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ASU Alumni Association to Honor 8 at Awards Dinner

September 22, 2011

The Angelo State University Alumni Association will recognize eight distinguished alumni, honorary alumni and outstanding faculty and staff during its revamped annual Homecoming Dinner on Friday, Oct. 14, in the LeGrand Alumni and Visitors Center, 1620 University Ave.

The event has been renamed the ASU Homecoming Alumni Dinner Bonfire Ball and Bash, and is open to the public. Activities will begin with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. in the LeGrand Center’s Norris Ballroom, followed by the Bonfire Ball dinner and auction at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary valet parking and a cash bar will be provided. The Bonfire Bash will start at 8 p.m. in the LeGrand Center’s Dale and Joy Chase Courtyard, featuring live music, complimentary beverages and children’s activities.

Tickets are available from the Alumni Association for $60 each, and include admission to the dinner and the bash. Separate tickets for the Bonfire Bash only are $20 for adults and $5 for ASU students.

Henry Jackson, Class of 1994 and the senior director for international operations for Buckner Children and Family Services Inc., will be honored as the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus. Michael Martin, ASU’s director of graphics for over 30 years, will be named an Honorary Alumnus. Dr. Amanda Marshall, Class of 1994, and Col. James Ross, Class of 1988, will be recognized as the Distinguished Carr Alumna and Distinguished ROTC Alumnus, respectively. Nita Allen Archer, who graduated from San Angelo Junior College in 1945, will be honored as the Golden Ex of the Year.

Also recognized will be Dr. Peggy Skaggs as Outstanding Retired Faculty, Pam Darby for Distinguished Faculty Achievement and Adelina “Lina” Morales for Distinguished Staff Achievement.

For more information and/or tickets to the dinner, call 325-942-2122.

Henry Jackson – Distinguished Alumnus

Henry Jackson was an All-American linebacker on the ASU Rams football team in the early 1990s, and later played professionally in the Canadian Football League. He has been with Buckner Children and Family Services for 21 years, working his way up from childcare provider to senior director of international operations. He now supervises Buckner’s missions in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, Peru and Russia. In addition to his Buckner duties, Jackson is also an ordained minister at the Emmanuel Newlife Fellowship in Dallas.

Michael Martin – Honorary Alumnus

Michael Martin joined the ASU staff in 1977, and has since been the architect of the university’s graphic identity. Since 2000, he has won more than 60 local, regional and national awards for his artistic creations that include the current ASU logo, the hardwood court in the Stephens Arena, the ASU Magazine, the wrap that adorns ASU police cars and thousands of ASU publications, posters, stationary, websites and other materials. He has also won two ASU Staff Excellence Awards in 1998 and 2006.

Distinguished Carr Alumna – Dr. Amanda Marshall

Dr. Amanda Marshall is an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedic medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Utilizing a Carr Academic Scholarship, she earned her 1994 ASU bachelor’s degree in physics, winning the Presidential Award as the top graduate in her class and GTE Academic All-America honors for the Rambelles track team. She then got her medical degree at UTHSC-San Antonio. A specialist in knee and hip replacement surgery, she also conducts award-winning orthopedic research and has been published in several noted medical journals.

Distinguished ROTC Alumnus – Col. James Ross

A 1988 ASU graduate, Col. James Ross is commander of the 50th Space Wing at Schreiver Air Force Base near Colorado Springs, Colo., responsible for more than 5,300 personnel in support of more than 170 communications, navigation and surveillance satellites. He previously served as commander of the 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB in Florida. In addition to his ASU degree, he holds a master’s degree in aerospace sciences from the University of Colorado, and has graduated from Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, National War College and French Test Pilot School.

Golden Ex of the Year – Nita Allen Archer

The valedictorian of her 1945 graduating class at San Angelo Junior College, now ASU, Nita Allen Archer remains a staunch supporter of ASU and its Alumni Association. Twice she has returned to ASU for classes to enhance her accounting and business skills that she still uses at Archer Floor Covering, the San Angelo business started by her husband, Bill. She has also volunteered on campus, and was instrumental in securing financial support for construction of the LeGrand Alumni and Visitors Center.

Outstanding Retired Faculty – Dr. Peggy Skaggs

Dr. Peggy Skaggs spent 31 years as an ASU faculty member, first in the English Department and then as dean of graduate studies. In the English Department, she taught composition, American and other literature, and American folklore. She also served on the Tenure Committee, Teacher Education Council and Publication Committee before taking the dean’s position. Her ongoing connection to ASU includes volunteer work in the LeGrand Alumni and Visitors Center and the campus bookstore. She has also volunteered with a pregnancy health center, Meals for the Elderly and community Bible study.

Distinguished Faculty Achievement – Pam Darby

An assistant clinical professor in the ASU Department of Nursing and Rehabilitation Sciences, Darby also spent the last seven years as the primary caregiver for her husband, Pres, who suffered from ALS. Rather than reduce her ASU teaching duties, she continued to teach nursing classes online and started her own business organizing nursing symposiums to benefit both ASU student nurses and regional professional nurses. She earned her associate and master’s degrees in nursing from ASU and is a member of the inaugural class in ASU’s new family nurse practitioner program.

Distinguished Staff Achievement – Adelina “Lina” Morales

A staff member in the ASU President’s Office since shortly after she graduated from ASU in 1981, Adelina “Lina” Morales currently serves as executive assistant to the president. In the 30 years since she was hired, she has served three presidents and one interim president, working effectively under their varied management styles and efficiently handling the many tasks and functions necessary to keep the office operating smoothly. Her daily interactions range from students, faculty and staff to parents, educational leaders and all levels of government officials.