Southern Utah University will announce the winners of the 73rd annual Thunderbird Awards on Saturday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. SUU President Mindy Benson sent an email revealing the finalists for each award on April 14 and invited the T-Bird community to attend the upcoming Oscar-style ceremony. She encouraged semi-formal dress for those in attendance to respect the level of honor each recognition holds.
“This is SUU’s most prestigious awards ceremony; a campus and community-wide celebration of SUU’s exceptional students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members,” Benson said.
Faculty, students and staff submitted a record-breaking number of over 800 nominations. Various committees, including the Staff Association, Faculty Senate, Student Association, community members, President’s Cabinet and other administrative leadership groups, have narrowed down the nominees to 130 finalists and 33 winners.
“Award categories include Campus Culture and Engagement, Service, Diversity and Inclusion, Teaching, Scholarly and Creative Activity, and Service,” SUU’s press release reads. “The event will also recognize the 2022 influencer award winners, college and university valedictorians, and staff of the month recipients.”
Finalists or winners for each award are listed below:
Overall awards:
University Department Award
The University Department Award is presented to one department, unit or office on campus recognizing their outstanding contributions to the university and a commitment to the students of SUU.
Finalists:
— Center for Teaching Innovation
— Facilities Management
— MBA Program
— Office of Planning & Budget
— Veterans Center
Lifetime Achievement Award
The lifetime achievement award is given to a faculty or staff member who has excelled academically or professionally as well as demonstrated outstanding leadership ability and service to the institution during their career at SUU.
Winner:
— Mitch Bealer
Board of Trustees Award of Excellence
This award is intended to formally recognize the outstanding achievements of faculty and staff at SUU with a particular emphasis in teaching, scholarship, administration, innovation and public service. The award criteria for staff members is quality service according to the staff member’s responsibilities, innovative practices and other service to the university or the community.
Winners:
— Donna Law
— Matt Barton
Gerald R. Sherratt: Friend of SUU Award
In memory of Gerald R. Sherratt, this award recognizes and honors a member of the local community who, like Sherratt, has cultivated a distinguished record of service to SUU and the community.
Winner:
— Tessa Douglas
Carmen Rose Hepworth Award
Carmen Rose Hepworth, a native of Delta, was a 1953 graduate of SUU. She taught in the Iron County School District, was an active member of the SUU Alumni Association and provided valuable service to the university and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. She and her husband, Mel, did not have children of their own, but they influenced the lives of hundreds of students by serving as strong role models and loving mentors. Carmen had the unique ability of knowing how to get the most out of her young students. She encouraged excellence and taught her students to do more than was expected, both in academics and their personal lives. In memory of Carmen Hepworth, this award is presented by the Alumni Relations Office to an individual who demonstrates commitment to bettering the lives of others and strengthening SUU.
Winner:
— Gail Harris
Faculty awards:
Outstanding Educator Award
This award recognizes an individual, full-time faculty who demonstrates outstanding teaching effectiveness; scholarly activity; peer respect from fellow colleagues; sincere interest in students; and professional commitment and service to others and the university overall.
Winner:
— Gretchen Ellefson
Distinguished Educators
This award recognizes three individual, full-time faculty for distinguished teaching effectiveness; professional commitment; demonstrated interest in students; and service to others and the university overall.
Winners:
— Nicole Dib
— Crystal Koenig
— Brock Landrum
Distinguished Scholarly or Creative Activity
This award recognizes three faculty members for distinguished academic achievement in scholarship, which is defined by scholarly and/or creative work that has been peer-reviewed and judged to be superior.
Winners:
— John Belk
— Brianne Kramer
— Sijun Liu
Outstanding Educator for Inclusion & Diversity
This award celebrates outstanding individuals or groups that, engaging with other stakeholders and partners on campus, are working to increase and sustain diversity, inclusion and equity at SUU.
Finalists:
— Andrew Briggs
— Jamie Spinney
— Christin Stephens
Distinguished Faculty Service
This award recognizes an individual, full-time faculty for demonstration of distinguished service to the university and the greater community; a pattern of quality service; a variety of service efforts; efforts having increased the quality of some aspect of the university’s mission; and a genuine interest in serving students, colleagues and the university.
Finalists:
— Carrie Jo Bucklin
— Jacqualine Grant
— Laureen Graves
— Jeff Orton
— Jennifer McKenzie
Distinguished Faculty for Global Engagement
This award recognizes one full-time faculty member for actively promoting cultural and global understanding; fostering empathy among people with different life experiences; and creating opportunities for students’ personal, academic and professional enrichment in international contexts.
Finalists:
— Shalini Kesar
— Crystal Koenig
— Matthew Newsom
Distinguished Faculty for Diversity and Inclusion
This individual supports the DEI Strategic Plan by creating and/or implementing curricula and research that address the contributions and impact of diverse voices and perspectives that are often overlooked in dominant culture-focused classrooms. This includes underrepresented marginalized groups, such as women, disabled persons and LGBTQIA+.
Finalists:
— Nicole Dib
— Julie McCown
— Patrick McFadden
— Corey Twitchell
Staff awards:
Staff Community & Culture Award
This award is given to a staff member who has built community across disciplines, departments and divisions on campus and has contributed to cultivating a positive campus culture for employees and students.
Finalists:
— Ron Cardon
— Shelly Merrill
— Jessie Mineer
— Katie Murray
— Adam Wilcock
Staff Mentorship Award
This award recognizes a staff member who has excelled at mentoring others — colleagues and/or students — in achieving their career objectives through moral, social and intellectual support.
