Morgantown, WV — Five Mountaineers will be honored Saturday (June 10) for their loyalty and service to West Virginia University as they are inducted into the Order of Vandalia.
The ceremony will also honor the memories of five Vandalians who have died in the past year — J. William Douglas, Class of 2015; Elmo Hurst, Class of 1994; Edna Bennett Pierce, Class of 2012; Peter White, Class of 2001 and Mary Kathryne Wiedebusch, Class of 2007.
The 2023 inductees are Dana Brooks, Robert DiClerico, Pam Maphis Larrick, Nora MacDonald and J. Wayne Richards.
Dana Brooks retired as dean of the former College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences in 2019 after serving the University for more than four decades. During that time, he also worked for 32 years as program administrator for the National Youth Sports Program on campus, positively impacting the lives of more than 8,000 children and families in the Mountain State.
Robert DiClerico is the former director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Political Science in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and was recognized with 14 teaching awards during his tenure, including the CASE West Virginia Teacher of the Year and the Eberly Family Professor for Outstanding Teaching awards. He also served as the University representative for the Rhodes and Truman Scholarship foundations during his 30 years on campus, guiding seven University recipients through the process.
Pam Maphis Larrick spent her career as an advertising and marketing executive in New York City serving as CEO and chair of two global agencies. She co-founded the IPG Women’s Leadership Network in 2008, has served on the WVU Foundation Board of Directors, was honored with the Perley Isaac Reed Achievement Award from the Reed College of Media and was inducted as a member of the WVU Alumni Association Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
Nora MacDonald is a professor emerita in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design School of Design and Community Development. During her career, she chaired the United Nations 1999 International Year of Older Persons Clothing Initiative, helped to develop the Disegno Italia program and served several times as curriculum coordinator for the Fashion, Dress and Merchandising Program.
- Wayne Richards earned his bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from WVU before embarking on a career in the oilfield services sector. He spent 25 years in senior operational, sales and marketing positions with Schlumberger and currently serves as president and CEO of GR Energy Services. He is also a current member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors and an advisory board member for the Energy Workforce and Technology Council.
The Order of Vandalia dates back to 1960 when WVU President Elvis J. Stahr outlined his idea for a special honor to be bestowed on the University’s most loyal servants. Inductees through the years have included U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, Carolyn Eberly Blaney, Joseph Gluck, John T. Chambers, Earl L. Core and Milan Puskar