Pikeville College commencements set for May 10

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Pikeville College will honor the academic achievements of 125 undergraduate degree candidates and 69 new physicians from the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine on Saturday, May 10. Several distinguished individuals, recognized for their significant contributions in education, medicine and public service, will also be honored.

The undergraduate commencement will be held at 2 p.m. at the Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center in Pikeville. The medical school commencement begins at 7 p.m., also at the Expo Center. On Thursday, May 8, graduating students in the College’s Elizabeth Akers Elliott Nursing Program will be honored during a nursing pinning ceremony at 7 p.m. in Booth Auditorium.

Pikeville College Undergraduate Commencement

Foglesong

The keynote speaker for the undergraduate commencement will be Dr. Robert H. Foglesong, president of Mississippi State University. Under his leadership, the state’s largest university experienced record growth in enrollment and research and development and garnered national recognition for academic and athletic programs.

His tenure at Mississippi State follows a distinguished career in the United States Air Force, with more than 30 years of service to the nation. As a four-star general, Foglesong’s last active duty tour was as commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe in 2005-06. Much of his career was spent as a command pilot in F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft and the A-10 attack aircraft. He held a number of command and staff positions with emphasis on political military affairs and spent much of the last decade as a national security advisor at cabinet and presidential levels.

Foglesong is also the president and executive director of the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation, a non-profit organization working to identify, mentor and develop the next generation of leaders in Appalachia.

Appointed by President George W. Bush, Foglesong currently serves as co-chairman of the Joint U.S.-Russia Commission on POWs/MIAs. He is also a member of the boards of Massey Energy and the Michael Baker Corporation, an international energy and engineering firm.

Born and raised in Mingo County, W.Va., Foglesong earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in chemical engineering from West Virginia University.

He has received numerous awards for leadership, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and has written more than 60 publications.

Foglesong will join Norman A. Chrisman and Stephen N. “Nick” Frazier in receiving honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees.

An alumnus of the Academy and Junior College, Chrisman’s family has a long and distinguished history with the institution beginning with his grandmother, Nona Connolly Bowles, one of four in the school’s first graduating class more than a century ago.

Born in Pikeville, Chrisman received his degree in civil engineering from the University of Kentucky and a degree in architecture from MIT. Now retired, he previously served as the president of CMW Architects in Lexington, Ky. An Elder at the Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church in Lexington, he also has served on the boards of the Presbyterian Child Welfare Agency (Buckhorn) and Presbyterian Homes and Services of Kentucky.

The Chrisman family’s dedication to Pikeville College – through their service and philanthropic efforts – has been significant. An architect and engineer, Chrisman was the principal architect for many of the buildings on campus. Three generations of the Chrisman family have served as trustees of the College, including Norman Chrisman’s great-grandfather Winston Mayo Connolly, his father, Norman A. Chrisman Sr., and his brother Charles “Chuck” Chrisman. Nephew Chris Chrisman currently serves as a board member.

Frazier, of Paintsville, is an attorney and former district, circuit and family court judge. He became the first district judge for the 24th Judicial District in 1978. Several years later, he was elected to serve as circuit judge and in 1986 was named chief regional circuit judge for the 22 counties comprising “the mountain circuits” region of Eastern Kentucky.
After more than two decades of service to the region, Frazier retired in 2005 as the family court judge for Johnson, Lawrence and Martin counties. A graduate of Pikeville College, Frazier earned his juris doctorate from the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. A longtime supporter of the College, he was instrumental in helping guide the School of Osteopathic Medicine to Pikeville.

Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine

Davis

The commencement address for the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine (PCSOM) will be delivered by Steve Davis, M.D., Deputy Public Health Commissioner for Kentucky and the senior deputy state health officer with medical oversight of more than 100 public health programs and a budget of $350 million.

A well-known physician locally, Davis established and operated a pediatric practice in Pikeville from 1981 to 1995 known as Physicians for Children. He advanced pediatric care in the area by recruiting five new pediatricians and establishing evening and outreach clinics. In conjunction with Pikeville Methodist Hospital, now Pikeville Medical Center, he established a neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric transitional care unit for critically-ill children.

During his career, Davis has led public health efforts resulting in legislation to establish early childhood development programs that include birth defects prevention, programs for improved pregnancy outcomes, immunizations for underinsured children and early childhood mental and oral health initiatives. He was also an advocate in the development of the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine.

In 2005, Davis led a group effort to develop legislation resulting in a law to expand newborn metabolic screening.

A year later, he was instrumental in developing several Diabetes Centers of Excellence throughout the state to provide education in the management and treatment of diabetes.
A native of Pikeville, Davis earned his bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University and his medical degree from the University of Kentucky. He completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at the UK Chandler Medical Center.

Davis will join Mark D. Birdwhistell and Raymond D. Wells, M.D., in receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Birdwhistell is the director of Federal and Community Relations for UK Healthcare. He previously served as secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, following an appointment by former Gov. Ernie Fletcher in 2005. He was also undersecretary of health, overseeing Medicaid, public health, health policy and mental health services. Birdwhistell has extensive experience in health care management, both in the private and public sectors. He previously served as CEO of CHA Health and was associate hospital director for managed care at the University of Kentucky Hospital. A Lawrenceburg, Ky., native, he is a graduate of Georgetown College and the Martin School for Public Policy and Administration at UK.

Wells, a practicing physician in Inez, Ky., also serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Wells earned his bachelor’s degree from Pikeville College and his medical degree from UK. A lifelong general practitioner in East Kentucky, he has been recognized for his work in the mountains with innovative health programs and his efforts to improve access to health care, including establishing a telemedicine program with the UK College of Medicine and UK HealthCare to bring health care services to coal miners. In 2007 Wells was named “National Rural Health Association Practitioner of the Year.” In addition, Health Leader magazine named him “One of 20 for Making Health Care Better.”

The community is cordially invited to the nursing pinning ceremony and the commencements for Pikeville College and the School of Osteopathic Medicine. For more information, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at (606) 218-5270.