04/28/23

By: FHSU Alumni
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State University Alumni Office has announced nominees for its three honorary commencement awards. Recipients of each award will be announced at a press conference at 9 a.m., Tuesday, May 2, in the Memorial Union Peter Werth Black & Gold Room on campus, with refreshments to follow. The public is welcome to attend and join in celebrating these outstanding Tigers.

Twenty graduating seniors have been nominated for the 2023 Torch Award, acknowledging classroom excellence, leadership, participation in professional organizations, and student, civic, or research activities. Eight graduate students from the 2022-23 academic year received nominations for the Lighthouse Award, honoring outstanding students completing graduate studies.

The graduating class of 2023 nominated 27 faculty members for the Pilot Award, recognizing classroom excellence, ongoing research, and service activities.

The Torch and Pilot Awards, created in 1974, and the Lighthouse Award, established in 2018, are presented annually. Nominees listed completed all requested information by the deadline specified by the Alumni Office.

Nominees for the Torch and Lighthouse Awards are listed alphabetically by state and hometown. Pilot Award nominees are listed alphabetically by last name.

2023 Torch Award Nominees

* Denotes finalists for each award.

Kansas

BELOIT

   Trinity Wagner, Business Administration – Marketing

CHENEY

   Coy Lampe, Business Administration – Finance

CONCORDIA

   Ciara Kearn, Communication Sciences and Disorders

GARNETT

   Jenna Schmit*, Communication Sciences and Disorders

HAYS

   Loganne Ditter, Psychology, Criminal Justice

   Ethan Lang*, Finance – Financial Planning

   Holly Linenberger, Fine Arts – Interior Design

MINNEAPOLIS

   Karisma Vignery, Math Education

OXFORD

   Elisa Donley*, Agriculture – Agronomy Business

PRATT

   Sydney Koirth, Medical Diagnostic Imaging – Ultrasound

SALINA

   Kaiden O’Dell, Geology

STERLING

   Jessica Reid, Medical Diagnostic Imaging – Ultrasound

TOPEKA

   Cole Berry, Organizational Leadership

ULYSSES

   Slater Heglin, Business Education – Talent Development

WICHITA

   Brett Loving, Business Administration – Accounting

Colorado

BOULDER

   Reilly Madden, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Criminal Justice

LONGMONT

   Emily Reitz*, Health and Human Performance – Sport and Exercise Therapy

WESTMINSTER

   Brynn Wooten*, Geology, Biology

North Dakota

MANDAN

   Niassa Harris-Wazoua, Organizational Leadership

Oklahoma

OWASSO

   William Tinney, Organizational Leadership

2023 Lighthouse Award Nominees

Kansas

BALDWIN CITY

   Abigail Hayes*, Master of Professional Studies in Criminal Justice

DODGE CITY

   Omar Alvarez, Master of Business Administration

HAYS

   Tanner Callis*, MA in English

   Robyn Hartman*, Master of Professional Studies in Instructional Design

HUTCHINSON

   Anna Deal, Master of Science in Organizational Communication

TOPEKA

   Diane Nuñez*, Master of Science in Geosciences – Geography

Colorado

EADS

   Mindi Uhland, Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Oklahoma

ALVA

Whitney Randall*, Master of Science in Health and Human Performance – Sports Administration

2023 Pilot Award Nominees

Ivalah Allen, associate professor, Music and Theatre

Dr. Medhavi Ambardar, assistant professor, Biological Sciences

Dr. James Balthazor, associate professor, Chemistry

Dr. Sarah Broman Miller, assistant professor, Teacher Education

Dr. Matthew Clay, assistant professor, Teacher Education

Dr. Clyde Cranwell, associate professor, Agriculture

Eric Deneault*, associate professor, Applied Technology

Dr. Linda Feldstein, assistant professor, Teacher Education

Brad Goebel, instructor, Applied Business Studies

Dr. Brent Goertzen, professor, Leadership Studies

Dr. Christina Glenn, assistant professor, Economics, Finance, and Accounting

Nathan Howard, assistant professor, Applied Technology

Dr. Kaley Klaus*, assistant professor and international coordinator, Leadership Studies

Dr. Robert Lloyd, associate professor and Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship director of strategic partnerships, Management

Dr. Tamara Lynn*, chair, Criminal Justice

Brooke Mann, instructor, Psychology

Tara Marshall*, instructor Communication Sciences and Disorders

Mary Martin, professor, Applied Business Studies

Hollie Marquess, lecturer, History

Dr. Edwin Olmstead, assistant professor, Chemistry

Dr. Lorelei Patrick, assistant professor, Biological Sciences

Dr. Ziwei Qi*, assistant professor, Criminal Justice

Dr. Wendy Rohleder-Sook, assistant professor, Political Science

Jeremy Ryan, instructor, Agriculture

Dr. Samuel Schreyer, professor, Economics, Finance, and Accounting

Jennifer Wagner, director and professor, Allied Health