Alumni Awards 2020

Justice James W. Hardesty ’70

This year’s Nevada Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year, Justice James W. Hardesty ’70 (accounting), practiced law in Reno from 1975-98 before being elected judge for the Second Judicial District of Washoe County and was selected by fellow judges to serve as chief judge of the same court in 2001 and 2003. Hardesty continued to serve the Silver State, sitting on the Supreme Court of Nevada in 2004, 2010 and 2016. Additionally, he acted as chief justice in 2009, 2015 and will supervise the state’s judicial system again in 2021. Hardesty acted as ASUN student body president in 1970, Nevada Alumni Council president in 1981 and was honored with the Alumni Association Service Award in 1985. Hardesty is a National Judicial College faculty member and has guest lectured for the Media Law course in the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism for more than 30 years.

Brenda Boone ’07 M.Ed.

Inspired by her husband, Brenda completed her Master of Education at Nevada. She has been an educator in Churchill County for 23 years and currently serves as inclusive services coordinator for the school district. Brenda has been a leading member of the Fallon Alumni Chapter for many years, helping organize their FUNdraising events and ensuring the chapter awards yearly scholarships to deserving students. Brenda and her husband love to golf, visit family in Montana and attend Wolf Pack sporting events.

Elizabeth “Libby” Krayk ’07 (nursing), ’17 MSN

Libby’s loving upbringing inspired her to pursue both degrees in nursing. Libby has been a nurse for 12 years working in cancer and palliative care, and she is currently a nurse practitioner at Renown Health. She is privileged to witness the beauty of humanity and appreciates the opportunity to heal people every day. Libby has been a long-standing member of the steering committee for the Orvis School of Nursing Alumni Association and has helped organize year-round events to keep alumni actively engaged.

Curtis Worrall ’98 (management)

In 1998 after graduating with his bachelor’s degree from Nevada, Curtis opened the first Whispering Vine Wine Co. store on Mayberry Drive. He opened three more stores in 2010, 2015 and 2018. Over the years, Curtis has supported the Alumni Association by donating wine to many events, including the annual Homecoming Gala, and giving to student scholarships. Whispering Vine also serves as the backdrop for many Women of Silver & Blue events.

Nevada Young Alumni Chapter

The Nevada Young Alumni Chapter is for alumni who have graduated within the last 10 years. Members connect and network through social and community service events. The board collaborates to host monthly social events for young alumni as well as their annual fundraising event, Beer Fest. The chapter strives to distribute at least $7,500 in scholarship funds each year to deserving Nevada students, and is proud to have awarded $15,000 for the last three years — and plans to again in 2021.

Katie Coleman ’04 (journalism),
’06 M.A.

Katie is a fourth-generation Nevadan and was part of the first Nevada freshmen class to receive the Millennium Scholarship. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and pursued a career in agency and in-house marketing. Today, Katie is the communications director for the Nevada Rural Housing Authority. When she’s not busy promoting affordable housing opportunities on behalf of NRHA, you can catch her being a true Disney dork in her multigenerational household with her husband, son and father.

Hunter Frey ’11 (English)

Hunter fell in love with Reno and decided to attend Nevada for his undergraduate degree. After graduation, he enlisted in the Navy. When Hunter’s term of service is complete, he plans on returning to teach college-level English. When he’s not working, Hunter enjoys spending time with his wife, Courtney, and their daughter, Trygge. They like to read books, watch movies, cook food, play with their dog, dance, and make videos, music and art.

Erica Tabano ’10 (marketing)

Erica is a native Nevadan who was proud to pursue her degree at Nevada. As a highly involved student, she served in ASUN and her sorority, Sigma Kappa. After graduation, she began working at Custom Ink and has been with the company for more than eight years. Erica continues to be involved with University events and extracurriculars. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, skiing at Mt. Rose, running the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey and cheering on the Pack! You will never find her wearing red.

Richard Clark ’02 (history),
’09 M.A. (teaching of history)

Richard earned his bachelor’s degree with a desire to become an educator. He later pursued his master’s degree and earned his National Board Certification for teaching in 2011. Since he first established his "We the People" civic education class in 2007, Richard’s students have competed in various state and national competitions, earning four District Championships, five State Championships and they have competed in the National Finals seven times. Richard enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and enjoying the outdoors while running, camping, biking and hiking.

Glen Krutz ’90
(political science), ’93 MPA

Glen serves as dean of the Oklahoma State University College of Arts and Sciences. He previously worked as a legislative staffer for U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan and as an analyst and special assistant to the chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. He earned both his degrees at Nevada, where he was an active student, serving as ASUN president and in the Student Orientation Staff. He enjoys spending time and traveling with his family, playing golf or taking in live theater and music.

Teela McCullar ’04
(accounting), ’06 M.Acc.

