FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 17, 2025
Regents name 20 state university employees as Faculty and Staff of the Year
(Topeka, Kan.) - The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) today voted to name 17 Faculty of the Year and three Staff of the Year award recipients for 2025. This program recognizes the outstanding contributions of faculty and staff at state universities to teaching, student success, research, institutional excellence and Kansas communities.
“The Regents are excited to recognize the many accomplishments of the outstanding faculty and staff nominated in 2025,” said KBOR Chair Blake Benson. “Faculty help students develop lifelong skills and conduct research that drives innovation and economic growth. Staff provide leadership, support, and operational excellence at our state universities. I’m thrilled that the Board has introduced a Staff of the Year award for the first time this year.”
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2025 Faculty of the Year Awards |
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Institution |
Tenured |
Tenure-Track |
Non-Tenure Track |
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Fort Hays State University |
Dr. Lexey Bartlett, Professor of English |
Dr. Jennifer Bechard, Assistant Professor of Pedagogy, PK-12 Teaching & Coaching |
Dr. Linda Mayer, Instructor of Education, English as a Second Language |
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Kansas State University |
Dr. Gabe Kerr, Professor of Math |
Dr. Logan L. Britton, Assistant Professor in Agricultural Economics |
Chad Bailey, Instructor in Electronic and Computer Engineering |
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PSU |
Dr. Karen Johnson, Professor of Nursing |
Dr. Megan Westhoff, Assistant Professor in Communication |
Dr. Kristopher Mijares, Instructor of Chemistry |
|
University of Kansas |
Dr. Vitaly Chernetsky, Professor in Slavic, German, & Eurasian Studies |
No nomination |
Dr. David O. Johnson, Associate Teaching Professor in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science |
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University of Kansas Medical Center |
Dr. Sufi Thomas, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology |
Dr. Dinesh Mudaranthakam, Assistant Professor in Biostatistics and Data Science |
Dr. Laurie Steen, Clinical Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy Education |
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Wichita State University |
Dr. Lisa Parcell, Associate Professor of Communication |
Dr. Erin O'Bryan, Assistant Professor of Communications Sciences & Disorders |
Marco Hernandez, Assistant Teaching Professor of Print Media |
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2025 Staff of the Year Awards |
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Institution |
Staff Nominee |
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Kansas State University |
Richard Becker, Director of Infrastructure Security Architecture |
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Pittsburg State University |
Jamie Rink, Director of Student Financial Assistance |
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Wichita State University |
Dr. Christopher Leonard, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services |
View bios for each of the Faculty and Staff of the Year winners.
Kansas Board of Regents Faculty of the Year nominees are selected by the faculty senates at the state universities and awarded by the Regents. Each faculty senate may submit a tenured faculty member, a tenure-track faculty member and a non-tenure track faculty member. Staff of the Year nominees are selected by the staff senates at the state universities and awarded by the Regents. Each staff senate may submit a nominee to the Board.
For more information, please contact Matt Keith at (785) 430-4237 or
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About the Kansas Board of Regents
The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents is the governing board of the state’s six universities and the statewide coordinating board for the state’s 32 public higher education institutions (six state universities, one municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges). In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, high school equivalency, and career and technical education programs. Private proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions are authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents to operate in Kansas.