Volunteer of the Year Award
The Volunteer of the Year Award honors a dedicated individual who has volunteered their time and talents on behalf of Mortar Board National College Honor Society during the past year. Through their outstanding service, they have advanced the mission of Mortar Board at the national level, exemplifying the society’s values of scholarship, leadership, and service.
Laura Baker (The Ohio State University, 2008)
Laura Baker has served Mortar Board in various roles, including section coordinator, chapter advisor, National Officer staff member, and now as the Chair of the Development Committee for the Mortar Board National Foundation. In her current role, Laura combines her deep commitment to Mortar Board with her fundraising expertise to provide strategic guidance across all areas of development, from annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving to donor cultivation and stewardship. During her tenure as Development Chair over the past year, Laura has helped drive increased engagement from National Leaders and contributed to a record number of major gifts. She also serves Mortar Board locally as Treasurer of the Ohio State Mortar Board Alumni Council and as an active member of its Development Committee. Laura’s service, leadership, and dedication to both Mortar Board and her broader community are truly inspiring, reflected in the lasting impact and meaningful success she fosters wherever she lends her time and talents.
Emerging Leader Award
The Emerging Leader Award honors an alumni member who is less than 20 years post-initiation and has demonstrated remarkable accomplishment in their profession and/or outstanding community service. Recipients have shown a constant commitment to the ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service, and are role models for other members.
Brandt Coleman (University of Louisville, 2015)
Brandt Coleman is a Presidential Management Fellow who combines scholarship, public service, and a passion for underwater archaeology and scuba diving. Supported by competitive scholarships, he completed prestigious graduate programs in Germany and Ireland. Brandt currently applies his skills as an archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service in California, focusing on environmental science and conservation.
Kelly Houghteling (University of Kansas, 2010)
Kelly Houghteling has proudly served Wellington, Colorado as Deputy Town Administrator since 2018. With a passion for inclusive leadership and meaningful change, she leads with resilience and empathy, making her a highly respected and accomplished public servant. Through her efforts, Kelly enhances civic education and engagement, empowers women in leadership positions, secures significant grants, and supports small businesses, leaving a lasting impact on her community.
Morgan Weed (San Diego State University, 2021)
Morgan Weed is entering her final year of her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of California, Davis. She currently serves in multiple leadership roles, provides medical care to patients, and mentors her peers. During the pandemic, Morgan founded a nonprofit that creates science education videos for elementary students. Her deep passion for veterinary medicine is evident in her extensive volunteer work and research contributions.
Alumni Achievement Award
The Alumni Achievement Award honors an alumni member who was initiated more than 10 years ago as a collegiate or honorary member and has demonstrated outstanding and long-lasting achievement in their profession and/or notable service to a broad community. Recipients have shown a continuing commitment to the Mortar Board ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service, and are inspirations to other members.
Beth Moody Jones (University of Vermont, 1981)
Bethy Moody Jones strives to impact more than just individual patients through her work at the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. By educating and mentoring the next generation of physical therapists, she helps elevate the quality and excellence of the profession as a whole, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes on a broad scale and extending her impact far beyond the clinical setting. Her passion lies in developing and applying innovative teaching and learning strategies that elevate student engagement and improve educational success. Beth remains deeply committed to service, actively contributing to volunteer roles focused on shaping policies related to clinical practice, research, admissions, and advocacy.
Cheryl Gunter (University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1976)
Dr. Cheryl Gunter earned her PhD in Speech Communication from the University of Texas-Austin and has taught audiology and speech-language pathology courses across five universities. She currently serves as a Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Associate Dean of the College of Health Sciences at West Chester University. She has extended her influence as a teacher off-campus as well, where she has conducted multiple bodies of research and presented to diverse audiences at over 500 seminars. In addition to being a highly respected scholar and leader in the speech-language pathology and health sciences industry, Dr. Gunter is also deeply engaged in her community, actively participating in her church and her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta.
Jon Waggoner (Auburn University, 1991)
Jon Waggoner earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama. After clerking for the Alabama Supreme Court and practicing law in Atlanta, he took on multiple leadership roles at Auburn University, including Special Counsel to the President and University Council. Currently, Jon serves as Secretary to the Auburn University Board of Trustees. Deeply committed to student success, he mentors student leaders and supports those aspiring to serve in the student government. His accessibility and insight have left a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike. Jon’s career is a testament to sustained leadership, service, and excellence in the fields of both law and higher education.
Distinguished Lifetime Member Award
The Distinguished Lifetime Member honors an alumni member who although numerous years beyond initiation has retained significant and meaningful connections and service to Mortar Board throughout their lifetime and demonstrated seminal and groundbreaking community or campus leadership on a regional, national, or international plane. Recipients epitomize the meaning of a lifetime of service to Mortar Board.
Glenda K. Guyton (Carson-Newman University, 1974)
Initiated as an honorary member of Mortar Board in 1974 at Carson-Newman University, Glenda Guyton has exemplified steadfast dedication to the ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service throughout her decades of involvement with Mortar Board.
Glenda’s legacy is especially profound at the University of Alabama, where she advised the Hypatia Chapter for over twenty years, offering consistent mentorship, guidance, and support. Under her leadership, the chapter thrived and established an endowment to sustain its future. Her impact was recognized nationally when she received Mortar Board’s Excellence in Advising Award in 2013.
Beyond campus, Glenda served as an Alumni Representative to the National Council and as a Region (formerly Section) Coordinator for Section 6. She is also a charter member of Mortar Board Torch Society, holding member number 93.
Glenda’s service to higher education extended into her professional role as Assistant to the Dean of Women at the University of Alabama, where she was inducted into the Student Affairs Hall of Fame in 2011.
Beloved across the Mortar Board community, Glenda is especially known for her heartfelt and memorable renditions of “The Torch,” a reflection of her enduring commitment to Mortar Board’s mission.
Catherine Nelson Evans (Texas Tech University, 1957)
Initiated into Mortar Board at Texas Tech University in 1957, Catherine Nelson Evans has left an indelible mark on the organization through decades of dedicated service and visionary leadership.
As National President from 1973 to 1976, Catherine led Mortar Board through a defining chapter in its history—the organization’s transformation from an all-women’s honor society to one that welcomed men, in response to the sweeping changes of Title IX. Navigating hearings, national conferences, and complex decisions, she played a pivotal role in guiding Mortar Board through this transition with courage, clarity, and integrity—all while pursuing her master’s degree in Public Administration and raising a young family.
A charter member of the Mortar Board Alumni Association’s Torch Society (Charter Member #26), Catherine continued to serve the Society beyond her presidency, including as a member of the Centennial Steering Committee in 2018. Her involvement remains active to this day—from her loyal financial support to her presence at recent events such as the 2024 Kendra Scott gathering in Dallas.
Her Mortar Board legacy now spans three generations, with both her daughter Tracey Petersen (Texas Tech University, 1983) and granddaughter, Grace Evans (University of Alabama, 2020), also proudly inducted into the Society.
Catherine Nelson Evans represents the very best of Mortar Board’s enduring values of scholarship, leadership, and service.