The Millennium Scholarship is what drew Teela from Las Vegas to explore Reno and attend the University to pursue her education. She joined Barnard Vogler & Co. in 2005. In 2016, she became the youngest shareholder in the firm’s history. Teela has served on the Nevada Society of Certified Public Accountants board since 2012 and was elected board chair in 2017. She believes the best part of being a CPA is the relationships she has built with her clients and co-workers.

Naida Parson ’89 Ph.D. (psychology)

Naida is a native of Las Vegas and completed her doctorate degree at Nevada. She is the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology at the University and the first African-American to be licensed in Nevada as a clinical psychologist. Naida is currently the senior pastor of New Antioch Christian Fellowship in Las Vegas. She is active in her community as a motivational speaker, author, seminar instructor and mentor.

Angie Taylor ’85 (marketing),
’91 MPA, ’04 Ph.D. (educational
leadership)

Angie serves as president and CEO for Guardian Quest, Inc. She has a background in higher education and earned all three of her degrees at Nevada. Education, diversity and inclusion, and leadership and faith are extremely important to her and have contributed toward her success. Angie has served on numerous committees, task forces and boards for the University, the local community and nationally. She recently penned her first book and is also an ordained minister.

Estelle J. Kelsey Foundation

The Estelle J. Kelsey Foundation was created to help those in need of a better life. Estelle had a special place in her heart for children in need. Her hope was to help them grow, learn and pursue their aspirations. The Estelle J. Kelsey Foundation was established in 2014 to exclusively support educational, religious and charitable purposes. The foundation provides grants that primarily strengthen existing civic and cultural programs, social services, medicine and science,
as well as religious facilities and programs.

Northern Nevada HOPES

Northern Nevada HOPES is a nonprofit
community health center located in Reno. Its mission is to provide affordable, high-quality medical, behavioral health and support services
for all. Expert care teams provide integrated
medical and wellness services to individuals and families in our community. Northern Nevada HOPES works to reduce barriers to care for underserved communities, and its welcoming and innovative one-stop-shop health care model improves access to care for more than 12,000 individuals and families in northern Nevada.

Dennis Green ’17 (criminal justice)

Dennis graduated from Nevada with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in sociology. He currently is the office coordinator at Figure Technologies and an assistant cheer coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack Spirit Program. Dennis serves as community outreach chair for the Nevada Young Alumni Chapter and presides over the scholarship committee. He regularly volunteers for campus events such as First in the Pack Career Development day and Perform with the Pack. He also plans Wolf Pack Reading Week.

Rev. Jackie Leonard ’71
(speech & theatre)

Rev. Jackie Leonard’s life and career reflect deep commitment to her ministry, community and University. The Leonard family has a long-standing connection to the University, with Jackie’s parents and brother joining her as alumni. She has a distinguished ministry career and has served on the pastoral staff of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Reno since 1995. Jackie and her parents have supported numerous colleges and programs on campus through an endowed chair in journalism as well as scholarships in journalism, English, history, philosophy, physics, music and theatre. She is recognized as a Silver Benefactor in the University’s Honor Court.

Dr. David White ’99 (biology)

As a proud native Nevadan, Dr. David White pursued his bachelor’s degree at the University and now owns his own dental practice in both Reno and Elko. David has been the advisor for the Nevada Pre-Dental Society at Nevada since 2004. With his help, the University has had more than 700 students accepted into dental school. Outside of work, David enjoys spending quality time with his two children and visiting the mountains to ski, snowboard, dirt bike and mountain bike.

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE,
BIOTECHNOLOGY &
NATURAL RESOURCES

Catherine Clark ’96 M.S.
(resource management)

Catherine received her bachelor’s degree in geography from California State University, Northridge and completed her master’s degree in resource management at Nevada. Catherine’s career in the environmental field includes working for various government agencies, environmental consulting and for a mining and mineral processing development company, Lithium Nevada. Catherine has been with Lithium Nevada for more than nine years and serves as environmental director. She enjoys boating at Lake Tahoe and hiking throughout the Sierra. She has been married to her husband, Brian, for 32 years.

THE COLLEGE
OF BUSINESS

Tom Burns ’85 (accounting)

Tom completed his bachelor’s degree at Nevada, and following graduation, he served as president of the Nevada Alumni Council and the Las Vegas Alumni Chapter. He began working at Cragin & Pike, Inc., Nevada’s oldest independent insurance agency, in 1991 and has been president since 2010. Tom has served on numerous advisory committees and nonprofit boards. He enjoys golfing, fishing and spending time at his home in Incline Village. He has been married to his wife, Shelly, for 34 years and they have two children, JT and Megan.

COLLEGE OF
EDUCATION

Suzette Champagne ’99 M.Ed.

Suzette earned her bachelor’s  in sociology from Willamette University and a Master of Education from Nevada. She has been nationally board certified since 2009 and is in her 26th year of teaching elementary school. Suzette is passionate about great science education and was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in fall 2019. When she’s not teaching, she can be found scuba diving, traveling, cooking, hiking with her husband or spending time with her children. 

