2012 Hall of Fame
Success stories from NAU’s Social and Behavioral Sciences alumni
The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Northern Arizona University is proud to share stories of our graduates who have gone on to make a difference in the world.
Ernest Calderón
1979 BS Political Science
Ernest Calderón is a sixth generation resident of what was New Mexico Territory, the son of the late Albert (a copper miner) and Nellie (a cook) Calderón. He is a native of Morenci, Arizona and a graduate of Northern Arizona University, the University of Arizona College of Law, and earned his doctorate at the University of Southern California in 2020.
He has practiced law for 40 years and practices in all Arizona courts as well as federal courts situated in Arizona, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and other U.S. Circuit Courts. Mr. Calderón founded Calderón Law Offices in 2004 after practicing with a large Phoenix law firm, with two companies as corporate counsel and as a federal law clerk. He is “AV Preeminent” rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Calderón served as President of the State Bar of Arizona in 2002-03 – the first person of Hispanic origin to serve as President since the Bar’s founding in 1933. He served as one of the State Bar of Arizona delegates to the American Bar Association House of Delegates and served two terms nominating candidates to the Arizona appellate bench as a member of the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. In 2002 Ernest received national recognition when the Hispanic National Bar Association named him as the Latino Lawyer of the Year.
Ernest has been involved in education policy matters for over twenty years. He served an eight year plus term and is Regent Emeritus of the Arizona Board of Regents. Ernest serves on the Council of Board Chairs of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (“AGB”). He has over twenty-nine years of experience in representing geographically diverse, school districts (public and private), universities and community colleges throughout the southwest. He has served as adjunct faculty at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University and Phoenix College (part of the Maricopa County Community College District). He served on former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s School Readiness and P-20 Councils. Ernest is an active board member of the Northern Arizona University Foundation and is a member of the WESTEd educational laboratory board of directors.
Mr. Calderón’s community involvement and honors include the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 Man of the Year Award; Eagle Scout; Past President of the Grand Canyon Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a Silver Beaver recipient; American Red Cross past board member; Northern Arizona University Foundation board member; Past President of Valley Leadership; Valley Leadership’s 2004 Man of the Year for metropolitan Phoenix; past board member of the Arizona Community Foundation and past Chairman of the Catholic Community Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. Mr. Calderón is a Knight Commander with Star in the Papal Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. He is the proud father of four children: an Electrical Engineer, Lawyer, Lawyer, and Journalist respectively.
Cheryl Casone
1992 BS Public Relations
Cheryl Casone joined FOX Business Network (FBN) as an anchor in September 2007. She’s the host of “American Dream Home” on FBN, Wednesdays at 9pm ET. Casone is also a financial contributor on FOX News Channel (FNC) and provides weekly job reports.
Previously, Casone served as a co-host of FBN:AM (weekdays 5 AM/ET). Casone has multiple years of experience covering finance, business and consumer news. She has reported on the economic impact of war on the economy, consumer fraud, global markets, foreign investment and corporate governance in addition to her work covering the U.S. markets.
Prior to FBN, she worked as a freelance business correspondent for CNN, primarily reporting from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and she worked for CBS Newspath as a general assignment reporter. Casone moved to New York to work as an overnight and early morning news anchor for MSNBC and NBC. Previously, she anchored a business show for San Francisco’s KRON-TV (MyNetworkTV) and served as a business and general assignment reporter. She began her career at CNX Media on the nationally syndicated program “Travel Update.”
Casone has served on the boards of the Associated Press Television and Radio Association, California and Nevada Regional Chapter, and American Women in Radio and Television, San Francisco Chapter.
A native of Dallas, TX, Casone graduated from Northern Arizona University.
Lattie F. Coor
1959 BS Social Science
Lattie F. Coor, President-Emeritus, Ernest W. McFarland Arizona Heritage Chair in Leadership and Public Policy and Professor of Public Affairs at Arizona State University, is Chairman and CEO of the Center for the Future of Arizona. For the previous 26 years, he served as a University President, most recently at Arizona State University from 1990 to 2002, and as President of the University of Vermont from 1976 to 1989. He has held positions with a variety of higher education associations, boards, and commissions. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arizona and is a member of the Greater Phoenix Leadership Council.
An Arizona native, Coor was born in Phoenix and graduated with high honors from Northern Arizona University in 1958. He pursued graduate studies in Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, earning a master’s degree in 1960 and a Ph.D. in 1964. He has honorary degrees from Marlboro College, American College of Greece, the University of Vermont and Northern Arizona University.
Elizabeth Driscoll
1986 BA Telecommunications
Elizabeth L. Driscoll graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Telecommunications degree in 1986. She served as Vice-President of Public Relations at GoDaddy, the world’s largest web hosting and internet domain name provider for twelve years before launching The Star PR, LLC.
After growing up in rural Cheboygan, Michigan, the Ponderosa Pine campus of Northern Arizona University instantly felt like a home-away-from-home. She was recruited to attend N.A.U. on a basketball scholarship as a member of the NCAA Division I team, known then as the “Lumber Jills.” Elizabeth benefited from Title IX, federal legislation aimed at giving girls the same opportunities as boys. She was once featured on the cover of the Detroit Free Press sports page for being the “only girl” at an all-boys NBA basketball camp, which helped spark her interest in the media.
Elizabeth’s professional news career began in 1987 at Flagstaff’s KAFF radio. She moved to television two years later, covering breaking news for KNAZ TV. She provided extensive coverage of the notorious Jennifer Wilson murder case, which involved child abduction and Arizona’s first-ever murder trial involving DNA evidence.
Elizabeth went on to an Emmy-award winning television news management career, spending six years each at KVOA in Tucson and KPHO in Phoenix. She served on the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Board of Governors and later produced pieces for NBC Nightly News and the Today Show, before making the transition into public relations.
In 2005, Elizabeth joined GoDaddy.com, a technology company known around the world for its media-savvy Super Bowl ad campaigns. Elizabeth’s PR work has been seen on virtually every national network news and entertainment program. She worked on the launch of Danica Patrick’s GoDaddy career and handled PR events with the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Joan Rivers and His Royal Highness Prince Andrew.
Elizabeth loves the outdoors. She has paddled Quartzite Falls in Arizona’s Salt River Canyon and rowed Grand Canyon’s Crystal Rapids and Lava Falls, known as the steepest drop in North America. She is always eager to be in Flagstaff to bike Shultz Pass, ski Arizona’s Snowbowl or make the rounds to Flagstaff’s finest hangouts, such as the Weatherford Hotel.
She traveled internationally as part of a humanitarian mission with Hope for Haiti and enjoyed philanthropic work in support of Parkinson’s research, Make-A-Wish and the Southwest Center for HIV/Aids.
Her parents, both teachers, inspired values of education and hard work. Elizabeth taught news writing at N.A.U. and returned to her alma mater to speak as a scholar-athlete.