Davis & Elkins Takes to the Road to Honor Alumni

Although Homecoming and Family Weekend again shifted to a virtual event, alumni honors were presented in separate, private ceremonies throughout the East Coast. President Chris A. Wood, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Scott Goddard ’96 and Director of Alumni Engagement and Support Wendy Morgan ’12 traveled the region to honor alumni for their contributions to the College and their professions.

This year’s honorees are Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Bijan Goodarzi ’77, Tower Award Karen Kober Brown ’84, Outstanding Young Alumna Amber Vineyard ’10 and Senators Community Service Award Dave Cutlip ’77.

Distinguished Alumnus

Dr. Bijan J. Goodarzi ’77 was presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award at La Ferme Restaurant in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Sept. 11.

The Distinguished Alumna/us Award is the highest award given to a Davis & Elkins College alumna or alumnus who has made significant contributions to society in his or her career. The criteria for selection include career advancement and related service to others, significant honors in one’s field, and commitment to Davis & Elkins College.

Goodarzi shares a long history with Davis & Elkins College. Both of his parents – Dr. Manucher Goodarzi ’48 and the late Kathryn Elward Goodarzi ’49, as well as his uncle, the late Joseph Elward ’50 – are alumni. As a student, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Campus Activity Board, The Icehouse Committee, Student Assembly, International Club, Political Science Club and Chi Beta Phi honorary science fraternity.

Goodarzi graduated from D&E in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He went on to obtain his Doctor of Medicine degree from Marshall University School of Medicine.

His career began at Women’s Health Specialists in Zanesville, Ohio. It wasn’t long until he saw there was something more he needed to do for his patients. Many physicians in the area were not accepting Medicaid patients and, as a result, many of those patients were showing up in the emergency room with no prenatal care. After approaching the hospital, Goodarzi was able to start a hospital-based prenatal care program. That program later shifted to Muskingum Valley Health Center. In 2018, the facility got a new name – Dr. Bijan Joseph Goodarzi Health Center – in honor of the caring physician, who along with MVHC founder Chuck Hunter, established it.

Goodarzi dedicated his career to additional sectors of the medical profession working as a clinical instructor and medical director.

Tower Award

On Sept. 12, Karen Kober Brown ’84 received the Tower Award at Root Down Brewery in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

The Tower Award is presented to a D&E alumna or alumnus for outstanding commitment and service to the College and its alumni programs. The criteria for selection include volunteering of time, talent and/or funds in support of the numerous student and alumni programs the College offers.

Brown spent her days at D&E serving in various offices of Phi Mu sorority and working as a psychology teaching assistant, as well as completing her studies. She graduated cum laude in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in youth services. She went on to earn her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout her career, she has worked as a child welfare caseworker, a school social worker, and now as a psychotherapist.

Both in her career and personal life, she exemplifies a character of supporting others and providing service that brings betterment to all she endeavors. The same holds true with her commitment to Davis & Elkins College.

As a member of the National Alumni Council and co-chair of the Regional Events Committee, Brown has helped organize multiple alumni events and helped everyone share their most treasured memories of D&E. She’s always ready to welcome new alumni and gives her full attention to networking opportunities during the Almost Alumni Receptions.

Blending her professional experience with her connections at her alma mater, Brown has provided resources to D&E Counseling and Wellness Services.

Outstanding Young Alumna and Senators Community Service Award

Amber Vineyard ’10 and Dave Cutlip ’77 shared a dual ceremony at Smoke on the Water, just outside of Elkins on Sept. 25.

The Outstanding Young Alumna/us Award is presented to a young alumna or alumnus who graduated within the last 10 years and shows promise in his or her profession, including professional achievements and honors, community service/service to others, and commitment to the College.

With a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Davis & Elkins College, Vineyard has excelled in her career at Orion Strategies. She created opportunities that led the company to expand from two offices to six regional offices. As a senior account executive, she leads the company’s Buckhannon office by managing operations, workflow and collaborative efforts. She also develops and oversees strategic campaigns utilizing various platforms.

Among her clientele is Davis & Elkins College. Vineyard led her team to create video productions to promote the College to prospective students and their families. Another project highlighted Davis & Elkins Highland Scholars.

The Senators Community Service Award is presented to an alumna or alumnus in recognition of service to the community which resulted in significant impact.

After moving to Elkins in 2014, Cutlip began volunteering his time to the College as an interviewer for student scholarships and career sessions. In 2018, he was named to the Davis & Elkins College Board of Trustees. He now serves as vice chair of the Board, chair of the Property Sub-Committee, a member of the Business and Finance Committee, and Trustees and Honors Committee. His academic and professional background have proved to be assets in this service. With a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, and earth and environmental sciences, Cutlip spent 32 years in an executive position with DLZ Corporation, an engineering, architecture and environmental consulting firm based in central Ohio. He has also worked for the Ohio Division of Natural Resources.

Cutlip shares those talents with the Randolph County community as well, and received recognition for his endeavors. He has been active as a Board member and past president for Elkins Main Street, Inc.; serves on the Board of Directors for a WV-based engineering services firm; and as a consultant to the Randolph County Housing Authority, the Woodlands Development Group, and the City of Elkins. He also has worked with the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber’s project for building a vibrant Elkins and Randolph County.

Last year, Cutlip and his wife, Patricia Mayes, were named the 2020 Elkins-Randolph County Chamber’s Citizens of the Year Award for Dave’s work with Elkins Main Street and Pat’s work with the Emma Scott Garden Club.