04/30/24

By: FHSU Alumni Office

HAYS, Kan. – Family, friends, and the Fort Hays State University community gathered on campus to celebrate the tremendous achievements of this year’s Torch, Lighthouse, and Pilot award recipients.

Chelsea Kiefer, a senior history major, received this year’s Torch Award, and Sonja Brandt earned this year’s Lighthouse Award as an outstanding graduate student. Dr. Jonathan Sumrall was recognized as this year’s Pilot Award winner.

Torch Award

Chelsea Kiefer is our first-ever FHSU Online Torch Award winner. Chelsea enrolled at Fort Hays State as an online student from her home in North Carolina and immediately caught the attention of faculty members, who were impressed by her thoughtful and engaging responses in their online discussion boards.

Their positive feedback inspired Chelsea to create a forum for online and on-campus history students and faculty at FHSU. Though initially created to form a community, the history forum has grown into a vibrant network of more than 100 history students and faculty members who collaborate in the chats and offer a hand when needed.

Her need to connect led to other opportunities, such as joining online organizations like Phi Alpha Theta, the History Club, the FHSU Honor Society, and serving as an online student representative for the Holocaust Remembrance and Education Month committee.

The Victor E. History Podcast at FHSU offered Chelsea opportunities to share her academic research. She has recorded three episodes, her favorite being the conversation on childless women in early twentieth-century America. Some of her research featured in the podcast has also been published in the Historians Magazine.

“Chelsea habitually shares her research with public audiences via presentations, podcasts, and publications,” said FHSU History assistant professor Dr. Amber Nickell. “Indeed, she had more publications as an undergraduate student than most do at the close of their PhDs.”

Chelsea has already begun her master’s degree at FHSU after graduating with her undergraduate degree in the fall of 2023 with an impressive 3.99 GPA. In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Chelsea earned a minor in sociology and certificates in global studies, grant writing, women’s and gender studies, and cultural diversity studies.

“I’m grateful to win this award, and I hope it means something to other online and non-traditional students,” Chelsea said. “Fort Hays State does see us, recognize us, and value us.”

Lighthouse Award

Driven by her love of birds and passion for photography, Sonja Brandt exemplifies how creativity and scholarly work can complement each other in the field. Before enrolling at Fort Hays State, Sonja graduated from Concordia University with dual biology and studio art degrees, often marrying the two through her volunteer and lab work. Coming to FHSU for her master’s in biology opened even more possibilities for Sonja, who wanted to explore her research interests further.

At Fort Hays State, Sonja has blossomed into a notable scholar and mentor thanks to her various hands-on research projects and fieldwork with nature enthusiasts of all ages. Over her graduate career, Sonja has maintained a 4.0 GPA with a full slate of personal and professional obligations. Notably, Sonja played a crucial role in bringing a chapter of Audubon, a non-profit environmental agency dedicated to conserving birds and their habitats, to Fort Hays State. Through FHSU’s new chapter, Sunflower, Sonja raises awareness for our winged friends on weekly bird walks. 

As a graduate student, Sonja has attended several conferences, including one in Canada representing FHSU to scientists from around the world. In April, she presented her thesis, which focused on the environmental stressors that affect Cliff Swallow populations. To complete her research, Sonja supervised and trained nine assistants to help her with the extensive lab and fieldwork needed to do so.

“Sonja is a bright and capable student who, in a very short career, has demonstrated creativity and dedication to the conservation of natural resources, and birds in particular, as well as a passion for sharing her talents and ideas with the public at large,” said Dr. William Stark, one of Sonja’s nominators.

“As a biologist and artist, I didn’t know if I’d be able to find somewhere that would allow me to combine my two passions, and I’ve been more than impressed with the opportunities the grad program at Fort Hays State has given me,” Sonja said.

Pilot Award

Dr. Jonathan Sumrall, an assistant professor in geosciences, has always believed that learning should be a dynamic, lifelong pursuit that extends beyond work in the classroom. It’s clear to the students in his courses that he embodies this belief. Always energetic and passionate, Dr. Sumrall’s enthusiasm for geological sciences is contagious to those around him.

Understanding that geology may not interest all students, Dr. Sumrall thinks outside the lecture hall to engage everyone in his classroom. He empowers his students to tap into their diverse talents and viewpoints by combining hands-on practicum, like fieldwork, with an inclusive learning environment.

His student nominator said Dr. Sumrall strives to understand every student so he can personally focus on their needs and keep them engaged in the classroom.

Students can also see his dedication to scholarly work. Dr. Sumrall continually reads cutting-edge research to help his students prepare for their careers and regularly produces his own work. As a Kansas Army National Guard member, he is a well-prepared and organized instructor who plans his lectures meticulously to spend more time working with students. What students appreciate most about Dr. Sumrall is his trust in his students to take charge of their work and his willingness to give advice when they encounter challenges.

Dr. Todd Moore, Chair of the Department of Geosciences, echoed this sentiment.

“Dr. Sumrall is critical to the Department of Geosciences at Fort Hays State University,” said Moore. “His service to students and his continuous efforts to improve teaching and provide quality experiences for his students are deserving of this award.”

As he received the Pilot Award this morning, Dr. Sumrall humbly accepted the award.

“Some of my greatest successes are my students,” said Sumrall. “This award is a testament to the students who have come through our program.”  

Fort Hays State faculty and staff nominate Torch Award and Lighthouse Award candidates based on classroom excellence, leadership, participation in campus, community, or national organizations, and student, civic, or research activities. Awardees are selected by a committee of FHSU faculty and staff from a pool of nominated students.

The Torch Award recognizes an outstanding senior, which includes May 2024 graduating seniors or students who graduated in December 2023. The Lighthouse Award recognizes an outstanding graduate student who is graduating.

Pilot Award candidates are nominated by graduating seniors based on classroom excellence, ongoing research, and service activities. They are selected by a committee of graduating seniors, faculty, and Alumni Office representatives.

To learn more about the commencement awards or to view a list of past recipients, please visit fhsualumni.com/commencement-awards or contact the FHSU Alumni Office at 785-628-4430 or alumni@fhsu.edu.

Visit fhsualumni.com/2024-commencement-nominees to see a complete list of 2024 award nominees.