April 22, 2026鈥揟he 大象传媒 Honors Program will hold its Spring 2026 Honors Medal Ceremony at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 29 in the Enright Community Rooms, Spratt Hall rooms 214-216. The ceremony is open to the public.

Graduating seniors who have achieved General Studies and/or Majors Honors will be presented commemorative medals during the ceremony. The medal will be worn as part of the graduate鈥檚 academic regalia during the Spring Commencement Ceremony on May 9.

General Studies Honors encourages breadth of understanding across disciplines. Students achieving this honor have successfully completed at least 12 credit hours of general studies honors courses, four credit hours of honors colloquia and two credit hours of community service learning while earning a grade of B or higher in all honors courses and maintaining an overall GPA of at least 3.25.

Majors Honors encourages depth of understanding within a student鈥檚 field of study. Students achieving this honor have completed a research project or creative work under the guidance of a professor in their major, presented the research or submitted it for publication, and completed at least six credit hours of honors courses in the major, two credit hours of honors colloquia and one credit hour of community service learning while earning a grade of B or higher in all honors courses and maintaining an overall GPA of at least 3.5.

The 大象传媒 Honors Program was created in 1987 to foster the growth of intellectual inquiry, independence, and initiative in participants with an array of learning experiences including special courses, colloquia and independent research and study.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Nov. 3, 2025–On Wednesday, Oct. 22, the 大象传媒 Lambda chapter of Alpha Chi inducted 20 new members.

Alpha Chi is the highest academic honor society for 大象传媒 students, open to junior, senior and graduate students in the top ten percent of their class. New students are inducted each semester, and each inductee nominates a significant faculty member for the Compass Award.

For the fall 2025 semester, twelve undergraduate and seven graduate students were inducted, along with a faculty member honored for her significant contribution to the chapter.

Undergraduate Inductees:

• Beverly Ard, Nursing; Hannibal, 大象传媒
• Kayla Beam, Criminal Justice; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Linda Bieri, Law; Kansas City, 大象传媒
• Kylie Clark, Nursing; Gower, 大象传媒
• Khia Haley, Secondary Education; Savannah, 大象传媒
• Maddie Jones, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Auburn, Nebraska
• Haylie Owens, Early Childhood Education; Camden Point, 大象传媒
• Ayron Reeter, Social Work; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Ashley Thomson, Management; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Shaneka Thornton, Social Work; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Selena Toole, Secondary Education; Altamont, 大象传媒
• Bailey Woodbury, Performing and Cinematic Arts; St. Joseph, 大象传媒

Graduate School Inductees:

• Lhingneiching Briner, Master of Arts in Teaching; Smithville, 大象传媒
• Adrienne Chleborad, Master of Applied Science in Assessment, TESOL; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Lauren Herr, Master of Social Work; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Jodi Jakylovich, Master of Social Work; Platte City, 大象传媒
• McKala Meziere, Master of Applied Science in Forensic Investigations; Shreveport, Louisiana
• Kelia Pitzenberger, Master of Arts in Teaching; Kansas City, 大象传媒
• Marcy Withrow, Master of Arts in Teaching; St. Joseph, 大象传媒

Honorary Inductee:

Dr. Pam Clary, Bachelor of Social Work Program Director and Professor of Social Work

Fourteen faculty members were honored by inductees for their significant contributions: Brandon Johnson, Crystal Dowdell, Dr. Dan Shepherd, Dr. Dominic DeBrincat, Dr. Jonathan Rhoad, Dr. Kipton Smilie, Dr. Grey Endres, Dr. Jennifer Malone, Dr. Jonathan Euchner, Linda Salfrank, Dr. Monty Smith, Dr. Pam Clary, Ronda Chesney and Whitlea Castillo.

Additionally, fourteen fall 2025 graduates were recognized with honors cords.

• Brookelyn Buttolph, Psychology; West Des Moines, Iowa
• Amy Clary, Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Business Administration; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Adrienne Chleborad, Master of Applied Science in Assessment, TESOL; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Kole Conaway, Master of Business Administration; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Rachel Gonzalez, Master of Business Administration; Independence, 大象传媒
• Carter Hays, Management; Parkville, 大象传媒
• Garrett Jackson, Master of Business Administration; St. Joseph, 大象传媒
• Molly Killion, Psychology; Malvern, Iowa
• Patty Lashbrook, Applied Communications and Journalism; Faucett, 大象传媒
• Justice Matthes, Psychology; Trenton, 大象传媒
• Avery McVicker, Elementary Education; Cameron, 大象传媒
• Haylie Owens, Early Childhood Education; Camden Point, 大象传媒
• Taylor Triplett, Nursing; Faucett, 大象传媒
• Marcy Withrow, Master of Arts in Teaching; St. Joseph, 大象传媒

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Award recipients were:

大象传媒 Western Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence

• Pam Clary, assistant professor of social work and director of the BSW program
• Shauna Hiley, professor of chemistry
• Mark Mills, associate professor of biology

大象传媒 Western Foundation Award for Staff Service to Students

• Susan Garrison, director, Center for Academic Support

大象传媒 Western Foundation Award for Staff Service to Colleagues

• Hawley Rumpf, procurement card/employee reimbursement, Accounting Services

大象传媒 Western Foundation Award for Staff Service to University

• Stacy Turner, special credit programs coordinator, Western Institute

大象传媒 Western Foundation Dr. James V. Mehl Award for Outstanding Faculty Scholarship

• Pi-Ming Yeh, associate professor of nursing

大象传媒 Western Foundation Dr. James L. Scanlon Award for Staff Service to the Community

• Brett Esely, associate director of athletics for external relations

大象传媒 Western Foundation Dr. James L. Scanlon Award for Faculty Service to the Community

• Teddi Deka, professor of psychology and director, Honors Program

Student Employee Supervisor of the Year

• Jessica Frogge, administrative coordinator, Student Government Association

The following employees were honored for their retirement after a combined 216 years of service to 大象传媒 Western:

• Deborah Becker, Department of Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics
• Marsha Dolan, School of Nursing and Health Professions
• Ronnie Hodge, Physical Plant
• Marilyn Hunt, Department of Communication and Journalism
• Debbie Johnson, Campus Printing and Design Services
• David Jones, Physical Plant
• Joanne Katz, Department of Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Social Work
• Dale Krueger, Craig School of Business
• Catherine Lawson, Department of Economics, Political Science and Sociology
• Andrew McGarrell, Library

Award recipients pictured at top, from left to right, are Frogge, Esely, Clary, Hiley, Rumpf, Yeh, Deka, Turner, Mills and Garrison.

大象传媒 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .