{"id":2225,"date":"2019-01-07T22:06:51","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T22:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/?p=2225"},"modified":"2019-06-12T10:24:52","modified_gmt":"2019-06-12T15:24:52","slug":"eleven-honored-at-awards-banquet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/2019\/01\/07\/eleven-honored-at-awards-banquet\/","title":{"rendered":"Eleven Honored at Awards Banquet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eleven alumni and friends were honored at the Alumni Association\u2019s 36th<\/sup> annual banquet Homecoming weekend. Congratulations! <\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Keith Evans<\/p><\/div>\n

Keith Evans \u201978 MD, PT, DPT
\nDistinguished Alumni Award
\n<\/strong>Dr. Keith Evans, a former Griffon linebacker, is CEO\/Director and owner of the Atlanta Human Performance Center, a facility offering physical therapy, massage therapy, sports therapy, dry needling, and a fitness and wellness center.<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy helping people,\u201d the Farmington, Missouri native said. \u201cMy patients won\u2019t get out without knowing how to become more active and exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Evans, who played football four years and served as team captain, says the courses he took at Missouri Western in exercise physiology and human performance\u00a0led him to pursue a career in physical therapy. He earned a Bachelor of Health Science-Physical Therapy from University of Missouri-Columbia, a Master in Exercise Physiology from Georgia State University, a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Alabama State University, and a doctorate in medicine from Xavier University School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

He was also vice president of the Student Government Association and served on the College Center Board. Dr. Evans believes his experiences as a student taught him discipline and great leadership and decision-making skills.<\/p>\n

Dr. Evans was inducted in Missouri Western\u2019s Athletics Hall of Fame as an individual in 2003 and as part of the 1975 football team in 2005.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really appreciate the strong base I received from Missouri Western.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Brian A. Dow \u201911
\nGOLD Award
\n<\/strong>Dr. Dow is a Dossier Development Scientist for Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Brian Dow<\/p><\/div>\n

Company, in Pennsylvania, where he makes regulatory decisions for antibody-based and gene therapy drugs.<\/p>\n

To date, his work has led to clinical trial approval in 16-plus countries with thousands of patients.<\/p>\n

Dr. Dow, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, graduated from Missouri Western with a biotechnology degree, which combines biology, chemistry and business. He said as a student, his classes and two internships helped him get accepted into the University of Central Florida\u2019s Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. program. He was hired at Janssen before he graduated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe professors and their classes shaped my interests in graduate school and provided me with a strong scientific foundation. Every day I use the scientific knowledge that I learned at MWSU.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drew Brown, U.S. Army Lt. Col., Retired
\n<\/strong>Herb \u201935 and Peggy Iffert Award for Outstanding Service to the University
\n<\/strong>Drew Brown has been very involved in Missouri Western, including serving 12 years on the MWSU Foundation Board of Directors and helping with events in the Center for Multicultural Education. He is currently serving as the chair of the Arts Society Council.<\/p>\n

His involvement in the community includes a list too long to name. \u201cThe community won\u2019t improve if<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Drew Brown<\/p><\/div>\n

people don\u2019t put their shoulder to the wheel and get involved. I\u2019m trying to be the best community member I can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown, a native of Philadelphia, earned bachelor\u2019s degrees in biology and German at North Carolina Central University in Durham. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966 and served until 1992, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.<\/p>\n

While in the service, he graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College with the equivalent of a master\u2019s degree. He is the owner of Brown Investments.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Bill Church<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr. Bill Church \u201989
\n<\/strong>Distinguished Faculty Award
\n<\/strong>Dr. Bill Church joined the Missouri Western faculty in 1990, when he was hired to work full-time in the Center for Academic Support and teach two English classes. In 1996, he began teaching full time.<\/p>\n

He earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in English, and a master\u2019s in English: Professional Writing, Fiction Emphasis from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He earned his doctorate from the University of Kansas, Lawrence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love being around the energy of young people,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s meaningful when students really begin to see the power of language; when they find out the written word has power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Church is currently writing an autoethnography, \u201cThis is What it Means to Say Missouri Western,\u201d that reflects his views as an alumnus and a professor with student anecdotes interwoven in the University history.<\/p>\n

\u201cMissouri Western transforms lives, and in my case, it is absolutely true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kristi Bailey \u201900
\nGreat Griffon Award
\nCollege of Liberal Arts and Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Kristi Bailey ’00<\/p><\/div>\n


\n<\/strong>Kristi Bailey is the Director of Communications and Marketing for the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, a position she has held since 2008. Recently, she guided St. Joseph\u2019s branding campaign, \u201cMade with Uncommon Character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bailey, from Ewing, Missouri, graduated with an English degree and a business minor. Prior to joining the Chamber staff, she worked eight years at the St. Joseph News-Press, where she was an award-winning reporter and assistant city editor.<\/p>\n

Bailey earned an MBA from Northwest Missouri State University.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy time at Missouri Western wouldn\u2019t have been the same without my sorority,\u201d she said. \u201cNot only was it responsible for forming the strongest friendships of my life, but it made me the leader I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Rachel Pepper ’03<\/p><\/div>\n

