Dr. Charlton named 2021 WVU School of Medicine Distinguished Alumnae

Judie Charlton, M.D., has been named the 2021 West Virginia University School of Medicine Distinguished Alumnae.

Dr. Charlton will be honored by her friends and colleagues during the Virtual Alumni Weekend program on Friday, October 1. The program will begin at 7 p.m. via Zoom and those who wish to attend are being asked to pre-register online. All 2021 Alumni Weekend events are being held virtually this year as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The School of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award was established in 1984 by the Executive Council of the WVU School of Medicine Alumni Association and was revised in 1995 by the Awards Committee. The purpose of the award is to honor those alumni “whose distinguished careers and unselfish contributions to society have enhanced the prestige of the West Virginia University School of Medicine and, in their own way, have helped upgrade the quality of health care.”

“I am surprised and honored to be selected for this award. My contributions to the School of Medicine pale in comparison to the impact that the School of Medicine has had on my life,” Charlton said. “I’m grateful that I have had the chance to support the School of Medicine and to work improving the health care for the West Virginia taxpayers who have made my career possible.”

A graduate of the class of 1985, Charlton has served in several administrative roles for the School of Medicine, including Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Chief Medical Officer and Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs. She has also led the faculty practice plan for nearly a decade.

Currently, Charlton serves West Virginians in the Morgantown-based clinical facilities in addition to providing monthly care to patients at the Brick Clinic in Gilbert, an extremely underserved area of Mingo County. Her outreach work is made possible through the generosity of donors who have created an endowed chair in her honor, the Judie F. Charlton Chair for Glaucoma Outreach.

“Without her stalworth leadership of the practice plan we would have been unable to sustain the growth we have enjoyed as a school or the creativity of our curriculum reforms that were implemented in 2020,” said one of her nominators for this award, Vice Dean for Medical Education and Chair of the Department of Medical Education, Norman Ferrari, M.D.

At a national level, Charlton has served on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Residency Review Committee, which is responsible for the accreditation of ophthalmology residency programs in the United States. Additionally, she has served on the American Board of Medical Specialties Board of Ophthalmology Certification Committee.

Charlton’s research has been rewarded with two patents from the United States Patent Office for the creation of unique discoveries to enhance corneal epithelial healing. She has also had numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters published and has given presentations across the country.

Internationally, Charlton has treated people with glaucoma in St. Lucia, British West Indies for 15 years through the sponsorship of the Lions Club.

Charlton has been the recipient of several other awards throughout her career including the School of Medicine Distinguished Teacher Award, the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Service and the 2013 WVU’s Most Loyal Faculty Mountaineer.