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D&E to honor alumni at awards dinner

ELKINS – Davis & Elkins College will honor four alumni for their professional achievements and contributions to the betterment of society and the College during a special dinner hosted by President Chris A. Wood and First Lady Lisa Wood as part of the annual Homecoming Weekend. The event, which will also recognize members of the Half Century Club, will take place at 6 p.m. today in Myles Center for the Arts.

Honorees are: Distinguished Alumnus – The Honorable John A. Hutchison '72; Tower Award – Melissa "Missy" Hambrick Luce, Esq. '83; Outstanding Young Alumnus Award – Dr. Colton A. Allen '17; and Professional Impact Award – Dr. Jennifer D. "Jen" Sisler '07. Two additional awards of distinction were presented earlier in the year. Charlie '75 and Suzy "Froggy" Hallock Hehn '75 received the Alumni Volunteer Award, and the College's highest honor, the Crystal Mace Award, was bestowed to James S. McDonnell III, a Lifetime Emeritus Trustee.

The Distinguished Alumna/us Award is presented to an alumna/us who has made a significant contribution to society in his or her particular career. Basis for selection includes career advancement and related service to others, significant honors in one's field, and commitment to the College. 

Hutchison, a native of Beckley, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from D&E in 1972 and went on to earn his J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1980.

He began his distinguished career in West Virginia with the law firm Gorman, Sheatsley and Hutchison. In 1991, he opened the Nationwide Insurance West Virginia Trial Division Office and served as its managing trial attorney for four years.

Hutchison's service on the bench began in 1995 when he was appointed by then-governor Gaston Caperton as Circuit Court Judge for the 10th Judicial Circuit in Raleigh County, West Virginia. He was elected to that seat in 1996 and re-elected to consecutive terms in 2000, 2008, and 2016.

In 2018, he was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, a post to which he was then elected to in 2020. He served as Chief Justice in 2022. After his retirement in 2025, Hutchison temporarily returned to the Supreme Court of Appeals as a senior status judge following the death of Justice Tim Armstead.

Over the years, Hutchison has held several offices in the West Virginia Judicial Association and was chairman and vice chairman of the association's legislative and pensions committees. He also was a member of the Supreme Court's Mass Litigation Panel and was a judicial representative on the Commission to Study Residential Placement of Children.

Hutchison and his wife, Viki, have two children and two grandchildren. Their daughter, Gabriella, is an alumna of the Class of 2003.

The Tower Award is presented to an alumna/us for outstanding commitment and service to the College and its alumni programs. This award recognizes alumni who have gone above and beyond for the College. Basis for selection includes volunteering of time, talent, and/or funds in support of the numerous student and alumni programs the College offers.

After nearly 20 years practicing law in New Jersey and New York, Luce returned to West Virginia and joined The Calwell Practice, LC. In 2019, the firm rebranded as Calwell Luce diTrapano PLLC, where Luce continues to serve as managing partner. Her practice focuses on medical malpractice, birth injury, pharmaceutical litigation, product liability, wrongful death, and personal injury cases.

A distinguished lawyer, Luce is licensed in four states and recognized as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney in New Jersey -- an honor earned by only 1% of attorneys there. She has been named to the West Virginia Super Lawyers list annually since 2020 and recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs since 2025.

Luce also received the prestigious honor of being selected by the West Virginia Bar Foundation as a 2020 Fellow, a selection based on lawyers whose professional, public, and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and honorable service to the legal profession.

Luce graduated magna cum laude from Davis & Elkins College, including a semester at Oxford University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science, and received her J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law as an Outstanding Graduate. She has also served multiple terms on D&E's Board of Trustees and remains deeply committed to supporting her alma mater.

Beyond her legal work, Luce volunteers with programs including the Special Olympics and Project Hope.

The Outstanding Young Alumna/us Award is presented to a young alumnus who graduated within the last 10 years and shows promise in his or her profession and loyalty and commitment to the College. Basis for selection includes professional achievements and honors, community service/service to others, and commitment to the College.