Rachel A. Pepper \u201903 DNP, RN, NEA-BC
\nGreat Griffon Award
\nCollege of Professional Studies\/School of Nursing and Health Professions\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>
\nDr. Rachel Pepper was promoted to Chief Nursing Officer of Kansas City Operations for the University of Kansas Health System this past July. She had previously been serving as the Senior Director of Nursing for the University of Kansas Hospital.<\/p>\n

Dr. Pepper, a native of DeKalb, Missouri, earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Missouri Western, and a Master of Science in Nursing-Organizational Leadership and a Doctor of Nursing Practice-Organizational Leadership from the University of Kansas. She is also an adjunct professor at Missouri Western.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy time at MWSU was amazing,\u201d Dr. Pepper said. \u201cI enjoyed the nursing program. The rigor and dedication the faculty provided set up all the new nurses very well for our careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jaime Habersat ’99<\/p><\/div>\n

Jaime Lynn Habersat \u201999<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n<\/strong>Great Griffon Award
\n<\/strong>Craig School of Business & Technology
\n<\/strong>Jaime Habersat is a Transportation Operation Specialist, Loss Prevention Team for the General Services Administration in Kansas City, Missouri. She has worked for GSA since 2009, and in her current position, she monitors for fraud, waste and abuse of government vehicles.<\/p>\n

Habersat is also a volunteer Membership\/Mobilization Manager for Team Rubicon, a veteran- and first responder-based disaster response organization. She has been volunteering for them since 2014 and has been on 10 deployments with them. She also teaches training classes for team members.<\/p>\n

As a student, Habersat was involved in several organizations, including being one of the founding members of the Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity. \u201cI jumped in with both feet at Missouri Western,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are so many memories, it\u2019s hard to pick the most memorable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Habersat graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and earned an MBA from Webster University in 2004.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Patrick Larsen `15<\/p><\/div>\n

Patrick Larsen \u201915
\n<\/strong>Great Griffon Award
\n<\/strong>School of Fine Arts
\n<\/strong>Patrick Larsen, from Weston, Missouri, graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art. As a student, he and David Harris, associate professor of art, built a wood-fired kiln and Larsen rebuilt the department\u2019s salt kiln.<\/p>\n

He had been a sculptor for 20 years when he decided to \u201cput a degree behind it.\u201d After he graduated, he opened a working studio, the Mad Potter Studio, in Weston.<\/p>\n

As a student, Larsen set up a pottery wheel at the MWSU Foundation\u2019s Donor Appreciation Reception for three years, visiting with those in attendance and displaying his craft.<\/p>\n

Alexis Williams \u201918
\n<\/strong>Student Leadership Award
\nClifford Hughes \u201955 Award
\n<\/strong>Alexis Williams graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in May 2018.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Alexis Williams ’18<\/p><\/div>\n

Willliams was involved in several organizations on campus, including the Student Government Association, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (president), Alpha Kappa Psi, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Residential Life. She was also a member of the University\u2019s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and worked in the Center for Multicultural Education. In 2017, Williams received the University\u2019s Drum Major for Justice Award.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy jobs I held and the organizations I was involved in helped me grow into a professional,\u201d she said. \u201cThe experiences gave me life lessons and helped mold me into the person I have become.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sanhith Chinta ’18<\/p><\/div>\n

Sanhith Chinta \u201918<\/strong>
\nStudent Leadership Award
\nInternational Student of the Year
\n<\/strong>Sanhith \u201cSunny\u201d Chinta graduated with a master\u2019s degree in Information Technology Assurance Administration this past spring. He grew up in Nizamabad, India and earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from St. Mary\u2019s College of Engineering and Technology at Hyderabad, Telangana, India before enrolling at Missouri Western.<\/p>\n

Chinta was involved on campus as part of the International Student Council and the Indian Nepali Student Association, where he says he gained leadership skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience at Missouri Western was amazing,\u201d Chinta said. \u201cI felt like it was a second home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dianah Hidzir ’18<\/p><\/div>\n

Mariatul Dianah Hidzir \u201918
\n<\/strong>Student Leadership Award
\n<\/strong>Graduating Student of the Year
\n<\/strong>Dianah Hidzir graduated with a diploma in English from a local university in Malaysia and in May 2018 graduated magna cum laude <\/em>with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Missouri Western. She completed an internship at Open Client Services in Chicago this past summer.<\/p>\n

As a student, Hidzir was the program assistant in the Center for Multicultural Education, president of the International Student Council, a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society and an editor for the Griffon Yearbook. She was selected as the student to give the commencement address at the May ceremony.<\/p>\n

“I got to meet people from all around the world, organize events, utilize my skills and creativity in my classes and make so many memories,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Nominate for Alumni Association awards today!
\n<\/strong>Nominations for all Alumni Association awards may be submitted year round online at missouriwestern.edu\/alumni. Along with the nomination form, a letter stating why you believe the person deserves this award must accompany the application. The deadline is March 1 each year. Current members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors are not eligible for nomination.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eleven alumni and friends were honored at the Alumni Association\u2019s 36th annual banquet Homecoming weekend. Congratulations! Keith Evans \u201978 MD, PT, DPT Distinguished Alumni Award Dr. Keith Evans, a former Griffon linebacker, is CEO\/Director and owner of the Atlanta Human Performance Center, a facility offering physical therapy, massage therapy, sports […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[23,57,54,26,42,25,63,60,61,48,32,65,29,45,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2225"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2225"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4479,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2225\/revisions\/4479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}