Each year, at the direction of the Office of the Provost, the Academic Advising Council selects honorees for the Nicholas Evans Awards for Advising Excellence in recognition of outstanding advising and mentoring provided by faculty and professional advisers at WVU.

The awards are in honor of Nicholas Evans, a lifelong proponent and exemplar of undergraduate advising at WVU.

The 2026 recipients of the Nicholas Evans Faculty Advising Excellence Award include:

Carolyn Kitchens, teaching associate professor, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry and Department of Biology

Kitchens’ advising style is student-centered, compassionate and intentional, rooted in the belief that advising is one of the most important forms of teaching because it helps students make informed decisions, develop realistic plans and adapt when circumstances change. She approaches each advising interaction with warmth, active listening and reassurance, while also providing the structure and guidance students need to make the path ahead feel clear and manageable. Her advising encourages students to see uncertainty and setbacks not as signs of failure, but as natural parts of growth, and she works to help each student build confidence, take ownership of their decisions and move forward in a way that aligns with their goals, values and strengths.

Mikel “Micky” Holcomb, associate professor, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Physics and Astronomy

Holcomb’s commitment to developmental advising is at the core of her accolades. She directly supports student success by offering advisees individualized pathways and differentiated plans of study to meet them where they are and help transform their “anxiety into agency.” She strives to identify common setbacks for students and to address them early and effectively. Her student-centered approach to advising and mentorship has impacted numerous students’ academic trajectories and personal confidence.

The 2026 recipient of the Nicholas Evans Primary Role Advising Excellence Award is:

Aaron Hawley, program coordinator for the Multidisciplinary Media Studies major and academic adviser in the College of Creative Arts and Media

Hawley’s caring and knowledgeable approach helps students achieve their goals and graduate equipped with life skills and knowledge for the path ahead. He often serves as a student advocate in such spaces as faculty meetings and curriculum discussions. Hawley’s efforts have helped to reverse enrollment declines and achieved notable growth across multiple programs due to his data-informed advising and intentional outreach. His consistent availability and demonstrable student success outcomes make him an outstanding representative of advising excellence.

The 2026 recipients of the Nicholas Evans Primary Role Advising Excellence — New Adviser Award are:

Sarah Deem, senior academic adviser in the School of Medicine

Deem said she feels that her role as an advisor is to guide students as they grow and develop, not only academically, but personally as well. She is also committed to supporting new advisers across campus through her leadership role within the WVU Academic Advising Council as co-chair of the New Adviser Network. Her foundation of WVU knowledge, culture and pride allows students to relate to her as she has “been in their shoes.”

Allegra Dishner, student success adviser at WVU Institute of Technology

Dishner exhibits an obvious student-centered approach and a passion for helping students. She has created workshops designed to support students through common challenges and enhance student success outcomes. Her ability to connect students with resources to ensure victories both in and out of the classroom has contributed to increased retention at the institution. Dishner consistently goes above and beyond her advising duties to enhance students’ self-worth that will have a lifelong impact on students.

All five Nicholas Evans award recipients will be awarded $1,250 for professional development.

The awardees will be recognized during a faculty and staff awards reception at Blaney House in April.

The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history, according to the e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council.

April 12, 1865: The 36th Virginia Infantry, known as the Logan Wildcats, disbanded. The Confederate company was created at Logan Courthouse on June 3, 1861, and consisted of about 85 men. The company saw its first action in the Battle of Scary Creek in Putnam County.

April 12, 1885: Photographer George James Kossuth was born. After opening his Wheeling studio in 1909, he achieved broad fame for his photos of the city and insightful portraits of world celebrities, including Richard Strauss, Jascha Heifetz, Leopold Stokowski, Clarence Darrow and Richard Nixon.

April 12, 1912: The grand Willard Hotel in Grafton officially opened with an elaborate banquet attended by Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad officials and state and local dignitaries.

April 13, 1873: Lawyer, diplomat and 1924 Democratic candidate for president John William Davis was born in Clarksburg. Davis argued 141 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. His last case was one of the most controversial, when he argued in 1952 to continue racial segregation in South Carolina.

April 13, 1951: Sculptor Bill Hopen was born. The Sutton artist’s works appear in government buildings, museums, churches and hospitals around West Virginia, across the nation and abroad.

April 14, 1774: Surveyors met at the mouth of the Kanawha River to establish military bounty claims in Kentucky. They became involved in several skirmishes with Indians in the region. This was the start of Dunmore’s War, the name given to the conflict in the Ohio Valley in the spring of 1774.

April 14, 1945: Twenty people were killed when a commercial airplane on its way to Morgantown flew off course and crashed into the side of Cheat Mountain.

