Newest WVU School of Dentistry alumni celebrate ahead of Commencement

The West Virginia University School of Dentistry Class of 2026, along with faculty, staff, family, and friends, gathered for an early celebration Thursday (May 14) ahead of their Commencement ceremony. Held at Erickson Alumni Center, the annual Senior Banquet is a beloved gathering for the newest Doctor of Dental Surgery and Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene alumni before they cross the stage to receive their diplomas.

To kick off the celebration, Dr. Stephen Pachuta, dean, shared advice for the graduates as they take the next stop in their journeys.

“Your journey through your respective programs has been a tough and challenging one. It is the culmination of many years of hard work, personal commitment, and self-sacrifice,” Dr. Pachuta, who graduated from the DDS program in 1985, said. “My hope is you will remember that being a professional is all about service, that our quality of caring is as important as the quality of care we provide, and that you must engage and be an active participant in our profession. When you do, you will make a difference in the lives of those we serve.”

Looking back on their time at WVU, the students shared slideshows highlighting special moments in and out of the classroom, as well as fun superlatives for their classmates and faculty members. Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association President Brooke Koper and DDS Class President Tyler Linkous also shared special memories with the attendees.

“I still remember all of the nerves and the uncertainty that I felt attending my freshman orientation day,” Koper said. “Little did we know the impact of being part of such a tight-knit major would have on us. We quickly fell in love with dental hygiene and found a second family within this program.

“Now, we are all gathered together in this room for one of the last times before we walk across the stage and go our separate ways. It is bittersweet knowing that people we spent countless hours studying with, stressing with, laughing with, and growing with are about to begin new chapters of their lives. But no matter where life takes us, we will always share the experience of making it through one of the most challenging and rewarding journeys together.”

“To my classmates, congratulations, we did it,” Linkous said. “We're less than twenty-four hours away from a moment that we questioned would come. From when we first applied, wondering if we were going to get accepted, and then we did. Wondering how we were going to survive classes and thirty-two credits in one semester and sixteen finals, but we did. Wondering how we were going to get patients in to get them the care they needed, but we did. It's a momentous achievement, and it's something that is well worth being proud of.”

Students were also recognized during the banquet for their high scholastic achievement. Dental hygiene students Josey Glover, Noelle Wonsettler, and Lily Namsupak and dental students Collin Kerr, Sophia Ellia, Christopher VonScio, and Brittany Walker were presented with certificates for earning the top three grade point averages in their respective classes.

In addition to soon-to-graduate celebrations, Outstanding Teacher Awards were announced at the event. Voted by the graduating classes, this year’s recipients were Dr. Zachary Greene, assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, and Elizabeth Southern Puette, MS, assistant professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene.

Sending off the graduates with Mountaineer spirit, Dr. Robert “Coach” Wanker, clinical professor in the Department of Periodontics, shared his best wishes.

“You look out there, and you see the WVU School of Dentistry family, and we've all become family members at different times,” he said. “It's almost hard for me to believe that it was sixty years ago that I came for my interview for dental school. I fell in love with the place, and I've been here ever since.

“My favorite philosopher is Confucius. He said, ‘Wherever you go in life, go with your heart.’ And all of you, your heart will always be at West Virginia [University], no matter where we go. As always, God bless you all, and let's go, Mountaineers!”

The WVU School of Dentistry Commencement ceremony will take place Friday, May 15, at noon at the Coliseum, along with the schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health. The ceremony will be live-streamed on YouTube.

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