UCF Alumni Publicizes 2022 Shining Knights Award Winners
UCF Alumni introduced its Shining Knights Award recipients for 2022 — 11 winners celebrated for his or her dedication to the college within the classes of the Michelle Akers Award, Distinguished Alumni, Honorary Alumni, Younger Alumni, Distinguished Pupil and the Champion’s Award.
They are going to be honored in a ceremony on the Celeste Lodge on Thursday, Oct. 27 throughout UCF Homecoming week.
Michelle Akers Award
Bestowed to a UCF alumnus or alumna who has introduced worldwide acclaim to UCF by means of his or her accomplishments.
A 3-time graduate of UCF, Darin Edwards ’97 ’10MS ’11PhD, is the senior director of immunology within the Infectious Illness Analysis Group at Moderna. He led the group that developed and evaluated Moderna’s vaccine for COVID-19, making a direct and constructive affect on world well being.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Highest annual award granted to a graduate of UCF.
Kenneth Dion ’91 is a 40-year veteran of the healthcare business. He’s the president for Sigma Theta Tau Worldwide, the worldwide nursing honor society. He most lately served as assistant dean for Enterprise Innovation and Strategic Relationships at Johns Hopkins College of Nursing. A member of the Dean’s Advisory Board and the Millican Society, he’s a loyal supporter of the UCF School of Nursing.
Kathryn “Kate” Kinsley ’79MS ’83PhD is a co-founder of Datawise Inc., a pc consulting firm established in 1981 to specialise in microcomputers. In 1983, she grew to become the primary girl to earn a Ph.D. in laptop science from UCF. A loyal supporter of UCF and an advocate for gender equality in STEAM, she has funded over 23 scholarships for deserving UCF college students together with her husband Joe.
Tom ’88 and Stacey ’90 McNamara met at a UCF soccer sport and have philanthropically supported UCF for over 20 years. Collectively, they’ve constructed a number of companies, raised three daughters — one a UCF scholar — and performed an integral position in UCF’s development.
John C. and Martha Hitt Honorary Alumni Award
Highest annual award granted to a buddy of UCF.
Brian Butler is the president and CEO of JCB Building Inc., a 35-year family-owned firm that has been concerned in quite a few notable tasks in Central Florida. He serves on the School of Group Innovation and Schooling’s Dean’s Advisory Board and is the vice chair of the UCF Basis Board of Administrators. Along with his assist of UCF, Butler is an energetic contributor to the Central Florida group.
Richard Lapchick is an endowed chair of the nationally acknowledged DeVos Sports activities Enterprise Administration program at UCF. He’s a human rights activist, pioneer for racial equality, scholar, writer, public speaker and internationally acknowledged skilled on sports activities points.
Roseann White was a founding member of the college and its medical faculty. She arrived on the campus of UCF — then referred to as Florida Technological College — on the second day the college provided lessons and went on to play a key position in growing the curriculum for UCF’s medical faculty. A beloved trainer, mentor, spouse and mom, White handed away on Jan. 6, 2021. Her legacy endures by means of the Dr. Roseann White Memorial Endowed Scholarship, established by her household in her reminiscence.
Younger Alumni Award
Highest annual award granted to a graduate from the newest class of 30 Underneath 30 Alumni Awards recipients.
Xavier Henderson ’17 ’21MS is a senior techniques engineer at Lockheed Martin and the co-founder and chief technical officer of Hydronomy Inc., an Orlando-based water sustainability firm that goals to deal with the worldwide water disaster. He mentors UCF college students and younger alumni and has organized annual scholarship awards for highschool seniors.
Distinguished Pupil Award
Highest annual award granted to an enrolled Knight who is devoted to sustaining a lifelong relationship with UCF, demonstrates excellent tutorial achievement, evokes management inside their co-curricular actions and positively impacts the UCF group.
Jaden LeGate is a pre-clinical well being sciences scholar and the vp of the 4EVER Knights recruiting committee. He’s a member of the Tau Sigma Nationwide Honor Society and the Nationwide Society of Management and Success, has 100 undergraduate analysis hours, and maintains a 3.944 GPA. LeGate additionally works within the Well being First hospital system’s emergency division as a medical scribe and volunteers with the Coalition for the Homeless.
Champion’s Award
Granted to a company that’s taking part in an integral position in supporting the college’s development and transformation and has persistently advocated and championed the reason for UCF and UCF Alumni.
Curley & Pynn — The Strategic Agency is an award-winning public relations and advertising agency targeted on the industries driving Florida’s financial development. Co-founded by Roger Pynn ’73 and led by President Dan Ward ’92, Curley & Pynn acknowledges the significance of alumni engagement, institutional development, philanthropy, analysis and innovation, and group and financial affect and encourages its employees to grow to be concerned. Eight of the agency’s ten workers are UCF graduates and have offered years of devoted service to the college.
