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COE-Dean@nau.eduPast COE Hall of Fame Honorees
COE Hall of Fame recognizes long-standing achievement or sustained impact in the field of education connected to the mission and vision of the college. We encourage you to learn more about our inductees and review the induction criteria for the Hall of Fame.
2024 Hall of Fame
Michael Vargas
Michael Vargas is a dynamic STEM educator and policy expert with extensive experience developing and executing K–12 STEM programs. As the convergence lead at Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination, he spearheads the Arizona STEM Acceleration Project, a $10 million initiative enhancing STEM education across the state. This project will serve over 500 schools from every part of the state, impacting around 90,000 students. Previously, Mr. Vargas served as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Department of Defense, contributing to national STEM education strategies. His career includes over a decade of teaching physics and leading educational initiatives within the Paradise Valley Unified School District and the Department of Defense Education Activity in Belgium. He is pursuing a PhD in STEM Education from Texas Tech University. Mr. Vargas has received numerous awards, including the National Aerospace Teacher of the Year in 2019 by the Air Force Association.
2023 Hall of Fame
John W. Tippeconnic (Posthumously)
John William Tippeconnic, a member of the Comanche Nation, was the first Native American to receive a graduate degree from NAU. Mr. Tippeconnic began his career in education in 1927 as a teacher at Sequoyah Boarding School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He worked for 34 years in the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a teacher and principal in Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico before retiring in 1967. He valued education as a student, teacher, principal, and father, encouraging others to earn degrees and never stop learning. Mr. Tippeconnic passed in 1987, but his legacy lives on at NAU in The John W. Tippeconnic Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship helps 15–20 federally recognized Tribal members each year to earn undergraduate and graduate education degrees and become teachers, counselors, administrators, or other educational leaders.
2022 Hall of Fame
Karen Butterfield
Karen Butterfield, founder of Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA), earned a bachelor’s in art education, and master’s and doctoral degrees in educational leadership from NAU, including an honorary doctorate in 1993. A leader in education for decades, Karen has received numerous accolades including the prestigious Carolyn Warner Legacy Award in 2021, the Arizona Teacher of the Year in 1993, and the National Art Education Association’s Outstanding Teacher in the Southwest region. Karen’s leadership at FALA garnered state, national, and international recognition by the Clinton White House, the AZ and US Departments of Education, and the international museum community. Currently, Karen serves as a State Level Technical Assistance Specialist with the West Comprehensive Center at WestEd, where she supports four regional southwestern state departments of education.
Robyn Yewell
Robyn Yewell, a three-time graduate of NAU, earned three master’s degrees from the College of Education in Elementary Education, Bilingual Multicultural Education/ESL, and Science Teaching. In 2017, Robyn was selected as the Arizona Elementary Science Teacher of the Year, and in 2020, she received the US Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She serves as an Ambassador for Economic Education through the University of Arizona, Eller School of Business. She also serves as board director for the Science, Arts, and Space Institute located in Tucson, AZ, and for the Arizona Future Problem Solvers. As an educator in the Amphitheater District for ten years, Robyn engages students’ innate curiosity for scientific inquiry, and she strongly believes that all students deserve a high-quality STEM education.
2021 Hall of Fame
Tim Carter
An Arizona native, Tim Carter received his master’s in Secondary Educational Leadership from NAU in 1978 and proceeded to engage in a prolific career dedicated to education in his home state. Mr. Carter taught American government and coached track, cross country, and mock trial teams at several high schools in Arizona before transitioning to administration, eventually becoming the principal of Prescott High School until his retirement in 2003. Since then, he has continued to teach at colleges in the state and has also served as Vice President and President of the Arizona State Board of Education, as Yavapai County School Superintendent, and on the executive board of the Arizona Interscholastic Association. Mr. Carter has received numerous awards, including the 2003 Arizona School Administrator of the Year Award and induction into the Arizona Track Coaches Hall of Fame.
