Jan Allinder Anestis ’67
Morrison Medallion
Jan Allinder Anestis graduated from Transylvania in 1967 with a degree in elementary education, and she earned a master’s degree from New York University. As an educator, Jan taught a wide range of students, including individuals in residential mental health facilities. A lifelong educator, she spent much of her time advocating for children, including her own.
While raising her children, Jan volunteered for a number of civic positions on town boards and was active in her parent-teacher organization. In the mid 1980s, she was elected as a write-in candidate to the nonpartisan Weston, Connecticut, Board of Education. She served on the board for eight years.
Over the years, Jan’s love of writing led to opportunities as a columnist for the Weston Forum, a blog author and, most recently, a novelist and co-author with classmates Wanda Cole, Bill McDonald and others.
A dedicated and longtime supporter of Transylvania, Jan has represented the Class of 1967 for many years, as a reunion gift chair and class agent. She served on the Transylvania Alumni Board from 2007-12 and on the Board of Regents from 2017-23. Jan’s support includes her work as a Together for Transy giving day challenge donor to support diversity and equity initiatives and the student food pantry, as well as playing an important role in generating interest for two endowed scholarships. One of these funds memorialized a Transy friend’s late daughter, and the other served to honor her graduating class.
Brittany Horsley Lauder ’14
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Originally from Bardstown, Kentucky, Brittany Horsley Lauder graduated from Transylvania in 2014 with a B.A in psychology. She earned a B.S in nursing from Spalding University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in nursing practice at the University of Alabama. She works as an acute care registered nurse in Florida and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing.
An active member of Transylvania’s Alpha Omicron Pi chapter during college, Brittany’s service to Transylvania includes several terms on the Young Alumni Council from 2014-21. She chaired the council’s admissions committee and nominating committee before serving as president in 2019-20 and is actively involved each year in the Together for Transy annual day of giving.
A mentor for the 100 Doors to Success program since 2019, Brittany was elected to the Board of Regents in 2021.
Danielle Tharp Clore ’94
Distinguished Achievement Award
Born in Bardstown and spending her middle and high school years in Pineville, Danielle Tharp Clore was able to attend Transylvania thanks to the John R. Bryden Appalachian Scholarship. She graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and received her master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management from the UK Martin School of Public Policy and Administration in 1998.
Danielle’s career in the nonprofit sector began with a part-time job while a student at Transy. Various leadership positions including at Commonwealth Fund for KET, Eastern Kentucky University, Special Olympics Kentucky and Christian Care Communities, helped her identify nonprofits’ need for management resources and a unified public policy voice. She founded what is now known as the Kentucky Nonprofit Network, a state association of charitable nonprofits, in 2002.
Danielle was selected in 2017 by Women Leading Kentucky as a recipient of the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award and was a 2015 finalist for the Excellence in Advocacy Award by the Professional Women in Advocacy Conference, Washington, D.C. She was recognized by the Lane Report as a Top Woman in Business in 2019 and by the Kentucky Gazette as a 2020 Notable Woman in Kentucky Politics and Government.
Lisbon Davis Hardy ’79
Distinguished Achievement Award
Lisbon Davis Hardy graduated with honors and a B.A. in economics before embarking on a successful career in banking. While at Transylvania, she was active in the Student Government Association, the swim team and was president of Delta Delta Delta. That involvement continued after graduation as she has served on all of her five-year reunion planning committees, as a member of the Alumni Board from 1991-97 and as president of the Alumni Board from 1995-96.
Her 43-year career in banking included senior leadership positions at Liberty National, Farmers Bank & Capital Trust, United Bank & Capital Trust and WesBanco. She also served as president of the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce, as a Kentucky Historical Society executive board member and on the Kentucky State Police promotional board, as well as with numerous other boards and organizations. Lisbon was involved at the local, state and national level with the American Diabetes Association and worked locally with the United Way and as the inaugural board chair for CASA-I.
Amit B. Patel ’99
Distinguished Achievement Award
A Transylvania Scholar, Amit was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and Omicron Delta Kappa honor society. After graduating from Transylvania with a B.A. in biology, Amit Patel received a degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and completed a residency in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago.
Amit is double-board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. He is an associate professor in the UK College of Medicine.
