ALUMNI NEWS
2022 Commencement award winners The three highly coveted awards given out at the end of each spring semester by the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association recognize the exceptional efforts and achievements of FHSU students and faculty. Alec Bevis, Wichita, received the Torch Award as the outstanding graduating senior of the class of 2022 at Fort Hays State University. The award was created in 1974. Alison Helget, Hays, and Mary Kathy Robb, Kansas City, Mo., were co-winners of the Lighthouse Award honoring the outstanding graduate student for the academic school year. This award was first given in 2018. Ken Windholz, instructor of psychology, was named the recipient of the Pilot Award as the outstanding faculty member for the academic school year. The Pilot Award was created in 1974 and is based upon nominations from the current graduating class. Torch Award recipient Bevis received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry and plans to pursue a graduate degree in biochemistry. Bevis, a standout for the Tiger men’s soccer team, has multiple Ph.D. program offers pending. Helget, co-winner of the Lighthouse Award, maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA while earning her bachelor’s degree in history from FHSU in three years. She also graduated summa cum laude with a master of arts in history this spring. She will begin work on a Ph.D. this fall at Texas Christian
From left, Ken Windholz, Mary Kathy Robb, Alec Bevis, and Alison Helget.
University. Mary Kathy Robb, co-winner of the Lighthouse Award, also graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA with a master of fine arts with an emphasis in ceramics. During her FHSU career, she earned three Graduate Scholarly Experience grants and put one to use in developing a unique blend of fired and unfired surfaces on one of her ceramic sculptures. Windholz, the Pilot Award recipient, is highly regarded for his teaching style and “keeping students engaged through the class.” Windholz was nominated by four separate students for this award.
Jones “pushed to be better” at FHSU Some of the most valuable lessons for Demetrias Jones as a Fort Hays State University studentathlete were learned out of the classroom. A member of the Tiger track and field team during his time at FHSU, Jones said he and his teammates “always pushed one another to be better.” When not pushing himself on the field, the Salina native was challenging himself to explore future career paths. His interest in technology and constantly wanting to try new things led him to pursue a degree in management information systems. Graduating in 2015, Jones was hired by one of the largest general aviation companies in the world, Textron Aviation, ROAR
as a software developer. Jones’ experience encouraging his FHSU teammates easily translated to supporting his new coworkers at Textron Aviation in Wichita. Jones is now taking on major initiatives as the Manager of IT Customer Experience for Textron. One such initiative was a COVID-19 Applications Suite that allows Textron employees to retrieve and input necessary information. Jones’ hard work and innovation are not going unnoticed. Earlier this year, he received the 2022 David L. Steward Legacy Award as Black Engineer of the Year. The award recognizes collaborative leaders and successful innovators in the tech sector. Jones’ challenging spirit motivates him to learn new things every day. “There are so many seasons in life and things are always changing,” he said, “so find what excites you and makes you feel fulfilled.” | 44 |
SPRING/SUMMER 2022