Veronica Hipolito
Veronica Hipolito is a 2002 graduate of NAU with a master’s in Community Counseling, whose career has centered on student services, diversity, and social justice in higher education. To that end, she is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education focused on the experiences and retention of Native college students. Ms. Hipolito has worked in administration at several universities in Arizona, holding roles including Interim President, Dean of Student Development, Director of Students, and Interim Vice President of Student Affairs at Coconino Community College (CCC) and Vice President and Title IX Coordinator for Chandler-Gilbert Community College. During her time at CCC, Ms. Hipolito worked to create the CCC2NAU program, a nationally recognized program in partnership with NAU that received the 2012 Lee Noel-Randi Levitz Retention Excellence Award and the Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Award from the National Academic Advising Association.
2018 Hall of Fame
Carolyn Warner (Posthumously)
Lauded as a caring leader and a strong representation of what it means to work in Arizona public education, Carolyn Warner’s career as a champion of Arizona teachers and public education is widely considered to be deeply impactful. Her impressive list of accomplishments and accolades led to her selection as the 2018 College of Education Hall of Fame inductee.
In the late sixties through early seventies, Carolyn served as President to the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board, which dovetailed into serving three consecutive terms as the Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1974–1986. She holds the distinction of being the first non-educator ever elected to the position, and she held the office longer than anyone in Arizona history.
As State Superintendent, she served as a member and executive officer of the State Board of Education, Career and Technical Education, and served on the Arizona Board of Regents and the State Community College Board. She was a champion and advocate for increased services to schools, greater involvement of employers and the community in education policy, directed first-in-the nation Basic Skills and Employability Skills initiatives, and led the creation of the Arizona Educational Foundation.
Known and respected for her national perspective on educational leadership, she received multiple Congressional and Presidential appointments ranging from President Jimmy Carter to George H. W. Bush to major national policy initiatives, including the National Commission on the Public Service (the “Volcker Commission”), the National Skill Standards Board, and the White House Conference on Small Business. Carolyn also led US delegations to international education conferences in Japan, Australia, Germany, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Spain, and China, and conducted on-site studies of European Union vocational and technical training programs.
2017 Hall of Fame
Dr. Richard A. Smith
Dr. Richard Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education and English, a Master of Arts in Physical Education Administration, and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. Dr. Smith has more than 35 years of experience in education as a teacher, football coach, college faculty member, and administrator. In the 1980s, he served as a teacher and head coach for the state champion Flagstaff High School Eagles football team. He then moved into higher education, serving multiple roles for Northern Arizona University, including Assistant Football Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Assistant Director of Student Services and Athletics, faculty member in the College of Education, and Director of the High Altitude Sports Training Complex. Other higher education roles include Vice President of University Advancement at Boise State University and Wichita State University. Dr. Smith also served as National Executive Director of the American Youth Soccer Organization. He is currently the President and CEO of the Northern Arizona Healthcare Foundation, where he works tirelessly to serve the people of northern Arizona. Dr. Smith’s many accomplishments are a source of pride to NAU.
The Honorable Bob J. McLendon
Bob McLendon earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Arizona State University. He began his teaching career in Yuma, AZ, in 1961, where he taught American History and Government and also coached basketball. Bob served as an elected member of the Arizona House of Representatives and as the prestigious House Democratic Leader. Along with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, he helped secure funds in the Arizona State budget to create NAU–Yuma. As a member of the Arizona Board of Regents, Bob was instrumental in securing capital funds for significant building and campus development at Northern Arizona University. Bob worked tirelessly to support education throughout his career; Proposition 301, approved by voters, provided a $400M investment in K–12 education for 20 years. He has served as a dedicated community advocate at the local, state, and national levels for decades.
Dr. Gary Philip Damore
Dr. Gary Damore earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language, and his Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership, all from Northern Arizona University. Dr. Damore has worked in the field of education for more than 40 years as a teacher, principal, superintendent, college faculty member, and provost. He served as principal for Paradise Valley High School for 12 years and as superintendent for Scottsdale Christian Academy for 8 years. He transitioned into higher education as both professor and chair of the education department and served as provost for Arizona Christian University for 4 years. Dr. Damore leads by character, example, and the love of learning. He is an inspiration to students, faculty, and administrators. Whether investing in aspiring educators or those who currently serve in that capacity, his dedication to develop the best in others has produced skilled educators at all levels.
