10 graduating seniors to receive Alumni Awards for Excellence

Ten recipients were chosen from 35 outstanding nominations this year. They will be honored Friday, May 4 at an invitation-only ceremony in the West Wing of the Leslie J. Savage Library. The event starts with a social at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m.

This year’s recipients are: Alejandro Alejandre (Cedaredge), Amanda Campbell (Boulder), Tim DeLory (Colorado Springs), Austin Ekeler (Eaton), Kathryn Hewson (Estes Park), Warren Knutson (Glenwood Springs), Hannah Montoya (Lafayette), Ryan Pellow (Colorado Springs), Lydia Schneider (Colorado Springs) and Raigan Williams (Santee, Calif.).

The Alumni Awards for Excellence celebrate Western as a community of teachers and learners. The distinction was established by former Western president Harry Peterson in 1997 as an opportunity to recognize the talents and achievements of graduating seniors.

The criteria for the award include: outstanding scholarship; creativity, thoughtfulness and initiative in the classroom; and service to the campus and community.

“This year we saw a record-breaking number of nominations for the Alumni Awards for Excellence,” said Taylre Derby, Director of Alumni Relations at Western. “The selection committee certainly had some tough decisions to make.”

In addition to honoring certain graduating students, it is the tradition of the Alumni Awards for Excellence to honor one Western faculty or staff member who has had the greatest impact on each recipient’s experience at Western. These faculty/staff honorees are the sole choice of the students awarded and are not based on department representation or any other criteria.

The honoree for each recipient:

• Alejandro Alejandre – Psychology professor Suzy Coykendall
• Amanda Campbell – Anthropology professor Lynn Sikkink
• Tim DeLory – Environment & Sustainability professor Jonathan Coop
• Austin Ekeler – Head football coach Jas Bains
• Kathryn Hewson – Business lecturer Menon Billingsley
• Warren Knutson – Politics & Government professor Maria Struble
• Hannah Montoya – VP for Student Affairs Gary Pierson
• Ryan Pellow – Computer Science & Math professor Andrew Keck
• Lydia Schneider – Associate VP for Academic Affairs Melanie Hulbert
• Raigan Williams – Communication Arts professor Paul Edwards