BECKELY W.Va. (WVDN) – As part of its annual homecoming celebration, West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) has announced winners for its Golden Bear Empowerment Faculty Award, the Ed Robinson Lifetime Achievement Presidential Award, and the Golden Bear Alumni Association (TGBAA) Outstanding Alumni winner.
The Ed Robinson Lifetime Achievement Presidential Award Winner is West Virginia’s 26th State Treasurer and WVU Tech alumni Larry Pack. Pack was elected as the state treasurer in 2024. A lifelong West Virginian, he was raised in eastern Kanawha County and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Tech. A certified public accountant and longtime entrepreneur, Pack co-founded multiple accounting firms and later served as founder and CEO of Stonerise Healthcare LLC, overseeing healthcare operations across West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. He previously represented Kanawha County in the West Virginia House of Delegates and served as State Revenue Secretary and senior advisor to Governor Jim Justice from 2022 to 2024. Pack and his wife, Lisa, live in Charleston and have six children and four grandchildren.
Kaci H. Foster is this year’s TGBAA Outstanding Alumni Award winner. Foster is a 2003 and 2004 graduate of West Virginia University Institute of Technology, earning degrees in public service administration and history and government. An active student leader at WVU Tech, she was active in student government and campus media. Foster currently serves as Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist for the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Community and Technical College System, where she leads statewide marketing, communications, and student access initiatives. She has served on TGBAA Board of Directors since 2013 and currently serves as its first vice president. She is actively involved in TGBAA activities and supports past and present Golden Bears through the TGBAA Mentorship Program and other initiatives.
This year’s Golden Bear Empowerment Faculty Award winner is Jemma Cook, Ph.D. Cook is a psychologist and behavior analyst whose academic training began at West Virginia University, where she earned her undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in psychology with an emphasis in behavior analysis. Her research and clinical experience include work in applied behavior analysis, substance abuse research, and behavioral pharmacology, with prior appointments at the New England Center for Children and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Cook currently serves as a faculty member at WVU Tech, where she teaches courses in behavior analysis, behavioral neuroscience, and behavioral pharmacology and conducts research focused on reinforcement, extinction, and relapse-related behavior. This award is nominated by a current or former student for their impact inside and out of the classroom.
Winners will be honored at a reception and dinner at The Resort at Glade Springs on Friday, February 20, 2026. They will also be honored during the basketball games at the Raleigh County Convention Center on Saturday, February 21, 2026. Full biographies of the winners can be found at alumni.wvutech.edu/awards.
Tickets and sponsorships are available at homecoming.wvutech.edu, along with the full Homecoming schedule.
