Ten accomplished Boise State alumni were honored at the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Gala on Oct. 6. This Homecoming celebration honors extraordinary alumni who exemplify the loyalty, passion and innovation of dedicated Broncos. The honorees were also honored at half- time during the Homecoming football game Oct. 8.
“We have the opportunity each year to acknowledge Boise State alumni who truly deserve these distinguished awards,” said Lisa Gardner, executive director of the Boise State Alumni Association. “All ten of these recipients embody passion, innovation and service in their respective careers, communities and as members of the Bronco family.”
College of Arts and Sciences: Kay Hardy 1974, 1984, former commissioner at the Idaho Commission of the Arts, president of several family companies, Egyptian Theatre Company and Vista Bench LLC
College of Business and Economics: Mike Mers 1992, founder and CEO of Aspen Capital Management
College of Education: Tim Lowe 1991, 1999, principal at Taft Elementary, adjunct faculty member in Boise State’s educational leadership program
College of Engineering: Marianna V. Budnikova 2013, 2014, senior Android software engineer at Dropbox Inc.
College of Health Sciences: Tony Fitzpatrick 1988, 1995, head athletic trainer at Timberline High School
School of Public Service: Stacy Pearson 1995, chief financial officer and vice president of finance and administration at Washington State University. She formerly served as the chief financial officer at Boise State for more than 12 years.
College of Innovation and Design: Caleb Cram 2021, XR software engineer with NASA Johnson Space Center and Verizon
Distinguished Alumni Service Awards:
The Distinguished Alumni Service Award honors recipients for their professional achievements, dedication and commitment to volunteer service for the university and the Boise State Alumni Association.
Patrick Fithen 2008, CEO of A Body & Mind Health Services
Tucker Robb 2011, construction operations manager with McMillen Jacobs Associates and president of the Boise State Construction Management Alumni Chapter
Honorary Alum Distinguished Service Award:
John Grizzaffi – owner of JW Thornton Wine Imports