Hall of Fame | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

We’re proud of our NAU College of Social and Behavioral Sciences alumni

The Hall of Fame recognizes SBS alumni who have made significant contributions to the university, community, or their career. These renowned innovators have left an indelible mark, not only on NAU but on the world, and they all began their journeys as Lumberjacks. This annual award is presented to all inductees Homecoming weekend.

Nominate a deserving alumni for Hall of Fame SBS Hall of Fame 2024 nomination form

Award description
Northern Arizona University’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Hall of Fame award recognizes SBS alumni who have made significant contributions in their career, to the university, or to their community. These change-makers are aligned with NAU’s mission, vision and core values; and are making positive impacts to society. The Hall of Fame award is presented to inductees each year during Homecoming.

Award qualifications

A graduate of NAU’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Outstanding success in his/her/their professional career and/or service to the university or community.
Nominee aligns with NAU’s mission, vision, and core values; and is proud to be a Lumberjack.

Please note: The nominator is unable to nominate themselves.

Nomination Deadline: April 15, 2024

Hall of Fame nomination form

2023 Honored Alumni & Hall of Fame

A Homecoming tradition, the Honored Alumni and Hall of Fame Ceremony celebrates alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their careers and extraordinary dedication to the university through leadership, vision, creativity, generosity, and increasing NAU’s reputation and impact in the larger community.

The 2023 Honored Alumni and Hall of Fame ceremony was during Homecoming Weekend on Friday, October 27, 2023. Read more about the award winners below, and nominate a deserving Lumberjack for next year’s awards.

President’s Alumni Awards

LuAnn Harris Leonard

1983 BS Applied Sociology and 2017 Honorary Doctorate

A descendant of the Tohono O’odham Nation and of the Alwungwa (Deer) Clan from the Hopi Village of Sichomovi, LuAnn Harris Leonard has dedicated her career to supporting the well-being of Native Americans in the region. She served as the director of the Hopi Tribe’s Office of Youth Affairs and as staff assistant to the Hopi chairman. Currently the executive director of the Hopi Education Endowment Fund, Ms. Leonard oversees a fund of more than $28 million. Ms. Leonard was the first Native American appointed to the Arizona Board of Regents, where she served from 2008–2016. She volunteers and participates with many NAU organizations and events, focusing her efforts on strengthening Native American initiatives. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from NAU in 2017 and was named to the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Hall of Fame in 2016.

2023 Hall of Fame

Scott Farrow

1985 BS Political Science

Following his father’s footsteps as an NAU Alumna, Scott matriculated to NAU. He graduated in 1985 with a B.S. in Political Science and Psychology. While a part of SBS, he served as president of both the Political Science and Psychology Honor Societies (having re-founded the Psychology Honor Society that had been dormant for several years). At graduation, he was honored to lead the May 1985 SBS graduates into Walkup Skydome carrying the SBS banner.

During his time as president of the Political Science HS, he masterminded an interdisciplinary seminar called, “Boom” as a follow-up to the most watch TV movie of its era, The Day After (about nuclear fallout). The seminar addressed the physical, emotional, and political consequences of a nuclear attack and included professors from the Political Science, Psychology, Physics, Geology, and Chemistry areas. Approximately 200 students attended the seminar.

After NAU, Scott graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1988. He joined a law firm as the 25th hire and became a shareholder after six years, with the firm growing to over 80 lawyers. After 17 years with the firm, he felt the pull of public service and joined the U.S. Department of Justice as a trial attorney in the Las Vegas Office of the United States Trustee Program (USTP) component (a litigating unit that prosecutes fraud and abuse in the federal bankruptcy courts). Eventually, he served as the manager of that office as the Assistant United States Trustee.

For the last 14 years, he has served as the Chief Learning Officer of the component. As part of his duties, he manages the Department’s National Bankruptcy Training Institute (NBTI). When he started as CLO, NBTI produced 10-12 in-person training per year. Since then, it has expanded into a dynamic, relevant, and engaging learning opportunity for leaders, prosecutors, and their teams. Learning happens in both real and virtual environments, as well as on-demand, through an innovative and accessible platform. The learning platform also functions as a meeting place of ideas for leaders and front-line employees.

