Alumni Award Winners announced
The MSU Alumni Association has announced the 2024-25 Alumni Awards winners. They will be recognized during MSU's 2024 Homecoming celebration on the weekend of Oct. 10-12, 2024.
"We are excited to honor these outstanding Eagles at Homecoming 2024," said Farrah Baldwin (Class of 2001), director of alumni engagement and cultivation. "There was a strong pool of candidates this year, but our Alumni Association Board of Directors selected amazing recipients."
Charles (Class of 1970) & Virginia (Class of 1969) Beetz
Charles has had a remarkable career in the physics industry, notably for General Motors, for his pioneering work with ultra-high-strength carbon fibers. Virginia was a mathematics and computer science teacher for over 25 years. In 2006, they established Rose Hill Farm Winery in Pendleton County.
Colonel Richard Halbleib (Class of 1974)
Colonel Halbleib served in the military for 24 years, with a total of 43 years in the Department of Defense and the U.S. intelligence community. He earned the National Intelligence Reform Medal and the Defense Superior Service Medal. He retired in 2001 and currently serves as the president of Global Watchmen Associates (GWA).
Jason Otto (Class of 1996)
Otto earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and gained admittance to the bar of the state of New York, as well as to the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He then worked for large law firms in New York City before joining the Swiss Re Group, where he assumed the roles of vice president, legal counsel—dispute resolution and litigation, and later senior vice president. In 2020, he joined EFG Bank AG in Zurich and became global head of litigations and investigations in 2021.
Dr. Cherie Carnes Rebar (Class of 1988), Notable Alumni Award
Rebar is a nationally recognized and respected nursing educator. She authored one of the most widely sold nursing textbooks in the United States and Canada. She actively contributes to and reviews nationally renowned nursing resources encompassing textbooks, e-learning modules, test banks, and lesson plans.
Andrew Gillette (Class of 2015), Rising Eagle Award
Gillette is currently the director of development for Goodwill Industries of Kentucky. He is leading the final phase of a $15 million capital campaign, which is helping fund the $130 million Norton Healthcare Goodwill e Opportunity Campus, located in west Louisville. Prior to his time at Goodwill, he also achieved a remarkable milestone by stewarding one of the largest single gifts in Louisville's history, securing a $20 million grant from Brown Forman. Gillette also owns and manages five apartments in the historic neighborhood of Old Louisville, where he and his wife, Elizabeth, reside.
Roger Gillespie (Class of 1996), Eagle Spirit Award
A proud graduate of MSU, Gillespie never hesitates to share his Eagle Spirit. He is the undisputed biggest fan of MSU basketball. His passion for MSU basketball developed during the 1997 season and has continued unabated. Gillespie attended every Eagle home basketball game for the last 27 years and attends most away games.
To learn more about becoming an active MSU alum, giving back to the University, or establishing a scholarship to aid future generations of Eagles, visit alumni.moreheadstate.edu.
