MSU announces 2025 Alumni Award winners
The Office of Alumni Relations & Development and the MSU Alumni Association are honored to announce the next class of alumni award honorees.
"Our Alumni Association Board always faces a challenging task each year when it comes to narrowing down our nominees and selecting a group of honorees," said Farrah Baldwin (Class of 2001), director of alumni engagement and cultivation. "I think it's clear by this class of Eagles that they made great decisions."
These individuals will be celebrated at Homecoming 2025, which takes place Oct. 16-18.
Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees
The Alumni Hall of Fame is the highest recognition provided by the Alumni Association. It recognizes those who have made a profound collective impact in their profession, community, or region.
Ted Docks (Class of 1998, 2002)
Ted Docks, a two-time graduate of Morehead State University and former basketball player, is the Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Division at the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. He has served in Washington D.C., Detroit, Houston, and Louisville, working in counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and criminal programs. He earned the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal and has held leadership roles in various FBI divisions, including the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate and the Houston Field Office.
Juan Dontrese Brown (Class of 1999)
A visionary leader, Brown drives social transformation through strategic leadership, creative innovation, and community collaboration. From spearheading the renaming of Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond, Virginia, to leading efforts to establish Cristo Rey Richmond High School, Brown has shaped education, design, and social progress. A sought-after speaker and accomplished creative, he serves on numerous boards and holds advanced degrees in graphic design.
Pat Petrillo (Class of 1983, 1984)
Pat Petrillo made a significant impact on the music industry through live and recorded performances, product innovation, and education. A voting member of the Recording Academy/Grammys, he has performed in Broadway shows like “A Chorus Line,” “Grease,” “Footloose,” “Newsies,” and “Dreamgirls” and recorded and toured with artists such as Patti LaBelle, Gloria Gaynor, and Debbie Gibson. Petrillo's group, The Pat Petrillo Big Rhythm Band, has released two albums. He has also innovated several music products and is an Innervision Records recording artist.
Notable Alumni Award
The Notable Alumni Award is provided to a graduate excelling in their career field or community.
Steven Middleton (Class of 2004, 2008)
Steven Middleton, a senior instructor of mass communication at MSU, teaches courses in TV production, social media, and documentary filmmaking. Since 2009, 11 of his documentary films have been showcased by Kentucky Educational Television (KET), often involving MSU students through internships and research.
Rising Eagle Award
The Rising Eagle Award is given to a graduate of the last 10 years demonstrating early career success.
Colby Birkes (Class of 2020)
Colby Birkes is a corporate attorney at Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP, specializing in document drafting, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. Birkes previously worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office and has been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana. He has also served on the Kentucky Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee and published on epilepsy driving laws in the “Louisville Law Review.”
Eagle Spirit Award
The Eagle Spirit Award is given to an exceptionally proud Eagle who regularly demonstrates their pride in various ways.
Steven "Preppy" Engels (Class of 1977)
Steven "Preppy" Engels is a longtime Eagle Ambassador who continually promotes MSU and supports recruitment efforts. Each year, Engels proudly represents the University by presenting scholarships to incoming first-year students at local high schools and distributing MSU materials, such as pennants, to businesses in his area.
To learn more about alumni awards programs, visit alumni.moreheadstate.edu/alumniawards.
