The Fort Hays State University Alumni Office has announced nominees for its three honorary commencement awards. Recipients of each award will be announced at a press conference on Tuesday, May 5, at 9 a.m. in the Memorial Union’s Peter Werth Black and Gold Room, located on the second floor, with refreshments to follow. The public is welcome to join in celebrating these outstanding Tigers.
Twenty-four seniors were nominated for the 2026 Torch Award, which acknowledges classroom excellence, leadership, participation in professional organizations, and student, civic, or research activities.
Eight graduate students from the 2025-2026 academic year received Lighthouse Award nominations, honoring exceptional students completing graduate programs.
The graduating class of 2026 nominated seventeen faculty members for the Pilot Award, recognizing classroom excellence, ongoing research, and service activities.
The Torch and Pilot Awards, created in 1974, and the Lighthouse Award, established in 2018, are presented annually. The nominees listed below completed all requested information by the deadline specified by FHSU’s Alumni Office.
* Denotes finalists for each award.
2026 TORCH AWARD NOMINEES
Nominees are listed alphabetically by state and hometown.
Kansas
AURORA
Daniel Bechle*, Criminal Justice and Political Science
AXTELL
Aspen Buessing, Medical Diagnostic Imaging
GOODLAND
Madison Albers, Political Science
HAYS
Alex Johnson, Political Science
Grace McCord, Political Science
Brenna Schwien*, Sociology
HIAWATHA
Grace Morey, Medical Diagnostic Imaging
HOLCOMB
Morgan Hammond, Health and Human Performance
HOLYROOD
Dawson McNeal, Music Education
OVERLAND PARK
Hazel Frans*, Biology
POMONA
Katie Ecord, Speech Language Pathology
RUSH CENTER
Mackenzie Zimmerman, Criminal Justice
SELDEN
Alisha Brantley, Psychology
ST GEORGE
Haylee Hafenstein, Education and Mathematics
STOCKTON
Delanee Bedore, Tourism and Hospitality Management
SUBLETTE
Alexis Trejo*, Agriculture
Ivonne Trejo, Social Work
WICHITA
Hunter Trail, Medical Diagnostic Imaging
Colorado
CHEYENNE WELLS
Sydney Dickey, Marketing
LAKEWOOD
Peyton Shepard, Biology
Iowa
DES MOINES
Blythe Serrano, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Nebraska
INDIANOLA
Kiana Martin, Agriculture
SUTHERLAND
Jackson Sinsel*, Political Science and Psychology
Utah
CEDAR CITY
Ryan Funai, Geology
2026 LIGHTHOUSE AWARD NOMINEES
Nominees are listed alphabetically by state and hometown.
Kansas
HOLCOMB
Derek Mesa*, Exercise Science
HOXIE
Addi Campbell*, Speech-Language Pathology
PHILLIPSBURG
Jenna Hoover*, Speech-Language Pathology
VALLEY CENTER
Hanna Fontes, Elementary Education
WICHITA
Lauren Stallbaumer, Speech-Language Pathology
Tina Thomas, Fine Arts
Colorado
Wellington
Sarah Keiss*, History
Venezuela
San Felipe
Diana Angarita, Organizational Leadership
2026 PILOT AWARD NOMINEES
Nominees are listed alphabetically by last name.
Dr. Henry Agbogun, assistant professor, Geosciences
Dr. Kevin Amidon, director, Honors College; professor, Modern Languages
Jayme Goetz, instructor, Mathematics
Dr. Scott Gregory, assistant professor, Teacher Education
Dr. Anas Hourani, associate professor, Computer Science
Dr. Dennis King, associate vice president for Student Affairs, adjunct faculty
Dr. Lori Kniffin*, Voss Distinguished Professor of Leadership; Director of Civic Learning
and Engagement
Dr. Yi-Chen Lee, assistant professor, Agriculture
Dr. Iryna McDonald, assistant professor, Agriculture
Dr. Donnette Noble*, professor, Leadership
Jordan Petz, associate professor, Nursing
Dr. Jessica Phelan*, assistant professor, Health and Human Performance
Dr. Christianna Pruden, instructor, Management
Dr. Wendy Rohleder-Sook*, chair and assistant professor, Communication Studies,
Law, and Political Science
Dr. Jay Steinmetz, associate professor, Political Science
Dr. Michelle Van Der Wege*, associate professor, Nursing
Dr. Bill Weber, associate professor, Mathematics