Hall of Fame
We’re proud of our NAU College of Social and Behavioral Sciences alumni
Some of the greatest minds have gotten their higher education at Northern Arizona University. From top assemblymen to a professional counselor, they all began their journeys as Lumberjacks. These renowned innovators have left an indelible mark not only on NAU but on the world.
Hall of Fame 2019
The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences nomination form for the 2019 Alumni Hall of Fame is now open. This annual award is presented to all inductees the weekend of Homecoming, October 25 to October 27, 2019. Nominations for the 2019 Hall of Fame inductees will be accepted through May 1, 2019. The Hall of Fame recognizes NAU SBS alumni who have made significant contributions to the university, community, or their career.
Inductees 2018
The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences enjoys sharing stories of our 2018 inductees who have gone on to make a difference in the world.
President’s Alumni Award – Kipyego “Kip” Cheluget Accordion Closed
Kipyego “Kip” Cheluget
Kipyego “Kip” Cheluget1984 Political Sciences;
Ambassador, Assistant Secretary General (Programmes)
Ambassador Dr. Kipyego Cheluget was appointed COMESA Assistant Secretary General (Programmes) by the Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Kampala, Uganda in November 2012. Dr. Cheluget, formerly Kenya’s High Commissioner to Zambia and Malawi and Permanent Representative to COMESA, joined the Secretariat in February 2013.
He is a long serving diplomat, and is formerly the Deputy High Commissioner of Kenya to New Delhi, India.
This appointment is a record of sorts for him noting that this is his third stint in Regional Economic Communities. He served at IGAD as Chief, Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution officer in the late 90s before joining the East African Community as Deputy Secretary-General for Projects and Programmes from 2001-2007. He also served in various capacities at Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as Director, Foreign Service Institute, Asia and Australasia, Middle East, Research and as Deputy Chief of Protocol.
Dr. Kipyego’s academic background includes a doctorate in Political Science from Northern Arizona University, and BSc and MSc degrees from Illinois State University, all in the USA. He has also previously taught at Kenyatta, Moi and USIU universities in Kenya.
The new Assistant Secretary-General is motivated by his desire to see greater regional integration, following the shameful partition of Africa more than a century ago. He believes COMESA has the best chance to achieve this objective for Africa, especially when the COMESA-EAC-SADC tripartite arrangements come to fruition.
He is married to Ruth and is blessed with adult children.
Jonathan Nez – Vice President of Navajo Nation Accordion Closed
Jonathan Nez
2002 BS Political Sciences, 2005 MA Public Administration
Vice President of Navajo Nation
Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez was born in Tuba City, Arizona and raised in Shonto, Arizona. Vice President Nez is married to Phefelia Herbert-Nez and they have two children, Christopher and Alexander. He is the son of John H. Nez and Mabel H. Nez. His grandfather, H.T. Donald, was the former Navajo Nation Council Delegate for Shonto Chapter, and his grandmother was Mae Donald from Shonto.
Vice President Nez is born into the Áshįįhí Clan (Salt People) and born for the Ta’neeszahnii Clan (Tangle clan). His maternal grandfather’s clan is Tódích’íi’nii Clan (Bitter Water Clan) and his paternal grandfather’s clan is the Táchii’nii Clan (Red-Running-Into-The-Water Clan).
Vice President Nez began his political career after being elected as Shonto Chapter Vice President. He was later elected to serve three terms as a Navajo Nation Council Delegate, representing the chapters of Shonto, Oljato, Tsah Bi Kin and Navajo Mountain. Vice President Nez was also elected as a Navajo County Board of Supervisor for District 1 and served two terms (he had to resign after he was elected Navajo Nation Vice President).
With more than 10 years of dedicated public service, Vice President Nez was asked to be a running mate to Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye. On April 21, 2015, the Navajo people elected President Begaye and Vice President Nez to be their leaders for the next four years. On May 12, they took the oath of office and began serving as the Navajo Nation President and Vice President.
Vice President Nez believes strongly in education. He is currently a doctoral student in political science and completed research on local empowerment and mobilizing local communities of the Navajo Nation to reinstate their inherent local way of governance. His research focuses on the reduction of dependence on the central tribal government, upholding and enhancing the local inherent sovereignty of the chapter areas. He is an alumni of Northland Pioneer College and Northern Arizona University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and a Masters of Public Administration from NAU.
Vice President Nez is an avid runner and advocate for healthy living. He enjoys training and competing in long-distance events, and has competed in multiple marathons. Vice President Nez participated in the 2015 Running for a Stronger and Healthier Navajo Nation, a 435-mile run circling the Navajo Nation. He ran more than 150 miles for the event. His current goal is to run a marathon in each of the 50 states.
Katrina Rogers – President of Fielding Graduate University Accordion Closed
Katrina Rogers
1992 Political Sciences
President of Fielding Graduate University
Katrina S. Rogers, PhD, is President of Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif., known for transformational learning in psychology, leadership and education, and as the home of the Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, and Education and the Worldwide Network for Gender Empowerment. As faculty, Dr. Rogers has taught in global environmental politics and policy, social movements, research, and theory.
With doctorates in political science and history from Northern Arizona University, she led the European campus for Thunderbird School of Global Management in Geneva, Switzerland, for a decade, working with the Red Cross, World Trade Organization, United Nations Development Program, and European Union, and developing externships for students at Renault, Nestle, and EuroDisney (now Disneyland Paris). Dr. Rogers has also worked in fundraising and program development with the Arboretum at Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon Trust, and currently serves on the Boards of the Toda Institute for Global Policy & Peace Research, the Public Dialogue Consortium, and Prescott College. She received a Presidential post-doctoral fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation and was a Fulbright scholar to Germany, where she taught environmental politics and history.
Anthony “Tony” Gibson – Executive Director of Federal Relations for the University of Pittsburgh Accordion Closed
Anthony “Tony” Gibson
2001 Political Sciences
Executive Director of Federal Relations for the University of Pittsburgh
Mr. Gibson serves as Executive Director of Federal Relations for the University of Pittsburgh, serving as the point of contact to Federal policy makers and running the University’s Washington, DC office.
Mr. Gibson joined Pitt from his fifteen year tenure at the National Science Foundation, where he served as Senior Advisor for Legislative Affairs in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. His duties included oversight of Congressional processes relating to the Foundation, including liaison responsibilities for members of Congress and senior Congressional staff. He joined the Foundation after serving as a senior advisor to three Presidential Science Advisors in the White House Office Science and Technology Policy (1997-2002).
Before serving in the White House, Mr. Gibson worked in several key policy positions in the Senate and House of Representatives (1992-1997). He finished his tenure on Capitol Hill serving as a Legislative Director overseeing the legislative strategy and policy direction for a member of the House Science Committee.
Mr. Gibson graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. He completed his Master of Arts, with Distinction, in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, as well as post-graduate executive-level training at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the U.S. Government’s Federal Executive Institute.