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We are practitioners of the healing arts defining the standard for excellence in optometric education and vision care.
Our D.O. medical school is nationally ranked and recognized for a reputation of excellence in rural medicine and family healthcare. UPIKE’s osteopathy program gives you a clear path to success in the medical field.
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Office of Alumni Relations 147 Sycamore Street Pikeville, Kentucky 41501 (606) 218-5276 Alumni@upike.edu
The UPIKE Alumni Association invites graduates to connect with one another and remain engaged with UPIKE by taking part in monthly events that are informative, interactive and inspirational. For more information on how you can become involved in the Alumni Association, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@upike.edu or at (606) 218-5276.
President: Kay Hammond ’68
Vice President: Danny Adams ’71
Secretary: Gayle Justice ’88
Treasurer: Amy Williamson ’10
Phillip Birchfield ‘94
Heather Birchfield ‘96
Jimmy R. Blackburn, II ‘93
Nathan D. Brown ‘05
Tommy Chamberlin ‘ 96
Erin Chamberlin ‘05
Jordan T. Charles ‘03
Twilia Charles-Duff ‘82, ‘87
Eddy Coleman ‘77
Lisa M. Compton ‘12
Gene D. Davis ‘63
Tiffany J. Fannin ‘09
Mindy L. Fleming ‘06
Lisa Forsyth ‘87
Stephanie R. Frazier ‘93
Timothy A. Hatfield ‘92
Jesse W. Hawkins ‘11
Thomas Hereford, III ‘66
Doug Hinkle ‘53
Judith Hinkle ‘52, ‘62
Tina L. Hurley ‘99
Ryan D. Jones ‘11
David Lester ‘71
Judy Lester ‘71
Brenda K. Maynard ‘89
Tivis Newsom, Jr. ‘83
Judi C. Patton ‘60
Katherine S. Petot ‘75
Betty H. Porter ‘62
Howard V. Roberts ‘78
Lois M. Rogers ‘04
Daryle M. Ronning ‘86
Jesse L. Rudd, II ‘00
Jean K. Shockey ‘49, ‘51
Eugene Sisco, III ‘08
Jessica K. Taylor ‘11
Michael Williamson ‘54, ‘58
Don Sulivan ‘50
Melanie Joyce ‘02, ‘16
Brandi Brown ‘14
Matt Day ‘03
Mitch Copley ‘11
Whitney Copley ‘08
Camilla Damron ’96
Tiffany Craft ’10
Whitney Hogg ’09
David Jewell ’97
Bryna Jewell ’02
Tammy Riley ’92
Ryan Stratton ’09
Ryan McCoy ’07
Ronnie Spence ’01
Duane Porter ’90
Greg Dempsey ’01
Jordan Gibson ’08, ’14 MBA
Justin Hall ’97
Gabe Penn ’14, ’15 MBA
Roger Wagner ’70
John Biery ’88
Lakia Bailey ’12
Kathy Hubbard ’03, ’13
Robert L. Chaney ’96
Conda Little ’95
Each year during UPIKE Homecoming the university celebrates the accomplishments of individual Alumni for their achievements and commitment to the university.
2018 Alumni Award Recipients:
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to an alumnus/alumna of the University. He/she must have been out of college for at least seven years. Nomination information should include specific activities, awards and promotions that demonstrate 1) professional prominence and 2) contributions made for the betterment of society, both of which bring honor and distinction to the University of Pikeville.
2018 Recipient: Marcy McClanahan Cassady
“Marcy McClanahan Cassady is a Pikeville native and 1980 graduate of Pikeville College who majored in piano before going on to earn a J.D. from the UK College of Law. Her legal practice focused on education policy and advocacy, with clients that included Apple Computer’s K-12 Education Division. In 2007, she founded Louisville Classical Academy, a private school for grades K-12, and served as its Head of School through 2013. Today, she is president of Turn-Key Design, a home renovation company in Louisville. She and her husband Ballard have three adult children. She is deeply honored to receive an award previously bestowed on several of her mentors, including four of her own teachers.”
Past Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award1967 – William C. Hambley1971 – Lillie Chaffin1972 – Dr. Raymond Wells, Inez1973 – John Waddell1974 – Rediford Damron1975 – Joe Sharpe1977 – Charles B. Chrisman1982 – Jewell Cline, Perry Cline1983 – Walter P. Walters, Sr.1984 – Carl Hatcher1985 – Goldie Benedict1986 – Jonathan Hiers1987 – Franklin Day, Alice Kinder1988 – John Paul Riddle, William C. Hambley1989 – Georgia Muncy, Harold Edmonds, Ample Calhoun1990 – Walter May, Lucille Saad Smith, Philip Vinciguerra (posthumously)1991 – Charles E. Spears1992 – John B. DuPuy1993 – Otta Barton1994 – Terry Dotson, Chester Goble, Irene Goble1995 – William J. Baird, III1996 – Jean Hale1997 – Charles Robert Johnson, William Sullivan1998 – Billie Jean Osborne1999 – Doug Hinkle2000 – Ron Terry, Frank Welch2001 – Lois Esham, Benny Ray Bailey2002 – Linda Scott-DeRosier2003 – Willie Smith, Ruth Wheeler2004 – Donnie Jones, Reed Anderson2005 – Dr. Chauncey Rupe, Imogene June Johnson2006 – Dr. Robert B. Sparks2007 – Rhoda Jane Claytor, Jean Shockey2008 – Roger Wagner2009 – Gene Davis2010 – Jed Weinberg2011 Spring – Dr. Orville M. Clark Jr., Justice Will T. Scott2011 Fall – Kitty Baird, Judith Hinkle2012 – Wayne T. Rutherford2013 – Della Dotson Griffey, David Lester2014 – Dr. Raynor Mullins2015 – Gene D. Davis, Judi Patton2016 – Donnie Akers2017 – Doug Branham
The Rising Young Alumni Award is presented annually to an alumnus/alumna who is 40-years-old or younger. Basis for selection includes 1) career advancement, 2) service to others, 3) loyalty and commitment to the University, 4) strong personal character, and 5) proven leadership in his or her profession.
