Jill Smith
Staff Writer
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The Office of Alumni Relations hosted the Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner on Friday, April 22, to honor alumni who have made an impact since graduating from Murray State. 

Nancy Gibbs Becker (‘63), Harold G. Doran Jr. (‘75), Robert Foster (‘83), Steven Rudy (‘00) and Alissa Young (‘89 and ‘93) were named the 2022 Distinguished Alumni recipients. Marla Moore (‘11) was named the 2022 Young Alumna recipient.

More recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award were named in honor of Murray State’s Centennial year. 

The Young Alumni or Alumna award title varies each year depending on the recipient.

Director of Alumni Relations Carrie McGinnis said this event recognizes alumni who have made an impact at the local, state and national level.

“It’s the highest honor that we bring to Murray State alumni on behalf of the Alumni Association each year,” McGinnis said.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards Committee follows a specific rubric to determine the best candidates for this prestigious honor. 

The committee looks at innovative contributions made in their professions, a record of leadership or mentorships, contributions to their community and active engagement with the Murray State community. 

Though engagement with the University after graduating is taken into account, it is only a small portion of the criteria that the committee judges. 

While Distinguished Alumni and the Distinguished Young Alumna follow the same rubric, the Distinguished Young Alumni or Alumna is selected from the Annual 22-Under-40 recipients. 

The event has three portions: a cocktail hour, a dinner and a presentation introducing the recipients, which gives them an opportunity to talk about their time at the University and their career. 

Alissa Young is the current president of Hopkinsville Community College. She began her career as a communications professor at the college before working her way up to academic chair, associate dean, chief academic affairs officer and the dean of academic affairs. 

Young said she was not expecting this honor and was surprised to find out her name had been submitted for consideration. 

“It truly is an honor to be recognized for my work and service,” Young said. “I am grateful for the recognition, but I would like to add that I am also grateful for the talented and caring people at Hopkinsville Community College that I get to work with and serve beside.” 

Young said she is grateful for the connections she has made at the University and the help they provided her in achieving her educational goals.

“My experiences at Murray State inspire me to provide those same opportunities for students at Hopkinsville Community College,” Young said. 

Other recipients of this award went on to have careers in different fields after graduating from Murray State, according to the Murray State Alumni website.  

Robert Foster is a retired football coach who was previously at Virginia Tech University. Foster was a football player at Murray State for four years and began his career with his football coach, Hall of Fame Racer Football, Coach Frank Beamer as a member of his coaching staff. 

Steven Rudy is the current House Majority Leader in the state of Kentucky, serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2004. 

Nancy Gibbs Becker is a national philanthropist in humanities and fine arts. Becker has established a number of cultural and educational organizations including: The Beethoven Society, The Shakespeare Society, an annual spring fundraising event in support of the company Link Up, a children’s music program at Carnegie Hall and a nonprofit continuing-education organization for adults on the Upper Eastside of New York City called RoundTable Cultural Seminars. 

Harold Doran is the former president of the People’s Bank of Murray, chairman emeritus for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation and the former president of the Alumni Association. He currently serves as the vice chairman of the Foundation Board and chair of the Board’s Joint Investment Committee.

Marla Moore is currently the strategic director and head of strategy at BUCK, a company that “brings brands, stories and experiences to life through art, design and technology,” according to BUCK’s website.  

“I was stunned, to be frank,” Moore said. “It was truly humbling, especially knowing the caliber of graduates that MSU has. I’m deeply appreciative and was grateful for the opportunity to visit my college home once more.”

Moore said her time at Murray State prepared her for the many roles she has in her current position. 

“Juggling both the demands of my BFA and the extra course load for the Honor Program taught me to budget my time and ruthlessly prioritize so that all the demands of my studies and extracurriculars were met,” Moore said. “At BUCK, there are always more items on my to-do list than can be done in any given day—so I look for the most pressing need, and go from there.”

McGinnis said it is important for alumni to not only make significant impacts in their career, but also to be an example for others.   

To find out more information about the Alumni Association and the Distinguished Alumni Awards, visit www.murraystate.edu/alumni.