Bridgewater College has honored three alumni for their achievements and humanitarian service.
Bridgewater College has honored three alumni for their achievements and humanitarian service.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Bruce W. Bowen of Richmond, Va., class of 1972. The Young Alumnus Award was presented to Dr. James J. Mahoney III of Morgantown, W.Va. class of 2003. The West-Whitelow Humanitarian Award was presented to Steve Hollinger of Haymarket, Va., class of 1970.
Bruce W. Bowen has enjoyed a career as a high school teacher, coach and administrator.
A native of Connecticut but lifelong resident of Richmond, Va., Bowen earned a degree in economics at Bridgewater College. He then taught and coached at Hermitage High School before becoming athletic director there. Encouraged to become involved in leadership activities outside of the school, Bowen served as the District, Region and State Athletic Director Association president. He has served as the executive director of the AD Association for the past 10 years since retiring from education.
Bowen has also served on the National AD Board of Directors as well as several other athletic-related groups.
In his coaching career, Bowen had 11 district champion teams, seven regional champion teams and two state champion teams. Two of his cross country teams were ranked in the top 25 nationally. He has been the president and primary founder of the Central Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, and organized and created the Colonial District Cheer Competition.
Bowen was named the Daughters of the American Revolution History Teacher of the Year for the Richmond area; was a finalist for the National Cross Country Coach of the Year; recognized as District, Region and State Athletic Director of the Year; and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Virginia High School Coaches Association.
In 1999-2000, Bowen was named the State Athletic Administrator of the year by the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, received that group’s State Award of Merit in 2003, and in 2016 was presented the Lifetime Achievement award by the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.
Bowen has been inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, the Hermitage High School Hall of Fame and, in December 2018, he will be inducted into the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Hall of Fame.
Dr. James J. Mahoney III is currently an assistant professor and clinical neuropsychologist in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. He is also chair of the Research Oversight Committee in his department and is involved in collaborative research with faculty affiliated with the WVU’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Psychology Department, and the Prevention Research Center.
Mahoney completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Neuropsychology at the University of Virginia in 2016. Prior to the fellowship, he completed his clinical psychology internship (neuropsychology track) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He completed his doctoral training at the University of Houston. Currently, his clinical responsibilities include conducting neuropsychological evaluations on populations including TBI, epilepsy, dementia, movement disorders, ADHD, cerebrovascular disease, and psychiatric disorders.
Mahoney has 18 years of research experience, most of which have focused on the treatment and assessment of substance use disorders. While in Houston, Dr. Mahoney served as Clinical Research Manager for the Substance Abuse Research Program at the Baylor College of Medicine. His research interests include the impact of substance use on neurocognitive functioning, medication development for substance use disorders and treatments to combat addiction. Mahoney has authored 51 peer-reviewed manuscripts (15 first-authored), published several book chapters and a textbook on substance use with his former mentor from Bridgewater College, Dr. Brian Kelley.
In the past year he has been awarded the Young Psychopharmacologist Award by Division 28 of the American Psychological Association as well as the Chairman’s Research Award within his department. Mahoney has more than 80 abstracts that have been presented at national and international conferences and has received several travel awards to present these research findings. Mahoney has served as a peer-reviewer for more than 10 major psychiatry, neuropsychology and addiction medicine journals.
Mahoney has also been a member of a number of scientific societies and is a strong advocate for the integration of clinical research and clinical practice.
Steve Hollinger has been widely active in the Church of the Brethren and his community, serving in a variety of capacities and giving freely of the skills he gained through more than 40 years’ experience in construction, management and training. He retired in 2016 from his private consulting practice.
Hollinger, who grew up in Stuarts Draft, Va., learned carpentry and service from his father. As a youth he was in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America and was a member and president of the Shenandoah District Youth Cabinet.
After receiving his degree in biology from Bridgewater, Hollinger taught biology and earth sciences in the Prince William County Schools and earned an M.A. from Virginia Tech in 1976. His subsequent career in construction included design, supervision, risk management and safety consultation, as well as hands-on construction work for a number of firms, including his own Construction Options Inc., in Haymarket, Va.
Hollinger provided many services to his church, community and alma mater. Since 1976 he has been a member of the Manassas Church of the Brethren, where he is a trustee, board member, deacon, and member of the Pastoral Advisory Committee. He has served on numerous boards and committees and has been a Sunday School teacher, nursery volunteer, worship leader and youth/junior high adviser. He has led various community outreach construction and service projects and spearheaded a $2.5 million renovation and addition project for his church, donating more than 3,600 hours of his time and expertise.
He has been involved with Church of the Brethren national projects since 1976, including Brethren Disaster Service Ministries and the National Deacon Cabinet. Hollinger is a charter member and past president and treasurer of the Brethren Housing Corp. and volunteered in Brethren Volunteer Service in 2005. He supports the Shepherd’s Spring Outdoor Ministries Center in Sharpsburg, Md., having served on the Program Development Team at its inception.
Hollinger has been a parent volunteer for Bull Run Wrestling, Cub Scouts and Boys Scouts of America. He has participated in Prince William County Leadership Training, community snow removal efforts, and blood donation. He is also a Master Naturalist who enjoys adding to the life list of birds he and his wife identify.
At Bridgewater, Hollinger served on the Parents Advisory Committee from 1997-2000, the final year as chair, and was a trustee from 2007-2016, serving at one point as chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.