MACKAY SCHOOL OF
EARTH SCIENCES
AND ENGINEERING

Melissa Harmon ’00
(mining engineering)

Melissa graduated from Nevada with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering and completed her Master of Business Administration at Auburn University. She has worked for Newmont Mining Company for 20 years and currently serves as general manager of Newmont’s Cripple Creek and Victor Mine in Colorado. Melissa is an active member of the Mackay Executive Advisory Board and the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering’s Professional Advisory Board. She met her husband, Andy, while at Nevada and they have two children, Drew and Anna.

DONALD W. REYNOLDS
SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM

Kristen Go ’98 (journalism)

Melissa graduated from Nevada with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering and completed her Master of Business Administration at Auburn University. She has worked for Newmont Mining Company for 20 years and currently serves as general manager of Newmont’s Cripple Creek and Victor Mine in Colorado. Melissa is an active member of the Mackay Executive Advisory Board and the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering’s Professional Advisory Board. She met her husband, Andy, while at Nevada and they have two children, Drew and Anna.

COLLEGE OF
LIBERAL ARTS

Capt. Kenneth Collins ’89
(music education)

Reno local Capt. Ken Collins proudly completed his bachelor’s degree at Nevada. Following graduation, he joined the Navy as a musician and served as a percussionist in fleet bands. He received a commission as a bandmaster/conductor in November 1998 and has been fortunate to lead Navy bands around the globe. Ken was selected as the 14^th leader of the U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C. in October 2015. He met his wife, Amy, while attending Nevada and they have two children, KC and Stephanie.

ORVIS SCHOOL
OF NURSING

Derek Drake ’09 (nursing),
’14 MSN, ’16 DNP

After earning his three nursing degrees at Nevada, Derek is now pursuing his Master of Business Administration at Western Governors University. His nearly 15-year career in health care has been devoted to leadership in critical care, emergency and trauma nursing. He currently serves as vice president and chief operating officer at Orange County Global Medical Center. Derek participates in numerous leadership and community organizations and has won multiple awards for his achievements. He enjoys spectating auto racing events, attending Los Angeles Dodgers games and visiting Disneyland.

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Dr. Joseph Hollen ’74
(premedical), ’76 AAMD

Joseph received his bachelor’s and medical degrees at Nevada. He began his medical career as an emergency room physician with an interest in the financial side of medicine. He is now a certified financial planner and investment advisor at Open Window Financial Solutions, Ltd., a full-service financial planning firm he founded in 2004. Joseph serves as investment advisor for the Washoe County Medical Society and the Nevada State Medical Association. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family, reading and learning.

SCHOOL OF
SOCIAL WORK

Frank Cervantes ’94
(social work)

As a fourth-generation Nevadan, Frank was proud to earn his bachelor’s degree at Nevada. He began his 26-year career at the Washoe County Department of Juvenile Services as a probation officer and now serves as director of the department. He participates on numerous task forces and has served on various advisory boards committed to advancing the well-being of at-risk youth. Frank enjoys attending music and sporting events, playing golf and guitar. He is a dedicated father and husband.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING’S
JAMES G. SCRUGHAM
MEDAL RECIPIENT

Joel Madison ’86
(mechanical engineering)

Joel completed his bachelor’s degree at Nevada and his master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Pennsylvania State University. After spending some time working in the oil and gas industry, Joel accepted a position at Sierra Nevada Corporation in 2014 as corporate vice president and now serves as chief operating officer. One of his major responsibilities is overseeing the development of SNC’s Dream Chaser® spacecraft. Joel also participates on the Industry Advisory Board for the College of Engineering. He resides in Reno with his wife, Kim.

UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES

Joseph Guild ’69 (history)

Joel completed his bachelor’s degree at Nevada and his master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Pennsylvania State University. After spending some time working in the oil and gas industry, Joel accepted a position at Sierra Nevada Corporation in 2014 as corporate vice president and now serves as chief operating officer. One of his major responsibilities is overseeing the development of SNC’s Dream Chaser® spacecraft. Joel also participates on the Industry Advisory Board for the College of Engineering. He resides in Reno with his wife, Kim.

SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY
HEALTH SCIENCES

Julia Peek ’04 (health ecology)

Julia earned her bachelor’s degree from Nevada, her master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Washington, and graduated from the state of Nevada's Certified Public Manager program. Julia began her career in the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services in 2006 and now serves as deputy administrator of Community Health Services. She has received several awards for her work, including the Dr. John E. Worden Award for excellence in public health. She lives with her husband and three kids in Reno.

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

Julie Robinson ’96 Ph.D.
(ecology, evolution and conservation biology)

Julie earned a dual bachelor's in chemistry and biology from Utah State University and completed her Ph.D. at Nevada. She has worked for NASA since 2004 and has served as chief scientist of the International Space Station Program and associate director of NASA’s Human Research Program. Julie currently leads Science and Utilization Strategy for Human Exploration and Operations. She serves on the board of several nonprofit organizations, helps mentor girls in math and science and enjoys singing jazz and classical music.