Alumni Achievement Awards

Four glass vases engraved with the award recipients' names sit on a TWU-branded tablecloth surrounded by florals.

More than 115,000 Texas Woman's University alumni continue making their mark on the world through groundbreaking achievements and dedicated service. The annual Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony recognizes extraordinary alumni who exemplify our university's legacy of leadership and excellence across Texas, the nation and beyond. The remarkable accomplishments of this year's distinguished awardees were celebrated during Homecoming weekend April 24-26, 2025.

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni who have attained prominence in their professions or through their accomplishments within their industries, communities or through public service.

The Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award recognizes the exceptional careers of TWU alumni.

The Maroon and White Award recognizes alumni and friends of the university who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in their personal or professional endeavors and have provided exceptional service to the university.

The Young Alumni Award recognizes alumni under the age of 40 who have outstanding records of achievement in their professions, communities or through public service.

2025 Honorees

Distinguished Alumni Award

Lily Cabatu Weiss ’75, ’80

Lily Cabatu Weiss has served as Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District since 2016, where she has expanded community engagement through initiatives like the Signature Block Party Series, which draws over 50,000 visitors annually. Under her leadership, the district was named No. 1 in USA TODAY’s 2024 and 2025 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Arts District. A TWU dance graduate, Weiss was the second Artistic Director of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts, succeeding its founder, Paul Baker. Her leadership helped the school earn the Texas Medal of Arts. Weiss serves on several boards, including TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND and Downtown Dallas, Inc., and collaborates with the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Global Cultural Districts Network. Her leadership has been recognized with the Women Who STEAM Award, the Obelisk Award for Visionary Nonprofit Arts Leader, and inclusion in D Magazine’s Dallas 500 for three consecutive years.

Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award

Susan Ruppert, Ph.D. ’92

Susan D. Ruppert, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, ANP-BC, FCCM, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, is the PARTNERS Endowed Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. She is a fellow of multiple prestigious organizations, including the American Academy of Nursing. Named a Minnie Stevens Piper Professor in 2021, she also serves as an editorial board member for major nursing journals and is a contributing editor and textbook author. Dr. Ruppert is internationally recognized for her expertise in nursing education and advanced practice, having consulted for academic institutions across the U.S., Oman, and Hong Kong. Her leadership includes serving as chair of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Board of Commissioners and chair of the Executive Committee of the AANP Fellows. She earned her BSN from Northern Illinois University, MSN from UTHealth San Antonio, PhD from Texas Woman’s Institute of Health Sciences – Houston Center, and completed post-graduate family nurse practitioner training at UT Medical Branch at Galveston.

Maroon and White Award

Beverly Gor, Ed.D. ’78

A proud Texan and native Houstonian of Chinese American heritage, Beverly "Jeanie" Quan Gor, EdD, earned her bachelor’s degree in dietetics and food service management from the University of Houston, her master’s in nutrition and food science from Texas Woman’s Institute of Health Sciences – Houston Center, and a doctoral degree in allied health education from UH and Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Gor’s most impactful work took place at the Center for Research on Minority Health at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where she focused on reducing health disparities in underserved communities. Through the Asian American Health Coalition, she helped establish the HOPE Clinic — now a federally qualified health center with five Houston locations. In retirement, Dr. Gor serves on the Executive Council of Texas AARP and continues to advocate for underserved populations. She and her husband, Edmond, have been married nearly 50 years and have a daughter, Rachel, son-in-law Ben, and three grandchildren: Haley, Austin, and Abigail.

Young Alumni Award

Jennifer Longoria, Ph.D. ’17

Jennifer Longoria, PhD, ABPP-CN, is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and 2017 graduate of TWU’s School Psychology program. She completed her internship at Fort Worth Independent School District and a two-year fellowship at Henry Ford Health System before joining St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 2019. At St. Jude, she provides neurocognitive evaluations for hematology-oncology patients and leads a comprehensive program offering longitudinal cognitive surveillance for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Her research explores how factors such as perinatal risks, disease markers, curative therapies, and environmental vulnerabilities influence cognitive outcomes in individuals with SCD. Dedicated to mentoring future pediatric neuropsychologists, Dr. Longoria serves as a committee member and dissertation award chair for the APA Division 40 Educational Advisory Committee.

Past Recipients

2025 Lily Cabatu Weiss ’75, ’80

2024 Nancy P. Paup ’73, ’76

2023 Dianne Randolph ‘69, ‘71

2022 Lisa Fusillo, PhD, ’78, ’82
2022 Beverly Walker-Griffea, PhD, ’04

2021 Geraldine Haggard, EdD, ’49 ’52
2021 Carolyn M. Oddo ’81, ’88
2021 Maria Alicia Rodriguez Travelle, PhD, ’55, ’71, ’76