Finalists:
— Bailey Bowthorpe
— Jerry Carpenter
— Craig Lewis
— Karson Rasmussen
— Madalyn Swanson
Outstanding Staff Award
Given to one classified and one professional staff member. Each year the Staff Association recognizes and honors two outstanding staff employees. These awards recognize the recipients’ career in university service and their dedication to the institution.
Classified staff finalists:
— Jamie Campbell
— Pat Gardner
— Michael Kartchner
— Kendall Parry
— Kimberly Sawyer
Professional staff finalists:
— Alison Adams
— Jeffrey Hunt
— Heather Ogden
— Anu Tufuga
— Jeff Tukuafu
Commitment to Inclusion & Diversity Award
This individual supports the DEI Strategic Plan by engaging in meaningful and intentional programs and/or services that address and bring awareness to diversity, equity and inclusion issues in higher education which help to improve campus climate — what it “feels” like to live and work on our campus.
Finalists:
— Alex Curtis
— Andrea Donovan
— Kai Edwards
— Landry Igiraneza
— Anu Tufuga
Distinguished Initiative or Activity Award
This award recognizes a staff member who has gone above and beyond their job duties to improve operational processes and/or establish initiatives that support SUU’s strategic goals.
Finalists:
— Parker Grimes
— Steven Meredith
— Mike Miller
— Brandon Street
— Kristin Wiggins
Personality of the Year Award
Recipients of the Personality of the Year Award are campus characters who are remarkably funny, uncommonly kind and a little quirky. These unique students and employees make campus life exciting and fun, and they use their enthusiasm, optimism and humor to lighten a situation or encourage a friend with a simple smile and impeccable timing. Personality of the Year is awarded each year to one student and one employee.
Finalists:
— Sara Greener
— Jana Stoneman
— Jeanne Subjack
— Noa Taeatafa
— Sharrisa Turnbaugh
Student awards:
Kenneth Benson Award
Recipients of the R. Kenneth Benson Award have excelled academically, maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.6. They have also shown outstanding leadership ability and dedicated themselves to serving the university and the community. This is the most prestigious and distinguished award given to a student at SUU.
Finalists:
— Paige Crossley
— Aspen English
— Wyatt Gardner
— Daviann Kauweloa
— Alexa Lord
Sterling R. Church Student Involvement Award
Recipients of the Sterling R. Church Student Involvement Award have shown extraordinary commitment within one specific organization, club or department at SUU. Their contributions within the specific area are not only visible to those within their organization but to the campus as a whole. The student has gone above and beyond their call of duty.
Finalists:
— Mia Benson
— Caleb O’Neill
— Candice Riddell
— Yaneth Vasquez
— Emily Waite
Georgia Beth Thompson Service Award
Recipients of the Georgia Beth Thompson Service of the Year Award have exhibited volunteer service that has had a significant impact on SUU and the local community. This student has exhibited a high level of commitment to volunteerism and civic engagement.
Finalists:
— Kamarie Dalton
— Dylan Gardner
— Wyatt Gardner
— Lydia Huppi
— Eme Larsen
Personality of the Year
Recipients of the Personality of the Year Award are campus characters who are remarkably funny, uncommonly kind and a little quirky. These unique students and employees make campus life exciting and fun, and they use their enthusiasm, optimism and humor to lighten a situation or encourage a friend with a simple smile and impeccable timing. Personality of the Year is awarded each year to one student and one employee.
Finalists:
— Allan Ahanonu
— Benjamin Amundsen
— Paige Anderson
— Harrison Butler
— Shane Yoho
Student Organization Award
Recipients of the Student Organization Award consistently contribute to the improvement and well-being of their members while also enhancing the educational experience of students at SUU. Through meaningful campus involvement and considerable community service, the Student Organization Award is a leading organization among the university’s numerous independent student clubs and university-sponsored organizations.
Finalists:
— SUU Animal Ambassadors
— Involvement Captains
— Latinx Student Alliance
— Pre-Medical Society at SUU
— Student Alumni Association
Scholars of the Year
Eight outstanding students have been named SUU’s valedictorians in honor of their perseverance and academic excellence. Each has a remarkable story leading them to be placed as the highest academically ranked individual in their area of study.
Winners:
— Sydney Bond
— Holly Day
— Aspen English
— Kourtney Gates
— Drew Hatch
— Alexa Lord
— Toby McMurray
— Breonna Perry
Student Artist of the Year
The Student Artist of the Year finalists are selected as exceptional students in their field by the College of Performing and Visual Arts Faculty.
Finalists:
— Addison Cox
— Drew Holland
— Breonna Perry
— Anne Turner
— Matthew Wangemann
Athlete of the Year
The award for athlete of the year honors men and women who have demonstrated exceptional athletic prowess, commitment to their teammates, and authentic sportsmanship while representing SUU in intercollegiate athletic competitions. Although highly dedicated to their sport, these men and women also excel academically and define what it means to be a student-athlete.
Male finalists:
— Maizen Fausett
— Jake Gerardi
— Tevian Jones
— Joren McKeever
— Isaiah Wooden
Female finalists:
— Cherita Daugherty
— Alexa Lord
— Karley McClain
— Shylen Murakami
— Whitney Wangsgard
Student Commitment to Inclusion and Diversity Award
This student supports the DEI Strategic Plan by engaging in meaningful and intentional programs and/or services that address and bring awareness to diversity, equity and inclusion issues in higher education which help to improve campus climate — what it “feels” like to live on our campus.
Finalists:
— Sage Finlinson
— Ashton Horton
— Paige Iverson
— Arianna Marroquin
— Hector Cedillo Tellez
Story by Kale Nelson
Photo Courtesy of McKayla Olsen