April 14, 1982: Twelve 135-foot-tall smokestacks were detonated at the former Libbey-Owens-Ford plant in Charleston. The factory, built in 1916, was the world’s largest sheet glass manufacturer in the 1920s. It shut down in 1980.

April 15, 1872: Peter Godwin Van Winkle died in Parkersburg. Van Winkle was a member of the Governor’s Council of the Reorganized Government of Virginia, 1861-63, under Gov. Francis Pierpont. On August 4, 1863, Van Winkle was elected as one of West Virginia’s first two U.S. senators.

April 16, 1829: Jacob Beeson Jackson was born in Parkersburg. In 1881, he became West Virginia’s sixth governor.

April 16, 1894: Leonard Riggleman was born in a Randolph County cabin. As president of Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston), he moved the school to Charleston in 1935 and led the college to accreditation in 1958.

April 16, 1923: Arch Moore was born in Moundsville. He was the first governor in 100 years to serve a second term, and he returned later for a third. He also was the second former governor to serve federal prison time.

April 17, 1827: Outdoorsman William “Squirrelly Bill” Carpenter was born on the Elk River near the mouth of Laurel Creek, Braxton County. Carpenter guided prominent West Virginians, including Gov. MacCorkle, through the wonders of the Elk Valley.

April 17, 1861: Delegates to a special convention in Richmond voted for Virginia to secede from the Union, subject to approval by a public referendum. This decision also set in motion the process that would lead to the creation of West Virginia.

April 17, 1871: West Virginians approved the Flick Amendment, restoring voting rights to former Confederates. Although the amendment also applied to formerly enslaved people, they had already been granted suffrage under the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

April 17, 1924: A fire destroyed much of downtown Franklin, the Pendleton County seat.

April 17, 1972: Actress Jennifer Garner was born in Houston, Texas. Growing up in Charleston, she appeared in theater and ballet productions before becoming a television and film star.

April 18, 1756: The largest battle fought in Virginia during the French and Indian War occurred at Fort Edwards in Hampshire County.

April 18, 1861: At the start of the Civil War, retreating U.S. troops set fire to the national armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry to prevent them from falling into Confederate hands. Virginia militia extinguished the flames, salvaged much of the weapon-making equipment and sent it south before ultimately destroying the site in June 1861.

April 18, 1912: The Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Strike of 1912-13 began in Kanawha County when coal operators rejected union workers’ demands for higher wages. The ensuing strike became one of the most dramatic and violent episodes in the early 20th-century labor struggles in southern West Virginia, collectively known as the Mine Wars.

e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia is a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council. For more information, contact the West Virginia Humanities Council, 1310 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, WV 25301; (304) 346-8500; or visit e-WV.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Democratic Party is mourning the passing of former House of Delegates member Rodney Pyles, who represented the 51st District in Monongalia County from 2016 to 2020.

Rodney Pyles was a lifelong public servant whose dedication to his community spanned decades. He served as Monongalia County Assessor for 20 years, worked as State Archivist under Governor Jay Rockefeller, and shared his knowledge with students as a teacher at Alderson Broaddus College. Throughout his career, Rodney brought a deep love of West Virginia and a commitment to service that left a lasting impact on those around him.

Delegate Evan Hansen said,  “I send my heartfelt condolences to Rodney’s family. Rodney and I, together with three other Democrats, represented Monongalia County after the Fab Five swept all the seats in 51st district in the 2018 election. I always appreciated Rodney’s experience with local government, his knowledge of West Virginia history, and his love of cats.”

Former Delegate Barbara Fleischauer said, “I will remember Rodney first and foremost as a kind person, who was especially interested in local and state history.  A dedicated supporter of civil rights and women’s rights, Rodney was proud of sponsoring and passing the state legislative resolution calling on Congress to name the NASA facility in Fairmont in honor of Katherine Johnson”

West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin added:

“Rodney Pyles was the kind of public servant every community hopes for—someone who truly cared about the people he represented and worked every day to make their lives better. Whether it was his decades of service as Monongalia County Assessor, his work preserving our state’s history as State Archivist, or his time in the House of Delegates, Rodney approached every role with dedication, integrity, and a genuine love for his community.

He also had a special place in his heart for animals and was known for his compassion both in public service and in his personal life. Rodney’s enthusiasm for baseball—especially his loyalty as a season ticket holder for WVU Mountaineer baseball—was just another reflection of his deep ties to the community he loved.

Rodney will be remembered not only for his service but for his kindness, his passion, and the relationships he built over a lifetime of giving back. Our thoughts are with his beloved wife Carol, his daughter Janessa Greg, his family, and his many friends during this difficult time.”

The West Virginia Democratic Party extends its deepest condolences to Rodney Pyles’ family and all who knew and loved him.