2019 Anne Alexandrov, PhD, ’02
2019 Yvonne Randall ’87

2018 Deborah Ann Brown ’79, ’86
2018 Vicki Tigert Davis, PhD, ’73

2017 Helen Benjamin, PhD, ’89, ’77
2017 Donna Alexander Israel, PhD ’82

2016 Therese Bartholomew Bevers, MD, ’81

2015 Lillie Mae Dukes Biggins ’81
2015 Linda C. Hilgenbrinck, PhD, ’01

2014 Betty Bohon Alford, PhD, ’54, ’56, ’65

2013 Carolyn “CAD” Dennehy, PhD, ’82, ’89

2012 Anne Gudmundsen, PhD, ’62
2012 Johnnie Roebuck, EdD, ’64
2012 Lillie Tucker-Akin ’58

2011 Billie J. Askew, PhD, ’82
2011 Gayle Ziaks Halperin ’87
2011 Bettye Myers, PhD, ’46, ’47

2010 Virginia Chandler Dykes ’53
2010 Karen P. DePauw, PhD, ’80
2010 Rosemary Luquire, PhD, ’97
2010 Claudine Sherrill, EdD, ’55

2009 Lola Chriss ’88
2009 Dana L. Gibson, PhD, ’81, ’84
2009 Elma Gonzalez, PhD, ’65

2008 Anita Cowan, PhD, ’62
2008 Darlene Kluka, PhD, ’85
2008 Sally Roden, EdD, ’60

2007 Carolyn Gunning, PhD, ’65
2007 Colleen Smith, PhD, ’97
2007 Norma Silva-Quinn ’74

2006 Barbara D. Nunneley ’75
2006 Dianne Baker ’75
2006 Elizabeth Ray Hall Burns, PhD, ’78
2006 Marie Chapman Martch ’65

2005 Margaret Beard, PhD, ’79
2005 Betty Ferrell, PhD, ’84
2005 Connie Sitterly, EdD, ’75, ’78

2004 Margaret Lowe Bogle, PhD, ’89
2004 Janie M. Hott Humphries, EdD, ’64
2004 Virginia “Ginger” Purdy ’48
2004 Glenda Brock Simmons, PhD, ’60

2003 Corina Gardea, PhD, ’75
2003 Cecilia May Moreno, EdD, ’68
2003 James H. Rimmer, PhD, ’82
2003 Mary Beth Foshee Scull ’47

2002 M. Diane Dwight ’76
2002 Alice Ludeman Spencer ’29
2002 Kaye Stripling, EdD, ’62
2002 Kathryn Yandell ’60

2001 Margaret Varner Bloss ’50
2001 Greta Joy Dicus ’61
2001 Elizabeth Ann Nalley, PhD, ’75
2001 Emily-Mae Stafford ’56

2000 Cornelia Marie Beck, PhD, ’78
2000 Gloria Vasquez Brown ’67
2000 Patricia E. Horridge, PhD, ’69
2000 Rosie M. Collins Sorrells, EdD, ’87

1999 Cheryl Blalock Aspy, PhD, ’71
1999 Rosanne Casey Keller ’59
1999 Beverly A. Mitchell-Brooks, PhD, ’70
1999 Anne Durrum Robinson ’36

1998 Laura V. Estrada ’74
1998 Major General Mary L. Saunders ’70
1998 Mary Ann “Windy” Windham Sitton ’71
1998 Charlotte “Toby” Anne Tate, PhD, ’69

1997 Geraldine “Polly” Parrott Bednash, PhD, ’65
1997 Ignatius Morgen Chiminya Chombo ’87
1997 Carol “Maggie” Snyder ’76
1997 Kathy Williams ’81

1996 Sandra Lynn Allmon Anderson ’70
1996 Janice Franklin, PhD, ’88
1996 Katherine “Kitty” Winter Magee ’34
1996 Marsha Pyle Martin ’59

1995 Rubye Jo Williams Jones, PhD, ’77
1995 Sheila Whitaker Kellagher ’81
1995 Mary Ann Odom ’59
1995 Beth C. Vaughan-Wrobel, EdD, ’65

