The Butler University Alumni Association has announced the 2025 recipients of eight alumni awards, which honor individuals for their commitment to the University and to their communities. Award honorees will be recognized at a special Alumni Recognition Ceremony on September 26, 2025, during Butler’s annual Homecoming festivities.
This year’s recipients are:
- The Butler Medal: Dan Cooreman ’76
- The Butler Service Medal: Dr. Kate Morris
- The Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award: Jasmine D. Gonzalvo PharmD ’05
- Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award: Cynthia A. Payne ’05
- Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award: Ben “K’uyáang” Young ’14
- Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award: Trey Meehan ’14
- Mortar Award: Lori J. Ziemba ’82 and Kenneth M. Massaroni ’83
- Foundation Award: Chris Beaman ’12 and Jeremy Scheetz
The Butler Medal: Dan Cooreman ’76
Dan Cooreman earned his Butler undergraduate degree in Journalism in 1976 and went on to a distinguished career in print journalism, with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the South Bend Tribune and, beginning in 1993, with The New York Times. He retired in 2015 as an editor of The Sunday Business section, where a colleague described him as a “maestro of copyediting.” Throughout his adult life, Cooreman has remained deeply dedicated to Butler University, enriching the lives of students, faculty, staff, and fellow alumni through his mentorship, passion, and philanthropic partnership.
As a Butler student, Cooreman served as editor-in-chief of The Collegian student newspaper under the mentorship of Professor Art Levin. His enthusiasm for The Collegian has never waned. He has been a passionate advocate of his profession, giving generously of time, talent, and treasure to nurture the next generation of journalists. He established the August & Esther Cooreman Scholarship in honor of his parents to support a journalism major working on The Collegian, and regularly offers his expertise and mentorship to Butler’s student journalists.
He has served faithfully on the Alumni Board, the LGBTQ+ Alumni Association Steering Committee, the Greater New York Community Steering Committee, and as Chair of the College of Communication Dean’s Advisory Board. He has been actively engaged in each role, inspiring fellow alumni to give back to Butler and creating a sense of welcome and belonging among Bulldogs in each community. As a volunteer leader, he is committed to making Butler a more inclusive institution for all.
During his tenure on the Dean’s Advisory Board, CCOM has experienced numerous transitions in leadership, and Cooreman’s steady presence, leadership, and positive spirit have been a great asset to the College. He has been a loyal and generous donor to Butler, advancing numerous strategic University priorities through his faithful giving. Although he lives in New York City, he is a consistent presence on campus and makes every effort to attend meetings and events in person. This effort does not go unnoticed by students, faculty, and staff, who recognize him as a colleague, mentor, and friend. Cooreman and his husband, Steve, are members of the Carillon Society and the Fairview Heritage Society.
The Butler Medal is the highest honor conferred by the Butler University Alumni Association, recognizing individuals for a lifetime of distinguished service to either Butler or their local community while at the same time achieving a distinguished career in their chosen profession and attaining a regional or national reputation. Since 1959, it has recognized individuals who have helped immeasurably toward perpetuating the University as a great educational and cultural institution and have had, during their lifetime, a profound influence on the course of Butler University.
The Butler Service Medal: Dr. Kate Morris
Dr. Kathryn “Kate” Morris made a profound and lasting impact on Butler University during her nearly 25 years of service as a faculty member and administrative leader before taking on her current role as President of St. Lawrence University in 2021. She joined Butler University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology in 1996, and served as Chair of the Department from 2007–2011. In 2012, Morris was promoted to Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, a role that became permanent in 2013.
As the University’s head of Academic Affairs, Morris managed more than 65 undergraduate and 15 graduate programs while overseeing Butler’s faculty and academic staff. Her leadership was instrumental in guiding the University through the Butler 2020 and Butler Beyond strategic plans, which resulted in an expanded campus footprint, new academic programs, and an increased emphasis on high-impact practices and experiential learning.
During her nine-year tenure as Provost, Morris earned the great respect of her Butler colleagues through her steady nature and emphasis on consensus-building. She was seen as a trusted bridge between the faculty and administration. Her leadership as Provost provided crucial consistency and stability during a time of great growth for the University. Her exceptional leadership was particularly crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic as the University transitioned to remote learning. She developed a Pivot Pedagogy summer program to equip faculty with the needed tools to transition courses to online or hybrid options, ensuring that Butler students continued to receive excellent instruction in every format.
As a faculty member, she mentored a generation of Butler students, and was influential in helping students prepare for their next steps after Butler. As Chair of the Psychology Department, she was committed to involving every psychology major in undergraduate research.
Morris earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Gettysburg College and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in Social Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Since 2015, she has served on the Board of Trustees at Gettysburg College.
The Butler Service Medal is the second-highest honor conferred by the Butler University Alumni Association. It recognizes former faculty and staff for extraordinary and distinguished service to Butler University while at the same time achieving a distinguished career in their chosen profession and attaining a regional or national reputation. All recipients have had, in the course of their service, a profound influence on the future course of Butler University.
The Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award: Jasmine D. Gonzalvo PharmD ’05
After graduating from Butler University with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2005, Dr. Jasmine Gonzalvo completed a residency with the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center before accepting a clinical faculty appointment with Purdue University and Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis. She has spent the last 18 years forging an impressive public service career that has impacted the lives of countless individuals.
Her work has consistently centered on responding to the needs of underserved and marginalized individuals, particularly through her longstanding clinical practice at Eskenazi Health, focusing on cardiovascular risk reduction. Within this role, Dr. Gonzalvo has developed specialized expertise in providing high-quality diabetes care to Spanish-speaking patients and individuals with diabetes and co-occurring severe mental illness.
Throughout her tenure at Eskenazi Health, Dr. Gonzalvo has been instrumental in developing and implementing novel patient care services. Her innovative practice policies and documented improvements in patient outcomes were so impactful that they were successfully incorporated into Indiana state legislation, supporting the statewide expansion of similar pharmacy practice services. Furthermore, her pioneering work in integrating diabetes management for at-risk adults with serious mental illness earned her the Strategic Initiative Award from the American Association of Diabetes Educators, recognizing her new model of care delivery. Nationally, she has served on numerous high-profile boards and appointed federal committees examining diabetes care on a nationwide scale.
More recently, Dr. Gonzalvo’s focus expanded to healthcare disparities more broadly as she became the founding director of the Purdue University Center for Health Equity and Innovation (CHeQI). In this pivotal role, she has advanced a wide range of public health initiatives designed to positively impact Hoosiers with the highest needs, including those in rural areas, individuals experiencing poverty and poor access to nutrition, people experiencing homelessness, and those facing language or cultural barriers to quality healthcare.
She has a passion for teaching and has inspired countless pharmacists and clinicians through her mentorship and leadership. Out of her deep devotion to health equity and commitment to improving the lives of others, she is now pursuing a Masters of Public Health at Harvard University, which will further extend her impact.
The Robert Todd Duncan Award recognizes a graduate who is established in their career and whose personal and/or professional accomplishment brings honor and distinction to the University and individual attainment and/or contributions for the betterment of society. This award honors the spirit and accomplishments of Robert Duncan, a 1925 graduate, noted opera singer, and educator who in 1945, became the first African American to sing with a major white opera company, the New York City Opera Company.
Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award: Cynthia A. Payne ’05
Cynthia Payne earned her Butler undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2005 and later earned a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University. Her service to Butler has been significant and unwavering throughout the 20 years since she graduated.
Payne began her professional career at Butler as an Admission Counselor and later served as the Black Student Union (BSU) Advisor and Exploratory Studies Academic Advisor. She now serves as the Director of Strategic Belonging and Success Initiatives in the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center at the University of Dayton. She has spent her career in academic advising and coaching, with a particular emphasis on serving underrepresented students.
As a Butler student, Payne was involved in the Butler University Student Foundation, Jordan Jazz, and the Black Student Union (BSU), serving as its President during her senior year. Along with being a Resident Assistant, Payne also served as a Butler Student Ambassador and as a Multicultural Student Recruitment Team Member and Student Supervisor with the Office of Admission. She was also a Morton-Finney Scholar.
Payne has remained deeply engaged with Butler since graduating, participating in the Black Alumni Association as a member since 2005. She served on the BAA Executive Board for many years where her leadership was particularly influential in providing critical continuity and stability for the BAA. She stepped into the role of Chair of the BAA Executive Board at a time of significant change and turnover. Without her steady leadership, the BAA would not exist as it does today as a vital identity community for Butler alumni. She also previously served as an ex-officio member of the Alumni Association Board, and has served as an interviewer for the Morton-Finney Scholarship program since 2008. During her time on staff at Butler, Payne also served on the Staff Assembly Executive Committee.
As a further demonstration of her dedication and commitment to Butler and future generations of Bulldogs, Payne has been a loyal donor to student-centered funds such as the BAA Scholarship Fund and the Emergency Student Grant program.
The Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award recognizes a graduate who has displayed a long-term commitment of outstanding service to the University. The recipients of this award have provided demonstrable service to the University to assist in perpetuating Butler as a great educational and cultural institution. This award honors the memory of Katharine Graydon, who graduated from Butler in 1878 and was a Professor of English Literature at the University from 1907-1930, receiving an honorary doctorate of literature in 1928. Graydon served as the Alumni Secretary and Editor of the Alumnal Quarterly from its first edition in 1922 until her retirement in 1929, when she was named Professor Emerita.
Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award: Ben “K’uyáang” Young ’14
Young earned his Butler degree in Middle/Secondary Education from the College of Education in 2014. He is an esteemed member of the Haida Nation in Alaska and has consistently demonstrated outstanding dedication and leadership in the field of cultural revitalization, particularly in the areas of language preservation and early education curriculum development.
After graduating from Butler, Young established the first and only Haida language immersion preschool in Hydaburg, Alaska. The impact of this initiative echoes through the community, cultivating a deep connection to tradition and a powerful sense of cultural identity among its members. Young was recognized as the 2019 Culture Bearer by the Alaska Federation of Natives. He consulted on and acted in the first and only Haida language film, Edge of the Knife, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2018. During filming, he facilitated a language immersion bootcamp for actors unfamiliar with the language.
