DAVID AND DR. JO ANN SHAW

WHEELING — A Wheeling couple will be honored as West Virginia University’s Outstanding Alumni for 2023, as part of homecoming festivities this weekend in Morgantown.

Dr. Jo Ann and David Shaw have been named WVU’s 2023 Outstanding Alumni, according to WVU because “their legacy of innovation, education and transformation at WVU has left a mark on the institution and continues to benefit the university and West Virginia communities.”

Jo Ann Shaw earned her medical degree from WVU in 1986, the same year David Shaw graduated from the university’s School of Pharmacy. David Shaw served as a pharmacist and retired from Kroger, while Jo Ann Shaw specialized in pathology, retiring in 2010.

Among their most impactful contributions, the university said, was a gift of more than $2 million that benefitted several aspects of the university, including WVU Athletics, the WVU School of Medicine, the David and Jo Ann Shaw Center for Simulation Training and Education for Patient Safety (STEPS), and WVU Medicine Children’s.

The WVU Athletics portion of the gift established the Shaw Student-Athlete Enrichment Fund for Nutrition and Mental Health Services, which provides nutrition education and support for student-athletes, as well as counseling and mental health services to help them deal with the unique challenges of collegiate competition.

Another portion of the gift bolstered the Jo Ann Goldbaugh Shaw, M.D., Medical Scholarship, which supports four M.D. students from West Virginia – including one in each year of medical school – annually. Another component was continued support for the Shaw STEPS Center, which has transformed health sciences education at WVU through experiential learning. The additional dollars boosted robotics resources and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The gift also supported two ultrasound rooms at the new WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital.

“We are fortunate to contribute to WVU focusing on health, nutrition and the overall well-being of all athletes at the University,” the Shaws said at the time. “We have been overwhelmed by the impact our medical scholarship and simulation support has had on health sciences students and the state and we can’t wait to see how WVU will use these new programs to strengthen and support our student athletes.”

Other alumni to be honored are Farai Simoyi, noted for her contributions to fashion design and education, who will serve as the homecoming parade’s grand marshal; Gina and Joe Wells, who will be honored with the David W. Jacobs Lifetime Service Award; Steven Saab, who will receive the 2023 Margaret Buchanan Cole Young Alumni Award; Dr. Cathy Funk, who will be recognized with the James R. McCartney Community Service Award for outstanding citizenship and community service; Robert Dailey, who will receive the Paul B. “Buck” Martin Values and Traditions Award; and Loren Lazear, the recipient of the John F. Nicholas Jr. Award for his contributions and commitment through the Emerald Coast Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association.