ALUMNI “WALL OF HONOR” The West Liberty University Alumni Board of Directors instituted a project in 1990 to demonstrate to current students, visitors, and friends that the college has some very successful graduates. This project, known as the “Alumni Wall of Honor,” is a dramatic way to honor some of the college’s most distinguished alumni and display pride in the accomplishments of its graduates. The concept was suggested by then Associate Professor of Physics Robert W. Schramm, who is a 1958 graduate of the college and a 2002 Alumni Wall of Honor inductee. The Alumni Wall of Honor is housed in the south end of the Union known as the Alumni Lounge.
Brian E. Joseph is a visionary, inventor and an American entrepreneur. Joseph started in an unheated basement with a $101.00 piece of scientific equipment with which he created the remarkably successful Touchstone Research Laboratory, which has emerged into one of the most successful and innovative private companies in America. He…
Dan Joseph is a 1975 graduate of West Liberty State College. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from West Virginia University and his Master of Science in Orthodontics from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Joseph established his orthodontic practice in Wheeling in 1980. He has served as…
Robert L. Joseph received his master of science degree in bacteriology from West Virginia University in 1966 and graduated from the WVU School of Medicine in 1968. He served in the US Navy and was honorably discharged in 1972. Joseph served his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh…
Katie Kacmarik earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at West Liberty in 2008 and went on to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at West Virginia University in 2012. While at WLU, she served with the Student Government Association, was advertising manager of the Trumpet, president of the Biology Club,…
Kenneth K. Kadar was a life long resident of the Ohio Valley. He enjoyed a successful career in the radio and television broadcasting industry. He was also an accomplished amateur tennis player. Kadar was an advocate of higher education and passionately served his community through leadership positions in the Upper…
Senator Jeff Kessler earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Economics and Political Science at West Liberty, then went on to earn a Juris Doctor degree from WVU College of Law in 1981. A founding partner in the Moundsville firm of Berry, Kessler, Crutchfield, Taylor and Gordon, he served…
Fred T. Kinder, a native of Glen Dale, West Virginia, is a 1968 graduate of West Liberty State College with bachelor’s degrees in both chemistry and math. Fred began his career as an engineer for an electronics company in Erie, Pennsylvania. Eventually, he made his way to Northern California’s Silicon…
Herman “Bucky” R. Kopf graduated West Liberty State College in 1964 and went into business creating Kopf Construction with very little capital. Under his leadership, Kopf Builders has become one of the largest homebuilders and developers in the Greater Cleveland area. Kopf currently serves as chairman of American National Bank, a…
Bob Kuckuck was raised on Wheeling Island and graduated from Wheeling High School. After receiving a B.S. degree in physics from West Liberty in 1960, he went on to earn an M.Sc. in physics from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in physics/applied science from the University of California.…
A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Barbara “Barb” Laifer is a 1975 graduate of West Liberty State College with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in music, speech and theatre with a minor in speech therapy. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Austin Peay State University and…
A Wheeling native, Lary Loew earned a B.S. degree in economics from West Liberty State College in 1975. After graduating he started his 35-year association with The Equitable Life Assurance Society (now AXA Financial). He led the Mountaineer Agency in sales on several occasions, received numerous awards from Equitable and…
Zachary Loughman is a graduate of WLU, where he earned a bachelor’s in biology in 2002. After West Liberty, Loughman earned a master’s degree in biology at Marshall University focusing in herpetology, and earned his doctoral degree in evolution and ecology from Indiana State University in 2011. His professional tenure…