Young has made contributions to the Butler University community as well by participating in Butler University’s Task Force for Indigenous Inclusion and Engagement and hosting a screening of Edge of the Knife on campus in 2023. The public was invited to the screening of the Haida-language film, followed by an insightful Q&A session. During the week-long visit to campus, Young authentically shared his journey and experiences, providing students, faculty, and guests with a genuine glimpse into his work and passion.
The Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award honors a recent graduate whose personal and/or professional accomplishment brings honor and distinction to the University, and individual attainment and/or contributions for the betterment of society. Hilton U. Brown gave a lifetime of service to his career and Butler University, including serving on the Board of Trustees for 71 years. He was an award-winning newspaper journalist and Managing Editor at the Indianapolis News for more than seven decades.
Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award: Trey Meehan ’14
Trey Meehan earned an undergraduate degree from Butler’s College of Communication in 2014 and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. With more than a decade of nonprofit experience, Trey has previously worked for governmental, law, fraternal, and healthcare organizations. He is currently the Managing Director of Alums for Campus Fairness, a network of university alumni dedicated to combating antisemitism at their alma maters. In this role, he oversees ACF’s growing regional team and operations.
Based in Washington, D.C., Trey actively participates in volunteer leadership roles for several organizations, including Jewish National Fund-USA, B’nai B’rith International, the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), and the University of Pennsylvania Nonprofit Leadership Alumni Association. He has also served as Chair and Communications Chair of the Butler University D.C. Alumni Community, where his leadership has been instrumental in the growth and vitality of the Butler community. He is committed to finding unique ways through service, networking, mentorship and social opportunities to provide alumni, parents, students, and friends with a consistent Butler connection in the city.
Meehan is a shareholder in the Butler Giving Circle and previously served on the Young Alumni Board. He also serves as a mentor and liaison with the Butler Internship Program in D.C., and is a trusted resource for students seeking professional advice or recent graduates relocating to the nation’s capital.
The Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award recognizes a recent alumnus who has demonstrated a significant commitment of outstanding service to the University. The award’s recipients have provided demonstrable service to the University to assist in perpetuating Butler as a great educational and cultural institution. The award honors the spirit and example of Joseph Sweeney, a young student with a great deal of potential, whose life was tragically cut short.
Mortar Award: Lori J. Ziemba ’82 and Kenneth M. Massaroni ’83
Lori Ziemba and Ken Massaroni both earned their undergraduate degrees in Business Administration from the Lacy School of Business and have remained deeply loyal and passionate Bulldogs ever since. Ken has previously served on the Board of Trustees and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Ken and Lori both served on the Alumni Board and are Putnam Society Emeriti. Together, they served on the Family Council while their daughter, Frankie ’14, was a student at Butler.
The couple has been instrumental in building the Butler alumni community presence in Minneapolis, where they previously resided, and in Atlanta, where they currently live. They have generously hosted a number of alumni events over the years and are passionate about connecting with fellow Bulldogs.
Inspired by their own fraternity and sorority experiences at Butler, they recently made a significant gift to establish the Lori Ziemba and Ken Massaroni Greek Life Leadership Institute to foster leadership development among members of the Butler fraternity and sorority community. The Institute will begin programming in the fall of 2025. They are members of Butler’s Carillon Society and have also invested generously in the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship.
The Mortar Award, created in 1995, honors one person or couple each year who personifies the Butler spirit by demonstrating great vision, leadership, and generosity to Butler University.
Foundation Award: Chris Beaman ʼ12 and Jeremy Sheetz
Chris Beaman, CAE, CFRE graduated from Butler University in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Education. He currently serves as Chief of Staff for Sigma Nursing, where he acts as a strategic advisor to the CEO and leads the development and execution of the organization’s strategic plan. In this role, he drives cross-functional alignment, fosters innovation, and ensures initiatives are mission-driven and results-oriented. He also oversees major sponsorships and partnerships to support global nursing initiatives.
Previously, Beaman was the Chief Communications & Partnerships Officer at Kappa Delta Pi, the nation’s largest honor society in education. Beyond his professional achievements, Chris is a dedicated leader and volunteer in the association and nonprofit communities. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for IYG, a local LGBTQIA+ youth serving organization, as well as East 10th Children & Youth Center. Additionally, Chris has held leadership roles with the Indiana Society of Association Executives.
Beaman is an exemplary Butler graduate, having served in numerous alumni functions across the University. He previously served on the Young Alumni Board and as an ambassador for Day of Giving, and is currently serving as Chair of the LGBTQ+ Alumni Association. Recently, he connected with fellow LGBTQ+ alumni to create a matching gift for the LGBTQ+ Alumni Association, which resulted in 100% giving from the leadership committee. Chris and his husband, Jeremy, are members of the President’s Club and are passionate about impacting the lives of Butler students.
The Foundation Award, created in 2011, honors one person or couple (age 40 and younger) each year who personifies the Butler spirit by demonstrating leadership and generosity to Butler University.