Molly Alvaro began her career
at West Virginia University Potomac State College as an adjunct instructor. She
was promoted to serve as the Academic Success Center Coordinator in August 2001
and to serve in Accessibility Services in 2020, while also continuing to serve
as an instructor. Alvaro earned tenure track faculty status in 2020 and was named
Outstanding Professor of the Year for 2023 earlier this spring.
Students who wrote nomination letters for Alvaro touched on her kindness, professionalism, encouragement, and passion for what she does in eloquent ways.
Among the many nominations from students, common themes emerged in their comments. For example, “Professor Alvaro has been a wonderful mentor and has made an enormous impact on me. She encourages everyone to achieve their goals and engages students by asking challenging questions. She is always truly kind, patient, and helpful. She genuinely cares about her profession and her students,” voiced many of her students.
Other students stated that she treats everyone with kindness and respect and that her
passion and pride for her students and for Potomac State College can be seen in
everything she does.
Students agree that the engaging and thought-provoking way she teaches creates a much better understanding of the materials being taught. They have also expounded on Alvaro’s skills as an advisor, stating that she communicates with her advisees and helps direct them to perform their best, not only as students, but also in their daily lives.
Alvaro earned an associate degree from Potomac State College, a bachelor’s degree from Fairmont State University, and her master’s degree from Marshall University.
Alvaro and her husband, John, reside in Keyser. They have five children and three grandchildren.