MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — The West Virginia University School of Nursing hosted the Kandzari Lectureship on April 23, 2026, welcoming Dr. Devon Noonan as the keynote speaker. The event also recognized student award winners and the newest inductees of the Alpha Rho Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau.
Noonan, PhD, MPH, FNP-BC, CARN, FIAAN, FAAN, is the Associate Dean for Community Engagement Science and Director of Rural Health Equity and an Associate Professor at Duke School of Nursing. She is a nationally recognized expert in prevention science, community engagement, rural public health and advocacy to improve health and prevent disease in rural communities.
Her lectureship, “Rural Health Nursing: Grounded in Community Based Solutions,” was delivered at the Okey Patteson Auditorium at the WVU Health Sciences Center.
In addition to the lecture, the WVU School of Nursing honored outstanding student achievements. The award recipients are as follows:
- CRNA Award for Excellence: David Underwood
- PhD Award for Excellence: Amanda Kitzmiller
- DNP Award for Excellence: Sarah Bergstrom
- MSN Award for Excellence: Taylor Knotts
- BSN Awards for Excellence:
- Senior Student – Halee Stevens
- Junior Student – Jordan Hickman
- Sophomore Student – Natalie Sherlock
- ABSN Award for Excellence: Elyssa Zicha
- RN to BSN Award for Excellence: Michelle Abbott
- Dr. Patsy Hesen Haslam Public Health Nursing Award: Jessica Socha
- CRNA Alumni Award for Leadership: Hilary Findo
- DNP Alumni Award for Leadership: Sandy Gray
- BSN Alumni Award for Leadership: Ryan Alisauckas
New members were also be inducted into the Alpha Rho Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society — an international community of nurses, dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, teaching, learning, and service through the cultivation of communities of practice, education and research.
Inductees include: Brianna Adkins, Autumn Allman, Alexxandria Bays, Lindsay Bechtel, Rylie Belsole, Elizabeth Bennett, Rylie Berzinski, Brooklyne Biggs, Kylie Blood, Ashley Bochnak, Bella Bock, Lauren Bodor, Caitlin Bowen, Jada Brost, Taylor Brown, Dylan Cline, Amber Crabtree, Brooke Daniels, Nikki Dolly, Lillian Eddy, Dannen Eicholtz, Courtney Ewing, Delaney Farren, Laken Faulstick, Alexandra George, Hannah Glaspell, Olivia Glotfelty, Lilly Harbin, Jordan Hickman, Autumn Hurst, Abigail Hutchinson, Abigail Jenkins, Jenna Kahwash, Kayla King, Brittany Knox, John Latorre, Shaunna Lipscomb, Calean McKenney, Brigid McNamara, Misty Mehta, Kaili Myers, Rylie O’Neal, Kayla Rickrode-Eberhart, Greta Schmidt, Lauren Seti, Grace Shorter, Gabriele Smith, Andrew Snyder, Alexandria Stevens, Walter Sulzbach, Rebecca Tirpak, Kelli Trimble, Kody Weidman, Megan Wells, Taylor Whitt, Kaelyn Wright, April Yancey, and Elyssa Zicha.
The Kandzari Memorial Nursing Lectureship was created to honor Judy C. Kandzari, who was a member of the faculty at the WVU School of Nursing from 1967 until her untimely death in 1996. A West Virginian, she earned an EdD in Community Health Education, a master’s degree in Counseling and Rehabilitation, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, all from West Virginia University. The Memorial Lectureship is designed to offer insight into nursing in rural settings through presentations by nurse leaders who are experts in rural health.
If you were unable to attend, the event can be viewed on the WVU School of Nursing YouTube channel.
-WVU-
CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu