75th Thunderbird Awards Celebrate SUU's Finest

Published: April 11, 2025 | Read Time: 7 minutes

Southern Utah University proudly announces the finalists of the 75th annual Thunderbird Awards, a time-honored tradition that recognizes the exceptional contributions of students, faculty, staff, and community members. This year’s awards continue the legacy of honoring those who embody the spirit of the SUU community. Join us at the Award Ceremony on Friday, April 18th starting at 7pm in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. Semi-formal dress is encouraged.

Finalists were nominated by faculty, staff, and students and chosen by various committees including the Staff Association, Faculty Senate, Student Association, community members, President’s Cabinet, and other administrative leadership groups. Award categories include ​​Campus Culture & Engagement, Service, Teaching, Scholarly and Creative Activity, and Access & Belonging. Winners will be announced during the Award Ceremony.

2025 Thunderbird Award Finalists Special 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 Hope
  • Gerald R. Sherratt Library
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • SPARC

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.

Recipient: Ross Murdock

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.

Recipients:

  • Matt Nickerson
  • Ty Redd

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 Dr. Sherratt, has cultivated a distinguished record of service to SUU and the community.

Recipient: Ree Zaphiropoulos

Carmen Rose Hepworth Award
Carmen Rose Hepworth, a native of Delta, Utah, was a 1953 graduate of Southern Utah University. 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 a commitment to bettering the lives of others and strengthening Southern Utah University.

Recipient: Alana Benson

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.

Recipient: Matthew Newsom

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.

Recipients:

  • Laureen Graves
  • Jamie Hamblin
  • Corey Twitchell

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.

Recipients:

  • Matt Barton
  • Hayden Coombs
  • William Davis

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:

  • Daniel Eves
  • Kelly Goonan
  • Colby Green
  • Susanna Herrmann
  • Shalini Kesar

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:

  • Paige Crossley
  • Elliani Decker
  • Miranda Gubler
  • Heather Ogden
  • Shelly Roy

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:

  • Mary Bennett
  • Heather Callison
  • Alexus Erickson
  • Famke Halma Webb
  • Kristin Wiggins

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:

  • Susan Hunter
  • Wade Jenson
  • Talaya Logan
  • Andrea Masterson
  • Stacie Stein

Professional staff finalists:

  • Lauri Garfield
  • Chase Krohn
  • Jayson Matlock
  • Chris Ralphs
  • Jeff Tukuafu

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:

  • Tessa Anderson
  • Makayla Brown
  • Stephanie Jacobsen
  • Mackenzie Jenkins
  • Kenten Pope

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:

  • Michael Bahr
  • Michael Blake
  • Kol Gibson
  • Landry Igiraneza
  • Debbie Robinson

Commitment to Access and Belonging

Finalists:

  • Andrea Donovan
  • Blaine Edwards
  • Janae Hawk
  • Matt Mckenzie
  • Danielle Sheather

Employees of the Month:

  • Bayli Bleak
  • Rachel Brindley
  • Todd Brown
  • Justin Chappell
  • Julie Ellis
  • Mackenzie Jenkins
  • Kylee Lunderg
  • Lucia Maloy
  • Natalie Marshall
  • Bryce Mecham
  • Steve Meredith
  • Ryan Stringfellow

Student Awards

R. 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 Southern Utah University.

Finalists:

  • Colter Bennett
  • Shaylie Carr
  • Adrian Hinton
  • Kade Simmons
  • Emily Wixom

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:

  • Levi Blad
  • Tifa Kioa
  • Maddy Steffensen
  • Emma Stensrud
  • Talbot Weaver

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 Southern Utah University and the local community. This student has exhibited a high level of commitment to volunteerism and civic engagement.

Finalists:

  • Amy Adams
  • Sterling McKay Larrabee
  • Grace Morales
  • Holden Petty
  • Katri Redd

Commitment to Access and Belonging

Finalists:

  • Isabela De Las Casas
  • Paige Iverson
  • Kasen Graff
  • Samantha Mejia
  • Njomi Wa Masumbe

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:

  • Yazmine Koster
  • Blake Reno-Bautista
  • Ruby Stokes
  • Mia Vazquez
  • Jeremy Walker

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 Southern Utah University. 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:

  • Alpha Phi
  • Latine Student Alliance
  • Student Programming Board
  • Student Spirit and Community Board
  • Swing Club

Scholars of the Year
Eight outstanding students have been named Southern Utah University’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.

Recipients:

  • Chase Christensen
  • Makaylee Cole
  • Madyson Hacking
  • Anya N. Johnson
  • Annalee MacArthur
  • Jaren Meikle
  • Megan Taylor
  • Kimberly Winward

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:

  • Valeriia Aksakova
  • Carson Blickenstaff
  • Kaitlyn Corley
  • Maquelle Johnson
  • Spencer Smith

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 Southern Utah University 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:

  • Santiago Gaitan Caballero
  • Jaedyn Carpenter
  • Brock Felder
  • Targhee Lambson
  • Jamir Simpson

Female Finalists:

  • Morgan Blackburn
  • Ellie Cacciola
  • Mia Hampton
  • Niya Randolph
  • Andrea Spasojevic

Tags: Student Staff CurStu FacStaff Faculty

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