INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) will honor its Alumnus of the Year and Young Professional Achievement Award Winner at an awards dinner and class reunion, Friday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at Embassy Suites in Charleston as part of the university’s Homecoming weekend.
Being recognized as the 2025 Alumnus of the Year is Dr. Sami M. Ghareeb, a 1969 graduate of WVSU who has built a thriving dental practice in the Kanawha Valley.
Being recognized as the 2025 Young Professional Achievement Award Winner is Hollis Lewis, a 2005 graduate of WVSU that currently serves in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Dr. Sami M. Ghareeb
A1969 graduate of West Virginia State University, Ghareeb went on to earn a master’s degree from Emory University and a doctorate degree in dental surgery from Meharry Medical College. Beginning with a dental office in Poca, Ghareeb has since expanded to become the Ghareeb Dental Group, a large family-owned practice with five locations. Dedicated to improving dental health for all West Virginians, Ghareeb often provides free dental services, and was recognized by HealthRight West Virginia as the organization’s Volunteer of the Year in 2014.
Ghareeb has served as president of the West Virginia Academy of Dentistry, the West Virginia Dental Association, the Kanawha Valley Dental Society, the Kanawha Valley Dental Study Club, the Virginia Street Study Club, the Putnam County Dental Health Council and the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center Foundation. In addition, he has served on the board of directors of Tri-County YMCA, Rock Branch Community Bank, Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, Miss Wheelchair West Virginia, and Union Mission.
Ghareeb has been active in supporting WVSU through service on the WVSU Foundation Board of Directors (Past Chair), a member of the executive committee for both capital campaigns conducted by the University, and is a member of the President’s Circle, Life Member of the National Alumni Association. He was inducted as an honorary member into the National “W” Club Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming 2017.
Hollis Lewis
Lewis attended George Washington High School before pursuing higher education at West Virginia State University, where he played football under Coach Carl Lee and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He continued his education at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he obtained his law degree.
Upon graduating from law school, Lewis returned to Charleston and has held several distinguished positions, including federal clerk, member of the West Virginia Parole Board, and Kanawha County Magistrate Judge.
Currently, Lewis serves as the West Virginia Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) Project Director for First Choice Services. In this capacity, he works with law enforcement and first responders across the state to develop better responses to persons in crisis. Additionally, he is a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates representing the 57th district. He was appointed to the House in 2023 and subsequently elected in the 2024 election.
Lewis has also worked as an adjunct professor at both West Virginia State University and the University of Charleston. In addition to his professional roles, he sits on several boards, including serving as a Commissioner at Charleston Urban Renewal Association (CURA), the Clay Center, and the Charleston NAACP. He is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated.
In addition to the awards the evening is a class reunion for classes whose graduation years end with 5 or 0.
The awards dinner and class reunion are taking place as part of Homecoming activities for WVSU, which run Sept. 25-27. Tickets to the event are $100 and may be purchased online at https://connect.wvstateu.edu/homecoming25/registration.
For more information on WVSU Homecoming activities visit https://connect.wvstateu.edu/Homecoming25.
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