WVU School of Pharmacy professor receives Governor’s highest honor

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice presented Dr. Elizabeth Scharman, professor emerita at the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, with the 2024 Distinguished Mountaineer Award. This award is the highest honor the Governor can bestow upon a non-native West Virginian. 

Dr. Scharman, who retired last month, served as the executive director of the West Virginia Poison Center for 32 years. During her tenure, she led operations such as the West Virginia DHHR Coronavirus Hotline, managed the Emergency Line, provided toxicology information during the 2014 Water Crisis, and worked across the state on poison prevention and toxicology education and treatment. Additionally, she played a key role as the deputy strategic national stockpile coordinator, contributing significantly to emergency preparedness planning within the state. 

Dr. Scharman holds certifications as a board-certified delegate of the American Board of Applied Toxicology and as a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. She previously chaired the Kanawha/Putnam Emergency Planning Committee and has been involved in various committees and editorial boards. Her scholarly contributions include numerous published articles and chapters in pharmacy textbooks. Among her many accolades are the WVU Health Sciences Women in Science and Health Advanced Career Excellence Awards in 2015, the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology's 2012 Distinguished Service Award, and the WVU School of Pharmacy's Outstanding Service Award in 2022.

Governor Justice's framed proclamation reads, “Scharman is a caring and giving person, and her dedication and commitment to her career and the great state of West Virginia have set an outstanding example for us all.”