Kathryn C. Vecellio

Kathryn Cottrill Vecellio was inducted into the inaugural College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025. She was previously inducted into the College of Education and Human Services Hall of Fame in 2014.

A native of West Virginia, Vecellio earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and Secondary Education from West Virginia University in 1971 and a Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling in 1972. She served for two decades on the Visiting Committee for the College of Education and Human Services and established multiple scholarships and endowments supporting WVU students and programs.

Vecellio dedicated more than four decades to philanthropic leadership, serving as a trustee or board member for numerous organizations in education, healthcare, and the arts. Her service includes leadership roles with the National Board for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach United Way, The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Palm Beach State College Foundation, and the Cleveland Clinic Health and Wellness Center. She also served on the boards of Massachusetts Eye and Ear and the Schepens Eye Research Institute, both affiliates of Harvard University, and held the position of director with the Palm Beach Civic Association.

A lifelong advocate for children and education, Vecellio chaired or co-chaired major fundraising efforts across the country, including the Palm Beach Heart Ball, which raised a then-record $2.48 million. Her honors include the Women in Leadership Award from Executive Women of the Palm Beaches, the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and community service recognitions from the Salvation Army, the State of Florida, and Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Through the Vecellio Family Foundation, she and her family have provided more than 380 academic scholarships to students in West Virginia and Florida. In addition to supporting the Dr. Clarence C. and Maxine D. Cottrill General Dentistry Endowment and Dental School Scholarship in honor of her parents, she founded the Kathryn C. Vecellio Scholarship in the College of Education and Human Services, recognizing students who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to community service.

Vecellio received a Presidential Honorary Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from WVU in 2017 in recognition of her sustained philanthropic leadership at the national level.