2016 Hall of Fame
Dr. Wilson Camanza Riles
Dr. Wilson Camanza Riles graduated from Northern Arizona University (then known as Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff) in 1940 with a degree in education. After serving in the US Army Air Force during World War II, Riles served in a variety of teaching positions and was appointed as Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of California. In 1970, he defeated the incumbent Max Rafferty for the position of California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the first African American to be elected to statewide office in California. He was the first recipient of NAU’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1968 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from NAU in the spring of 1976.
Dr. Anthony R. Ross
Dr. Anthony Ross earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at St. Lawrence University in 1975 and Master of Arts in Counselor Education in 1978. He received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University in 1984. Dr. Ross has served in a multitude of positions throughout his career in higher education, and is known for his impeccable reputation among faculty, staff, and students alike. Among a plethora of accolades, he was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award from the Northern Arizona University Black Student Union and the Fred Turner Award for Outstanding Service to NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education). He is a deeply devoted advocate for education and works to support diversity in higher education.
Dr. James K. Zaharis
Dr. James Zaharis earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology & History from Northern Arizona University (then known as Arizona State College of Flagstaff) in 1963 and Master of Arts in Education in 1968. He has over 43 years of experience in education. Dr. Zaharis is the Vice President for Education at Greater Phoenix Leadership and served 15 years as the Superintendent of the Mesa Unified School District. Among numerous accolades, The Business Journal named Dr. Zaharis among the top 100+ for “The Valley’s Most Influential Business Leaders” in Education and Arizona State Superintendent of the Year. He is a deeply involved leader in Arizona’s education community and sets a sterling precedent for his successors.
2015 Hall of Fame
Rhian Evans Allvin
Ms. Rhian Evans Allvin earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management in 1994 from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University in 2000. She is an NAU President’s Prize and Gold Axe recipient, Jeff Ferris Alumni Achievement Award recipient, and a former NAU ABOR Student Regent. Her professional career illustrates a deep devotion for the education of children as a former CEO of the First Things First program. As of 2013, she holds the Chief Executive Officer position of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Dr. Archie Beauvais
Dr. Archie Beauvais is a first-generation college student and Vietnam veteran. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees in Education at Northern Arizona University and Doctor of Education at Harvard. Dr. Beauvais received the NAU Alumni Achievement Award in 1986 and the NAU Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988. He was chosen as one of the top 100 graduates for the first century of NAU and taught at the Tribal college Sinte Gleska University. Under Dr. Beauvais’ leadership, Sinte Gleska was the first Tribal college in the nation to gain certification to train elementary teachers at the undergraduate level. As dean of graduate studies, he also led Sinte Gleska University to the recognition of being the first Tribal college in the nation to be accredited to offer an MEd degree. The first graduating class of nine was comprised of mostly Lakota Sioux female educators.
Cynthia Rudrud Nyman
Ms. Cynthia Rudrud Nyman earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Education from Northern Arizona University and Administrative Certification from ASU. As a teacher, she served as President of the Arizona English Teachers Association and was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English. In 1998, she was honored as the Arizona State Principal of the Year and received the North Central Association Circle of Excellence Award. In 2005, she was recognized as an Arizona School Administrators Distinguished Administrator. From 1999–2005, she served as a Director and President of the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Dr. Charles Pilon
Dr. Charles Pilon earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Northern Arizona University (then known as the Arizona State College of Flagstaff) in 1959 and Master of Arts degrees in Social Science from NAU. He earned his doctoral degree after completing graduate studies at the University of Colorado, Lehigh University, and the University of Notre Dame.
He was a Gold Axe Award recipient in 1959 and was honored with Junior and Senior Alumni Service Awards. He dedicates significant personal time to the NAU College of Education Leadership Council. He was a pioneer of the NAU individualized learning programs when he served as NAU’s Administrator of Statewide Academic Programs in the greater Phoenix area.
