Belmont College Honors Late Professor
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — In honor of his exceptional dedication and service to Belmont College, the late Dr. Ben Hitt has been posthumously awarded the distinguished title of Professor Emeritus.
Dr. Hitt retired from Belmont in June 2025, following more than a decade of impactful service. As a Professor of Industrial Electronics, he taught courses including Digital Electronics and Chemistry, inspiring countless students with his knowledge and passion.
Dr. Hitt passed away in July 2025.
According to Dr. Paul Gasparro, President, “Dr. Hitt was deeply passionate about learning, and he generously shared that passion with his students in every class that he taught. His presence will be profoundly missed across our campus.”
He added, “Dr. Hitt’s unwavering dedication to our institution and the many students he impacted over the years deserves the highest recognition.”
The Emeritus designation at Belmont College is reserved for retired faculty and staff who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to students and the College. This honorary title recognizes individuals whose professional contributions and service have significantly enriched the campus community.
Dr. Hitt earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from West Liberty State College. He went on to complete a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the West Virginia University School of Medicine. After conducting postdoctoral work in the Department of Dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine, he joined Stanford’s Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Hitt later founded corporations focused on the development and application of advanced information extraction algorithms for large-scale databases. He was also the inventor of multiple U.S. patents in the fields of bioinformatics and data analysis.
To commemorate this honor, a special award presentation was held at Belmont College on August 18. Dr. Hitt’s wife, Lova Hitt, accepted the award on his behalf presented by Dr. Heather Davis, Vice President of Operations, surrounded by members of the campus community who gathered to celebrate his legacy.
(Belmont College press release)
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