Allen earned many accolades while attending D&E -- valedictorian and summa cum laude graduate of the Class of 2017, member of the men's swimming team, and recipient of the Faculty Senior Award.

After obtaining his Bachelor of Science degree in biology, he received his Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of Nebraska. He completed a one-year residency at East Carolina University, earning a certificate in Advanced Education in General Dentistry with high distinction.

Allen began his professional career in Casper, Wyoming, where he practiced as a general dentist for two years and played a key role in opening an additional clinic within a medical office, expanding access to dental care for underserved populations.

With a passion for continued learning and specialized care, he returned to school to pursue advanced training in periodontics. He is currently in his final year of periodontal residency in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he will earn a certificate in periodontics and a master's degree in oral biology. The research component of his education focuses on platelet-rich fibrin and its potential role as an immunomodulator in the oral cavity of aging individuals.

In the future, Allen hopes to open his own periodontal practice while also teaching part-time. He remains deeply committed to advancing the field through both clinical work and education, recently presenting at a continuing education event on biologics used in periodontal surgery, with plans to continue lecturing in the future.

Allen and his wife, Mariah, have three children.

The Professional Impact Award is presented to an alumna/us who has achieved individual success, accomplishment and made contributions to their profession while still advancing in their careers. Basis for selection includes professional achievement and commitment to the College.

Sisler's Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry with minors in biology, mathematics and physics propelled her to a career as a board-certified toxicologist for Eli Lily and Company where she helps shape regulatory strategies and provides scientific guidance to support global drug approvals.

While pursuing her doctorate degree in biochemistry, Sisler returned to D&E to present her research and give students a glimpse into the life of a scientist. She later spoke at the 2014 Biology & Environmental Science Forum, delivering a presentation titled "The Making of a Scientist," where she reflected on her academic journey that began at D&E.

After earning her Ph.D., she completed postdoctoral research at the CDC's National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown before transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry.

Sisler, her husband, Jared, and daughter live in Carmel, Indiana.

The recipients of two awards presented earlier will also be recognized during the ceremony.

The Alumni Volunteer Award is unique in that it is not presented annually but is bestowed to an individual for unusual and distinguished volunteer service to the College and community.

Charlie '75 and Suzy "Froggy" Hallock Hehn '75 received the honor in recognition of their leadership in reconnecting classmates, organizing unforgettable reunions which they have hosted at their home in New Jersey, and keeping the D&E spirit alive long after graduation by helping countless alumni remember what makes this "little college on the hill" so special. This award was presented to the Hehns in July during their most recent reunion where they hosted 80-plus alumni and friends.

Considered the College's most prestigious award, the Crystal Mace Award is presented in recognition of transformational leadership, service and/or character, and of unparalleled gifts of time, talent, and/or treasure.

McDonnell's legacy is evident across the D&E campus both in the endowed chair he named the Dr. Gloria M. Payne Chair in Business established by James S. McDonnell III and The McDonnell Center for Health, Physical Education and Athletics constructed in 2005 and named in his honor.

The award was presented in absentia during Davis & Elkins College's 2026 Commencement service.

"This gentleman has quite literally changed the financial trajectory of this College as the largest donor in our history enabling the construction of new buildings as well as significant increase to our endowment to secure our future," D&E President Chris A. Wood said in announcing the award.

McDonnell's career is defined by a lifelong commitment to excellence in engineering, leadership, and service. A graduate of Princeton University and MIT, he served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force before beginning a distinguished nearly 30-year tenure with the McDonnell Douglas Corporation.

Starting as an aerodynamics engineer in 1963, his technical brilliance and natural leadership skills saw him rise through the executive ranks. He served as corporate vice president of marketing and eventually retired as the corporate ombudsman and chairman of the Corporate Ethics Committee.

Beyond the boardroom, McDonnell's heart has always been rooted in the community. His extensive board service includes leadership roles with the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and the Missouri Historical Society. He received an honorary doctorate from D&E in 1985. His daughter, Marcella, is an alumna of the class of 1985.

Homecoming Weekend will take place Sept. 25-27 throughout campus. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.dewv.edu/event/homecoming-weekend-2026/.