2014 Hall of Fame
Geraldine “Jerry” Emmett
Mrs. Jerry Emmett earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education at Northern Arizona University (then known as Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff) in 1937 and a Master of Arts degree in Education from NAU (Arizona State College at Flagstaff) in 1957. Jerry’s illustrious professional career includes teaching for nearly fifty years in schools across Arizona from Kayenta on the Navajo Reservation to Seligman and Tombstone, to Scottsdale and Phoenix. As a retiree, Jerry works to bring people together through dedicated volunteer work. The Jerry Emmett Education Scholarship was created to honor her life accomplishments, and benefits students majoring in education.
Harry Hengl
Mr. Harry Hengl earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology with a minor in Chemistry from Arizona State University in 1969. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Education at Northern Arizona University in 1976. Mr. Hengl has maintained strong relations with NAU through his service on multiple boards including the Alumni and Foundation Boards. He received the NAU Alumni Association’s Joe and Marie Rolle Spirit of NAU award in 2009. He served as a secondary school educator at Kofa High School in Yuma for twenty-eight years, and he was recognized with the Arizona Board of Regents Award for Outstanding Service to Higher Education in 2014.
Dr. Eugene Hughes
Dr. Eugene Hughes earned degrees in mathematics, including a BS from Chadron State College, an MS from Kansas State University, and a PhD from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Dr. Hughes was NAU’s 12th president, serving from 1979 to 1993. He led an initiative that resulted in the formal establishment of NAU’s Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), and engaged faculty, educators, politicians, and policy makers in re-conceptualizing the education of school professionals with an overarching commitment to student-centeredness. As part of the CEE, he implemented the award of an Honorary Doctorate to the Arizona Teacher of the Year and helped establish field sites on the campuses of Arizona’s community colleges.
Dr. Margaret Ann Hughes
Dr. Margaret Ann Hughes earned her doctorate from Northern Arizona University in Educational Administration in 1981. Her legacy at NAU is substantial, including directing new initiatives in admissions and new student programs. Dr. Hughes used innovative approaches for outreach to prospective students and their families. She engaged and trained current students to take on leadership roles in new-student recruitment. Under her leadership, enrollment at NAU, both in Flagstaff and statewide, increased substantially. Dr. Hughes later taught in the NAU Center for Excellence in Education (today known as the College of Education) where she was lovingly known as “Dr. Mom” and was valued as a supportive and knowledgeable professional in her field.
Dr. Joseph Shepard
Dr. Joseph Shepard earned a Bachelor of Science degree in math education from Northern Arizona University in 1987, Master of Business Administration from the University of North Texas, and a doctorate from Florida International University. Dr. Shepard is a founding member of Florida Gulf Coast University and served over 15 years in senior level leadership positions in higher education. At the time of his departure in 2011, FGCU became a thriving university that had grown to over 460 faculty with a total workforce of nearly 2000 people serving 13,000 students. As of 2014, Dr. Shepard has served as the President of Western New Mexico University.
Dr. Peggy Ver Velde
Dr. Peggy Ver Velde was recruited by Dr. Eugene Hughes to be an integral part of the Center of Excellence in Education (today known as the College of Education) at Northern Arizona University. Dr. Ver Velde was co-creator and director of the NAU “Block” program, an innovative program that brought teacher education to the public schools in Flagstaff and other northern Arizona cities. The program earned NAU’s education curricula a sterling reputation among its peers. To this day, NAU is known for producing some of the best teachers in the state of Arizona thanks to Dr. Ver Velde’s work.
Dr. Ray Ver Velde
Dr. Ray Ver Velde was recruited by Dr. Eugene Hughes to be an integral part of the Center of Excellence in Education (today known as the College of Education) at Northern Arizona University. He served as Associate Dean in charge of building relationships with Arizona K–12 public schools and led the development of the first “statewide” program offerings from NAU. Dr. Ver Velde was acknowledged by the Navajo Nation for his contributions to higher education among Navajo students. He was honored with the Chief Manuelito Award, the highest award given to a non-native.