Waynesburg U. alumni, donors honored at annual Donor Dinner event

Waynesburg University hosted its annual President's Donor and Scholarship Recognition Dinner on campus Saturday, April 11, in Benedum Dining Hall. This year's event also featured an optional Open House from 3-5 p.m., during which the University highlighted some of its most recent growth and enhancements.

"The President's Donor and Scholarship Recognition Dinner is one of our most meaningful traditions," said Stacey Brodak, vice president for Institutional Advancement and University Relations at Waynesburg University. "The day provides a special opportunity to thank our generous donors face-to-face while also celebrating the students whose lives are being shaped by their support. Seeing those connections firsthand is a powerful reminder of the lasting impact philanthropy has on the Waynesburg community."

The day's events kicked off with the Open House programming, which began at the newly renovated Nursing Clinical Learning Center, where the new state-of-the-art Immersion Room is located. Early in the Spring semester, the AI- and VR-powered Immersion Room was installed, becoming the first Nasco Healthcare-designed immersion lab of its kind in the nation. Located on the first floor of Stewart Science Hall, the donor-funded lab features a fully enclosed room with three additional interior walls that create an amphitheater-style environment. Using advanced projection, laser and touchscreen technology, the room delivers a fully immersive interactive learning experience that places students at the center of realistic clinical scenarios and team-based patient care. Click here to learn more about the new Immersion Room.

This year's Open House programming concluded in the Department of Chemistry and Forensic Science laboratories, housed within the fifth floor of Stewart Science Hall. These facilities allow students to learn operation procedures, troubleshooting, method development and interpretation of results.

Several new instruments were recently added to the department, which include:

• Keyence BZ-X1000 Fluorescence Microscope, an all-in-one fluorescence microscope
• Shimadzu LC-40 HPLC with Single Quad LCMS-2020, a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (LCMS)
• Shimadzu GCMS-QP2020 NX, a gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS)
• JEOL JNM-ECSZ ZETA 400 MHz NMR, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer

Click here to learn more about the Department of Chemistry and Forensic Science's enhanced offerings.

Guests transitioned to a reception in Benedum Dining Hall at 5 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 6 p.m. Student recipients of scholarships funded by the donors in attendance were invited to join the donors at the event. The evening's events concluded with the presentation of the University's three annual awards presented to alumni and friends.

This year, The Stover Foundation received the Golden Key Award, John Barker ('84) received the Distinguished Alumni Award and Tyler D. McCoy ('18) received the Young Alumni Leadership Award.

About the Awards

The Golden Key Award is presented by Waynesburg University to alumni or friends of the University dedicated to a lifetime of significant leadership and involvement with the University, who have distinguished themselves among their peers in a meaningful way.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to Waynesburg alumni for their exemplary professional service and/or volunteer accomplishments, or a history of involvement with the University.

The Young Alumni Leadership Award is presented to young alumni, age 35 or younger, for their accomplishments and service, by having distinguished themselves as leaders among their peers and in their profession, community and/or the University.

The Stover Foundation, represented by Reverend Dr. Parker Williamson

The Stover Foundation was established in 1996 by Dr. W. Robert Stover, a 1942 graduate of Waynesburg, and his wife Joan. Dr. Stover served as its chairman prior to his death in 2015.

Dr. Stover's life and work centered around his faith. A successful entrepreneur, he was a friend to Waynesburg University's students, administrators and faculty for many years, also serving on the Board of Trustees as both a member and a chairman. His generous patronage made possible the Stover Campus Center dedicated in 1999, the distinguished Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership, student scholarships and the W. Robert Stover Entrepreneurial Leadership Endowed Fund, out of which the Entrepreneurial Leadership program and the eHIVE at Waynesburg were born.

The Reverend Dr. Parker Williamson currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Stover Foundation, continuing the longstanding partnership between Waynesburg and the Foundation. He earned a philosophy degree from Rhodes College, a graduate degree from Union Theological Seminary and a master's degree in Christian ethics from Yale Divinity School. While a seminary student, he joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Alabama during the marches from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights.

Reverend Dr. Williamson was a member of the University's Board of Trustees from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2019. In honor of his contributions to Waynesburg, the mock courtroom in the recently renovated Practical Exercise Facility was named in his honor and dedicated as "The Williamson Courtroom" in Spring 2025.

John Barker ('84)

John Barker earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Waynesburg College in 1984. He was actively involved in campus media as a student, contributing to the University's radio and television stations and serving as editor of The Yellow Jacket newspaper. One of his most memorable campus experiences was serving as the play-by-play announcer for the first remote television production broadcast by the student television station. He also enjoyed announcing games for the Yellow Jacket basketball teams coached by the late Rudy Marisa during the early 1980s.

After earning his MBA from The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, Barker built a career spanning more than three decades in journalism, corporate communications and executive leadership. He currently serves as president and CEO of the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance and the Hospitality Institute of Ohio, organizations that support and advance the state's restaurant and hospitality industry. Barker previously spent nearly two decades with The Wendy's Company, where he served as senior vice president and chief communications officer, and he has taught MBA courses in marketing and strategic management as an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business since 2011. He remains actively engaged in higher education and community service and is a consistent supporter of Waynesburg University.

Tyler D. McCoy ('18)

Tyler D. McCoy earned his Bachelor of Arts in history with a minor in political science from Waynesburg in 2018. McCoy was deeply involved in campus life and active in multiple student organizations including the Stover Center for Constitutional Law and Moral Leadership. In the spring of 2018, he studied abroad at Queen's University Belfast.

Following graduation, McCoy continued his education at Georgetown University Law Center, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree and graduated cum laude. He also gained practical legal experience through multiple internships, including positions in the Office of Legal Policy and the Office of Legislative Affairs at the United States Department of Justice, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office in Dayton, Ohio.

Today, McCoy serves as an attorney in the Board and System Matters Section at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. He resides in Arlington, Virginia, and remains committed to service both professionally and in his community. McCoy is an active member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in nearby Alexandria, where he has served as a diocesan convention delegate and participated on a discernment committee supporting individuals exploring a call to ministry. He also stays connected to his alma mater, and has spoken multiple times with Stover Scholars to share insights about careers in law and public service.

Consistently ranked a best value school, Waynesburg University's Strategy for the 21st Century affirms its commitment to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and ethical leadership skills for all students. Rooted in its mission of faith, learning and service, the private, Christian university is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania.

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President's Donor and Scholarship Recognition Dinner 2026

President Lee pictured with Young Alumni Leadership Award winner, Tyler D. McCoy ('18)