2018 Recipient – Charity Burke Walters Charity Burke Walters graduated cum laude from Pikeville College in 2002 with a biology and chemistry degree. She played basketball for the Lady Bears for four years and was captain her junior and senior seasons. She also played softball during her junior and senior year. After college, she attended the University of Louisville Medical School where she graduated in the top ten percent of her class. She completed her orthopaedic surgery residency in 2011 at the University of Louisville. She then worked at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center during her hand surgery fellowship and followed this training with a second fellowship in children’s hand surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She has been employed at Louisville Arm and Hand since finishing in 2013. She married Andrew Walters in 2014 and together they started the adventure of parenthood earlier this year with the birth of their daughter Aubrey Grace. Charity loves to teach medical students, residents and fellows at her current job and finds great satisfaction in taking care of patients. She also has a passion for healthcare and orthopaedic resident education in Tanzania partnering with Health Volunteers Overseas and Supplies Overseas.
The Honorary Alumni Award is presented annually only if there is clearly a deserving and available candidate; and is normally limited to one recipient each year. Individual(s) must be a non-alumnus/alumna of the community-at-large. Nomination: Cite specific examples of 1) loyalty, 2) interest, and 3) service in the spirit of the University that are above and beyond the normal responsibilities of the individual. Honorary alumni have all the rights and privileges of traditional alumni of the University and become honorary members of the class graduating in the spring of the academic year in which the award is given.
2018 Recipient – Tim Collins
Tim Collins is a 1989 graduate of Prestonsburg Community College. He has worked for Food City for 32 years and have managed several stores for the company. He is currently the manager at Food City on Cassidy Blvd. in Pikeville, KY. He was born and raised in Pikeville and currently reside on Cowpen Road. He is the proud father of one son, Noah Paxton Collins, who is a sophomore at Shelby Valley High School.
Past Recipients of the Honorary Alumni Award1980 – Creg Damron, Ed Elder, Bob Tarbeck1981 – Mary Evelyn Rogers1982 – Dr. Lee Scott, Ruth Scott1983 – Paul Patton1984 – Wilfred S. Martin1985 – Ruth Chrisman1986 – Alma Culton, Maurice Bailey1987 – Vivian Day, Jim Andy Caudill1988 – C.V. Snapp1989 – Eddie Grigsby, Leon Huffman1990 – Jackie Owens1991 – Terry Fitzer1992 – Lt. Gov. Paul E. Patton1993 – Ed Love1994 – Burlin Coleman1995 – Djien & Leonor So1996 – Paul Gearheart1997 – William H. Owens1998 – Father Ralph Beiting1999 – Chad Perry 2002 – Dale and Martha McNeely2003 – Karen Smith2004 – Glenn Brown2005 – Dr. Rakesh and Dr. Seema Sachdeva2006 – Johnnie LeMaster2007 – John Strosnider, JoAnn Strosnider2008 – Margaret Arnett, Dr. Wallace Campbell, Jane Campbell2009 – NA2010 – Danny VanHoose2011 Spring – Bruce Walters II, Kelly Wells2011 Fall – Frank Justice, Mattie Justice2012 – Leslie Combs 2013 – Wayne Martin2014 – Donovan Blackburn and the Pikeville City Commission2015 – Andrew Joyce, Rusty Justice2016 – Boyd Buser2017 – Kelly Wells
The Gary Thrash Outstanding Ambassador Award is presented annually in named recognition of alumnus and longtime Alumni Association Board of Directors member Gary Thrash, for his commitment and dedication to the University and its students. The award is presented to those whose service to the University and the alumni association exemplifies Thrash’s dedication to the mission of the University of Pikeville.
2018 Recipient – Danny C. Adams
Danny C. Adams is a Pikeville College, class of 1971, graduate. He completed his graduate work at Morehead State University. He has spent 33 years in education; 26 as classroom teacher and basketball coach, 3 years at Pikeville high school and 23 years at Magoffin county high school. He served as admissions counselor, director of admissions and financial aid and assistant men’s basketball coach at Pikeville College. Danny was inducted into Pikeville College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994 and was inducted into UPIKE Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame in 2015. He was married to Rebecca Ann Sanders for 33 years until her death in 2002. They have three children; Neil Adams of Magoffin County, Jayne Fontana of Long Island NY and Hester Hopson of Morristown, Tn. They have four grandchildren and one great grandchild. Danny currently resides in Magoffin County.
The Volunteer of the Year award is presented in recognition of servant leadership, outstanding volunteerism and selfless commitment to the University of Pikeville.
Past Recipients of the Volunteer of the Year Award2016 – Amy Williamson2017 – Sue Stanley