Alumni, faculty and honorary members representing the West Virginia University School of Dentistry were inducted into the Alpha Beta Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society during a ceremony Wednesday (May 14) at Hotel Morgan.
This year’s alumni membership inductees were Carson Cochran, Jonathan Gore, Autumn Gossard, Anna Hayton and Rachel Rutledge, who are graduates in the Doctor of Dental Surgery Class of 2025. Each individual was presented with a certificate, a stole to be worn during Commencement and the official key of the organization symbolizing their selection into the honor society. To be eligible for membership, candidates must rank in the top 20% of their class and demonstrate exemplary traits of character and qualities of future professional leadership. A number equal to 12% of the graduating class may be voted into membership and inducted into OKU.
Selected for honorary membership, Jason Formet was inducted in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the art, science and literature of dentistry and exemplary leadership in organized dentistry. Formet is coordinator of dental lab services for WVU Dental, the clinical practice component of WVU School of Dentistry.
Dr. Stephen Pachuta, dean of the School of Dentistry, was selected for faculty membership in OKU. Faculty are eligible for induction based on outstanding contributions to the art, science and literature of dentistry and exemplary traits of character. Dr. Pachuta is a 1985 graduate of the WVU School of Dentistry and has served as dean since 2021 following 32 years of service in the U.S. Navy.
In addition to dental honor society inductions, the ceremony included the presentation of awards to second- and third-year students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program.
Collin Kerr was selected to receive the William S. Kramer Award of Excellence. The award is presented to a third-year dental student who demonstrates scholarship, character and the potential promise for advancement of dentistry and service to humanity as embodied by the dedication and service of Dr. Kramer.
The Basic Sciences Award was presented to Hawraa Al Qassab, Dana Alyousef, Caroline Cartwright, Alidaad Daneshvar, Julia Gianni, Anderson Hill, Jonathan Hung, Cameron Kimble, Benjamin Kurtz, Evan McCray, Parker Miller, Maryum Muzaffer, Nicole Sacco, Karissa Spokane, Hannah Stapleton, Joshua Wagoner and Danielle Wydick. Second-year dental students selected for the award demonstrate academic excellence in the basic sciences.
Omicron Kappa Upsilon was established in 1914 to encourage and promote scholarship and character among students of dentistry. The Alpha Beta Chapter at WVU, which was created in 1961, is among more than 50 active chapters in the United States and Canada.
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