Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni
Distinguished Alumni Award
More than 200 alumni have received this award
The Emporia State University Distinguished Alumni award is the highest honor that can be granted to an alumnus of Emporia State University by ESU Alumni Association. Awarded each fall during Homecoming, it recognizes the outstanding professional accomplishments of ESU's finest graduates. Since the inception of the award program in 1960, more than 200 alumni have received the award.
Candidates are nominated for the Distinguished Alumni award by alumni and ESU faculty. As much information as possible is gathered on each candidate. The information is evaluated and an initial selection is made by a committee representing alumni and faculty. The Alumni Association Board of Directors approves or makes final selection of those who will receive the award. A maximum of five alumni can receive the award in a given year.
Past Distinguished Alumni have included teachers, research scholars, humanitarians, administrators, public servants, doctors, lawyers, and leaders in business, industry, and the military. All are respected in their professions and community. Most important, they are Emporia State University graduates who have given ESU a rich heritage.
Nomination Form
To submit a nomination, please fill out the nomination form. Please note: for consideration during the upcoming calendar year, nominations are due by October 31. Nominations received after this date will be considered for the following year.
Current Recipients
Natasha Oakes
Natasha Oakes (BSB ’04, Business Administration), deputy athletics director, chief administrative officer and senior woman administrator at West Virginia University, went from athlete to athletics leader. Throughout her career, she has helped young women see opportunities for themselves beyond competition. Through leadership roles at Missouri WEstern, University of North Texas and both the MIAA and NCAA, Oakes has become a support system for student-athletes across the nation.
Tony Schountz
Dr. Tony Scountz (MS '91, Biology) is a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology at Colorado State University. His work seeks to discover insights into emerging infectious diseases in order to help researchers and pharmaceutical companies develop better and more effective treatments.
Martin Mack Teasley
Martin Mack Teasley (MLS '72, Library Science) began his career at Emporia State University with a letter while serving in South Vietnam as an Air Force Reserve colonel. A trip to the Eisenhower Presidential Library introduced him to archival work, and the rest is history.
Last Year's Recipients
Shirley Antes
Shirley Antes (BS 69, Speech and Theatre; MS 74, Speech and Theatre; BSE 81, Business Education; MS 88, Business Education; MS 00, Educational Administration) spent her career (and beyond!) in service of others. From her beginnings in the classroom to the top governing body for Kansas education systems to directing one fo the region's most respected charitable institutions, Antes has been a champion for education and a sterling example of a lifelong learner.
Sean Bird
Sean Bird (MLS 08, Library Science) is senior associate dean at Washburn University, where he has championed access and student success. Among his many successes focused on supporting students are the launch of the Ichabod Success Institute, a bridge program for first-generation students, and a technology lending program providing laptops to students in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. A legacy at ESU, Bird continues to support the SLIM program.
Steve Harmon
Command Sgt. Maj. Steve Harmon (BA 93-Political Science; MS 96-College Student Personnel and Administration; BS 08-Instructional Design Technology) has spent nearly four decades living a life grounded in service, leadership and education. In addition to a 38-year military career, Harmon has dedicated years to advancing education and community life in Kansas, serving in key leadership roles at Emporia State University, Flint Hills Technical College and Butler Community College.
Marilee McBoyle-Wiesner
Dr. Marilee McBoyle-Wiesner (BA 74-Chemistry) didn't just break barriers — she laid the foundation for future generations of women in medicine. As the first female board-certified general surgeon in Kansas, Dr. McBoyle-Wisner shaped the future of surgical education and left a lasting legacy for women to come, with a successful career as a medical director, clinical professor, breast care specialist, wound care searcher and surgical educator.
Joretta Duncan
For more than 60 years, Joretta Duncan (BSE 60 - Elementary Education) inspired students across Kansas and Oklahoma. She began teaching in a two-room schoolhouse in Gordon, Kansas, and completed her bachelor’s degree at Emporia in 1960. Later in life, she taught adult learners, including incarcerated individuals earning their GEDs, and continued doing so until retiring at age 88.