Alumni Association honors dedicated dental professionals
Five individuals were recognized today (April 25) for their dedication to the West Virginia University School of Dentistry and the dental profession during the annual Alumni Association Spring Reunion.
The honorees – Distinguished Alumni Award recipients Dr. Bruce Cassis, Tiffany Summerlin, Dr. Lorena Surber and Dr. W. Craig Wilcox and Achievement Award recipient Susan Jones – were celebrated during a ceremony at the Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place. The ceremony also included special recognition for the 25th, 50th, 55th and 60th class reunions.
“On behalf of the West Virginia University School of Dentistry Alumni Association, it is both an honor and a personal privilege to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the recipients of these prestigious awards,” Dr. Moe Momen, president, said. “Their unwavering commitment to excellence, compassionate care and tireless service to the profession and their communities reflect the highest ideals of our alma mater. We are deeply proud to celebrate this moment and grateful to count them among our most esteemed Mountaineers.”
To be considered for the Distinguished Alumni Award and Achievement Award, recipients must display outstanding service to the field of dentistry as well as contributions to their community, state or nation. Honorees are selected by a committee representing the WVU School of Dentistry Alumni Association.
Dr. Bruce Cassis has been dedicated to improving the welfare of his community, state, profession and alma mater since completing the Doctor of Dental Surgery program in 1980. He has practiced in Fayetteville for 45 years while serving in many leadership positions at the local, state and national levels and providing educational opportunities for current WVU students and fellow dentists.
Dr. Cassis has been a member of the Academy of General Dentistry since 1985, providing leadership throughout his time in the organization as secretary, vice president and president, becoming the first person from West Virginia to be named to the position. He has also served on the academy’s Program Approval for Continuing Education Council and Communications Council and as associate editor. In his community, he has been an integral member of the New River Dental Society. Cassis is a Fellow in the American College of Dentists and Pierre Fauchard Academy, and he has received the Lifelong Learning Service Award from the Academy of General Dentistry.
Cassis has presented continuing education courses in laser and cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics and sedation across the United States and internationally. He has also taught seminars at the School of the Dentistry and served as preceptor for its rural rotation program for many years.
He has been a member and leader in the Fayetteville Lions Club and Fayetteville Baseball League.
Tiffany Summerlin graduated from WVU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene after settling in Morgantown following her time as an active duty Marine in the U.S. Marine Corps stationed in Japan. She is a dental hygienist for Monongalia County Health Department Dentistry and coordinator of its Smile Express, a mobile dentistry unit that travels the local area. Her commitment to public health dentistry includes fostering relationships with local schools, educating residents and providing patient care to improve well-being in the community.
She previously served as an oral data collector for the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia, an initiative aimed at identifying factors that contribute to oral health disparities and providing opportunities for intervention.
Summerlin has worked with faculty and students at the School through volunteer opportunities on the Smile Express at the Scouting America National Jamboree and as a member of the Alumni Association. She’s also served as a board member for the BSA Mountaineer Area Council and Mountaineer Food Bank and been a part of the West Virginia Oral Health Coalition, Leadership West Virginia and Leadership Monongalia, Operation Welcome Home and Freedom Run USA and many other volunteer and community service activities.
A two-time graduate of the WVU School of Dentistry, Dr. Lorena Surber has remained engaged with her alma mater since her time as a student. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene in 1972, and after practicing in her hometown of Charleston for nearly 15 years, she returned to WVU and earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1990. She holds the distinction of being the only School of Dentistry graduate to finish at the top of her dental hygiene and dental surgery classes. Dr. Surber also completed a General Practice Residency at Charleston Area Medical Center, and she has been named a Fellow in the American College of Dentists and International College of Dentists.
Suber has held many leadership positions including serving as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Governors for several years and presiding as president in 2010, member of the School of Dentistry Leadership Council, vice president and president of the Kanawha Valley Dental Society, member of the Executive Council of the West Virginia Dental Association, editor of the West Virginia Section of the Academy of General Dentistry and president of the West Virginia Academy of General Dentistry. She has also held faculty positions at the School of Dentistry and WVU Institute of Technology and delivered keynote addresses at several School events, such as the Clinic Induction Ceremony and Commencement.
Wheeling native Dr. W. Craig Wilcox is a 1975 graduate of the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. In addition to private practice in his hometown, Dr. Wilcox’s extensive involvement at Wheeling Health Right has provided important opportunities for local residents and WVU students. For several years he has led the dental school’s program that mentors DDS students and residents as they provide care to underserved patients in the region.
Locally, Wilcox has provided leadership to the Wheeling District Dental Society, having served as secretary, vice president and president, and he served in numerous leadership roles for the West Virginia Dental Association including president. He has also served as a delegate to the American Dental Association for multiple terms.
Wilcox is a Fellow in the American College of Dentists and International College of Dentists, where he held the position as deputy regent and provided leadership on multiple committees.
In 2021, Wilcox was presented with the Dr. Robert B. Bridgeman Distinguished Dental Award, the highest honor awarded by the West Virginia Dental Association.
Lifelong West Virginia resident Susan Jones has devoted her career to supporting the profession of dentistry in the Mountain State. Shortly after graduating from Dunbar High School near Charleston, Jones accepted the position of executive secretary for the West Virginia Dental Association, and she has remained in that position for nearly 40 years. In her role, she contributes to the organization’s mission to serve dental professionals and communities across the state. Among her many responsibilities, she helps coordinate the annual and semi-annual sessions of the Association and numerous continuing education opportunities. She also provides support to the School and the Alumni Association throughout the year.
In her local community, Jones has served as president of the band boosters at South Charleston High School, treasurer of her son’s Little League baseball team, co-leader of her daughter’s Girl Scouts troop and participated in numerous school programs.
In addition to the awards celebration, the Spring Reunion includes a continuing education opportunity and a reception, dinner, music and dancing.
Since 1985, the Distinguished Alumni Award has been presented to 62 graduates. The Achievement Award, first presented in 1965, has been given to 41 individuals.
The Student Award for Clinical Competency and Professionalism and Dr. Robert E. Sausen Distinguished Service Award will be presented to graduates in the Class of 2025 by the WVU School of Dentistry Alumni Association at the annual Senior Awards Ceremony in May.
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