For example, just over the last several years, NBTI has produced over 110 on-demand learning videos, and it now averages three live learning events per week.

Scott facilitates leadership and professional development, employing effective communications and professional responsibility. He authored Mastering Perfect Performance: The Art of Creating Enthusiastic Understanding and developed a first-of-its-kind tool for evaluating learning delivery options.

Scott is also the voice of professionalism and professional responsibility for the USTP, leading a robust and inspiring discussion at virtually every in-person learning event. His certifications include Master Training, Expert Coach, Master of Instructional Design, and martial arts instruction. With his Covey certifications, Scott facilitates the 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, the 7 Habits for Managers, Leading and Working at the Speed of Trust, the 4 Essentials of Leadership, Great Leaders, the 5 Choices of Extraordinary Productivity, and Project Management.

Since becoming CLO, he has continuously been recognized with a Superior Sustained Performance Award annually.

Dr. Michael Bayless

1970 BS Psychology & Chemistry and 1972 MED School Psychology

Honored posthumously

Dr. Michael Brad Bayless was born June 7, 1948, in Portsmouth, Ohio. He was the first member of his family to earn an advanced degree. Dr. Bayless was awarded an academic scholarship in 1966 and decided to attend Northern Arizona University (NAU). With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 occurring just two years prior, NAU had a very small population of African-American students when Dr. Bayless arrived on campus, and of them, only a few were non-athletes like him. He had a natural ability for math and science and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in both Chemistry and Psychology in 1970. Dr. Bayless credits NAU’s Chair of the Psychology Department at the time for changing the course of his career path by inviting him to enroll in NAU’s psychology graduate program. Dr. Bayless went year round and completed his Master’s Degree in Psychology in 1971. Dr. Bayless subsequently attended Arizona State University where he completed his PhD in Counseling Psychology in 1976.

Dr. Bayless provided an Oral History Interview for NAU’s Cline Library on July 5, 2011 before his passing in 2015. Some of the discussion highlights included: 1) Dr. Bayless was a founding member of Kappa Alpha Psi and many of those gentlemen remained his lifelong friends; 2) Racism was prevalent on campus and at times Dr. Bayless felt very isolated; 3) NAU provided a doorway to a better life, and Dr. Bayless’ successful career was an example of what an education could provide; 4) Dr. Bayless felt NAU’s smaller class sizes produced better students as he and his classmates were provided with more individualized attention; and 5) Dr. Bayless wouldn’t have traded his NAU education for the world as it provided stepping stones for his life journey.

Regarding his professional career, Dr. Bayless was a nationally known forensic psychologist. He testified in complex criminal matters for both the prosecution and defense. He testified in courtrooms in, Arizona, California, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and in the nationally covered Wayne Williams trial in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Bayless involvement in the Williams trial was highlighted in the book “Mindhunter” which later became a Netflix series as well as the HBO series “Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children”. He was very respected for his knowledge and his ability to testify in a manner that jurors could understand.

Dr. Bayless was a trailblazer and advocate of mental healthcare in Arizona and founded Bayless Integrated Healthcare (Bayless) in 1982 with the vision of creating a place where people from all walks of life could come for compassionate care. Dr. Bayless was a pioneer of a comprehensive, integrated healthcare delivery system that addresses all patients’ mental and physical care needs under one roof. Dr. Bayless believed that taking care of your mind was equally as important as taking care of your body. Bayless offered emotional and behavioral healthcare, primary care, pediatric care, addiction treatment, psychiatry, and counseling services for all ages and socioeconomic classes. It is important to note that Bayless was already a leader in providing online telehealth care well before the medical profession turned to telecommunications technologies for healthcare services during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Bayless left behind a legacy not only through the practice, but also in the memories of humor and genuine care for everyone he met. Dr. Bayless was not only devoted to his family and the community he served; he was an avid golfer and jazz music enthusiast. His infectious personality and humor lit up every room he walked into. He will always be remembered for his mission to provide help for those who would not have received much-needed care otherwise.