1994 Mary Ann Baker ’80
1994 The Honorable Sylvia R. Garcia ’72
1994 Elizabeth Silverthorne ’61

1993 Carolyn Cody, PhD, ’75
1993 Kay Williams Goodman ’58
1993 Melinda Lou Kinkade McClanahan, PhD, ’71

1992 Susan A. Moucha ’85
1992 Kathryn Coffey Ragsdale ’63
1992 Veatrice A. Gipson Williams ’76

1991 Lois Jean Moore ’70
1991 Patricia Fine Swerda ’41
1991 Vi Marie Buster Taylor, PhD, ’51

1990 Dolores Gomez Barzune ’63
1990 Shirley Abbott Tomkievicz ’56
1990 Ann Ferrell Williams ’68

1989 The Honorable Maryellen Whitlock Hicks ’70
1989 Sook He Kim, PhD, ’62
1989 Louise Ritter ’82

1988 Laura Nell Gasaway ’67
1988 Barbara Luther Taylor ’52
1988 Mary Alexander Walker ’50

1987 Louise Kuehn Appleman ’62
1987 Cheryl Anne Holland Bridges ’68
1987 Lou Halsell Rodenberger, PhD, ’47

1986 Mickie Newbill Edwardson, PhD, ’50
1986 Jill Shugart, PhD ’72, ’80
1986 Beatrice “Bea” Paschall Stebbing ’38

1985 Sylvia “Sibby” Christensen ’57
1985 Lucyle Hook, PhD, ’22
1985 Millie Hughes-Fulford, PhD, ’72
1985 Mara Smith ’69

1984 Jerry A. Johnson, EdD, ’52
1984 Margaret Murrell ’47
1984 Barbara McFalane Staton ’52

1983 Ruth M. Bain, MD, ’40
1983 Dee Anne Dyke ’66
1983 Carolyn A. Williams, PhD, ’61

1982 Margarette Reeve Bolding ’45
1982 Vonette Zachary Bright ’48
1982 Jerline Kennedy ’39

1981 Johnie Christain, PhD, ’26
1981 Dymple C. Butler Cooksey, PhD, ’72
1981 Boots Cooper, MD, ’51
1981 The Honorable Anita Carraway Hill ’50
1981 Ann Badoloti Roznovsky ’58

1980 Agnes Thorton Bird, PhD, ’43
1980 Freida Loyce Carson, PhD, ’47
1980 LaVerne Collins Chatfield ’42
1980 Betty Green Heitman ’49
1980 Mary Martha Monroe Lappe ’60

1979 Constance Stanley Ashley ’66
1979 Laura Lane ’33
1979 Jo Ann Miller ’49
1979 Sue Titus Reid, PhD, ’60

1978 Gussie Nell Davis ’27
1978 Madelyn Pulver Jennings ’56
1978 Geraldine Segars Pool Marcus ’58
1978 Aline McKenzie Snyder ’28

1977 Elizabeth A. Crisp, MD, ’43
1977 Natha Howell ’29
1977 Sara Bernice Honea Moseley ’37

1976 Katherine Fewell Moore ’32
1976 Nell Morris ’27
1976 Patricia Tobin O’Connor, PhD, ’47, ’48

1975 Rae Ann Kaufman Fichtner, JD, ’50
1975 Jackie Matthews Greer ’29
1975 Mary Ellen Tisdale Hughes ’21

1974 Hazel Weber Brodersen ’43
1974 Mary Evelyn Blagg-Huey, PhD, ’42
1974 June Hyer ’42
1974 Ludie W. Clark Thompson ’10

1973 LaVerne Harrell Clark ’50
1973 Frances Matsler Gordon ’45
1973 Ola Lummus ’38

1972 Mary Alice Brown Ficklen ’43
1972 Oline E. Nicholson ’22

1971 Kate Adele Hill, PhD, ’25
1971 Lura Burton Kendrick ’31
1971 Aileene Simpson Lockhart, PhD, ’32

1970 Lottie Ray Caldwell ’36
1970 Frances Arnold Ellis ’37
1970 Mary Ellen Haggard, PhD, ’45
1970 Lucille Morgan Terry ’31
1970 Dorothy Hill Volk ’46

1969 Nelle C. Johnston ’42
1969 Lou Bullington Tower ’41
1969 Autrey Nell Wiley, PhD, ’22
1969 Opal Warren Yarborough ’24

2025 Susan Ruppert, Ph.D. ’92

2024 Kimberly J. Phillips ’85, ’92

2023 Carol Ireton-Jones, Ph.D. ‘82, ‘88

2019 Ann Nalley ’75

2018 Donna Schloss ’65

2017 Jay-lin Jane ’78

2016 Beverly Sgro ’63

2015 Kathleen Robinson ’70

2014 Holly Williams ’94

2013 Deneese Jones ’74
2013 Nancy Moody ’78

2012 Anngienetta Johnson ’71
2012 Maggie Richard ’85

2011 Pat Costner ’61, ’64

2025 Jennifer Longoria, Ph.D. ’17

2024 Paramita Basu, Ph.D. ’19

2023 Tiana James ‘14

2022 Tasha Moore Whitaker ’09
2022 Emily Ramser ’20

2021 Marisa De Leon ’17
2021 Faizan Kabani, Ph.D., ’11
2021 Aimee Piller, Ph.D., ’16
2021 Peace Ossum Williamson ’13

2019 Amiesha Brown ’95

2018 Lindsay Renfro, Ph.D., ’05

2017 Mandy Goff ’08

2016 Francine Anderson Wright, Ph.D., ’99

2015 Anne Utech, Ph.D., ’05, ’12

2014 Jennifer Lee Cranfill ’09

2013 Carolyn Caldwell ’97
2013 Jessica Setnick ’97

Page last updated 11:08 AM, May 5, 2025

Alumni Achievement Awards

2025 Honorees

Distinguished Alumni Award

Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award

Maroon and White Award

Young Alumni Award

Past Recipients

Distinguished Alumni Award

Chancellor's Alumni Excellence Award

Maroon and White Award

Young Alumni Award (Formerly Hallmark Alumni Award)

The Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership Distinguished Public Service Award