlair, known as “the living room of the campus,” and said she feels blessed to be a part of her Mountainlair family of coworkers. Madeline recently retired from her position as an administrative secretary in June 2014.

Ken Gray received his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia State College in 1966 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant from U.S. Army ROTC. In 1969, he earned his law degree from WVU and entered active duty in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He was named Vice President of Student Affairs at WVU in 1997. During his tenure, Student Affairs established several highly regarded programs. Gray spearheaded FallFest in 1997 and also created WVUp All Night in 1998. Under his direction, the long-time tailgating tradition at every home football game was transformed into The Student LOT. WELLWVU: The Students’ Center of Health was formed in 2009 under Gray’s direction, and has been successful in integrating WVU medical and mental health, substance abuse, fitness and nutrition, and sexual health programs and services. Gray was also a key player in upgrading the club, intramural and recreation sport facilities and bringing the Student Recreation Center to campus. Other programs Student Affairs helped lead during Gray’s tenure include the Mountaineer Parents Club, Adventure WV and the Office of International Students and Scholars. In 1991, the WVU College of Law presented him with its highest honor, the Justitia Officium Award. Gray is also a member of the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni and has been recognized as a Distinguished West Virginian by former Govs. Gaston Caperton and Cecil Underwood.

The recipients of the 2014 Herman L. Moses Scholarship will also be recognized during this event. Susan and Jonathan Adkins established the scholarship in honor of former Associate Vice President and Dean of Students for Student Affairs, Herman Moses. One male and one female are awarded $750 this year.
This year’s winners are Summer Ratcliff, a graduate student in the Integrated Marketing Communications program who works for the Mountainlair programming and special events unit, and Zak Marra, a senior in the sport management program who works for Mountainlair Night Operations.

For more information about the program or the recipients of the 2014 Hall of Fame Award and Outstanding Achievement Award, contact Sonja Wilson, event program coordinator, at Sonja.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-2702.

-WVU-

sw/10/03/14

CONTACT: Sonja Wilson, Hall of Fame Event Coordinator
Sonja.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu, 304.293.2702

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