Amit participated in research for a novel cardio-thoracic surgical device in 2017 and was named one of the 10 best plastic surgeons in 2018 by the American Institute of Plastic Surgeons. In 2020, Amit was recognized as the Maverick Program Award Recipient at the Miami Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology Conference.
Mary Rankin ’74
Distinguished Achievement Award
Mary Rankin graduated from Transylvania with a degree in business administration and worked in the field, including seven years in manufacturing management at Belden Corporation, until earning an MBA from Vanderbilt in 1983.
Shortly after, she joined General Electric and had a varied 32-year career with roles in manufacturing, marketing, customer service, quality and materials management. She also managed intellectual property and licensing technology to manufacturers outside the United States before retiring from General Electric in 2016.
Erwin Roberts ’94
Distinguished Achievement Award
A native of Meade County, Kentucky, Erwin graduated from Transylvania with a B.A. in history, then earned a law degree at the University of Kentucky in 1997. A former Transy basketball standout, he started his law career in the Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
He has served as the assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky since September 2023 (and from 1999-2004). His career also included several years in state government as the executive director of the state Office of Homeland Security and deputy secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, followed by Personnel Cabinet secretary. Afterward, he spent 16 years in private practice at Frost Brown Todd in Louisville and then on his own before joining the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Jefferson County for six years. Erwin retired as a lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps in December 2023 after 23 years of service.
Erwin served on Transylvania’s Alumni Board from 2001-04 and the Board of Trustees from 2010-13. He has also been active in numerous community-based organizations, such as the Louis D. Brandeis American Inn of Court, Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity and the Norton Healthcare Board of Trustees.
Liz Phearson Fulkerson ’84
Distinguished Service Award
Liz Phearson Fulkerson began her career in banking following graduation from Transylvania. She spent 17 years in retail lending and branch management before stepping into the accounting field. After 16 years working with small businesses, Liz returned to Transylvania, retiring in 2022 as a senior accountant.
While working on campus, Liz also volunteered in a number of ways: with the VITA tax preparation assistance program, on the Staff Engagement Team, as a 100 Doors mentor, a reunion committee member and at events such as PumpkinMania, scholarship interviews and Move-In Day. Liz has also been a member of the Transylvania Women’s Club since 2013.
Ashley Willoughby King ’09
Distinguished Service Award
A native and resident of Mount Sterling, Kentucky, Ashley King is the associate registrar at Transylvania. Ashley graduated with a degree in business administration (hospitality track) and a minor in communications. What started as a work-study position during college has turned into a 15-year career guiding students enrolled at her alma mater. Ashley is also a mentor with the 100 Doors to Success program.
An active member at the First Church of God, Ashley volunteers frequently in the church as well as at Ella’s Outreach, a food pantry in Mount Sterling. She is vice president of the Mapleton Elementary PTO, having previously served two years as president.
Dexter Meyer ’69
Distinguished Service Award
A member of both the Transylvania Choir and Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, Dexter Meyer graduated in 1969 with a B.A. in teaching history, later earning a master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University.
Dexter started teaching for Fayette County Public Schools after graduating from Transylvania. From 1980-82 he was the president of the Fayette County Education Association. In 1984, Dexter took over as the director of communications of Colorado’s Jefferson County Education Association-CEA/NEA, the largest teacher union in the state. While in Colorado, Dexter created the Helping Kids Thrive program, which empowers parents to help their children make good choices. He was instrumental in establishing the Good New Breakfast coalition, a program that celebrates the good that’s happening and positive outcomes within Jefferson County, Colorado, each year.
He retired to Fort Myers, Florida, where he served as president of the Downtown Fort Myers Neighborhood Association.
Dexter has remained involved with Transylvania through the decades. He served as president of the Alumni Board and was part of the university’s Bicentennial Planning Committee in 1980. He has actively participated in the planning of every five-year reunion for the class of 1969, including this year’s 55th reunion.
Larry W. Moore ’74
Distinguished Service Award
A Frankfort native, Larry Moore is a magna cum laude graduate of Transylvania with a double major in psychology and humanities. He spent a year as an independent scholar at the German Literary Archives in Marbach am Neckar under a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service and later pursued graduate work at the University of Kentucky in history of science and medicine. He retired from a long career in Kentucky state government where he served in a variety of managerial, training and advisory capacities.
In 2002, Larry co-founded Broadstone Media LLC, a cultural promotion company, and today serves as publisher of Broadstone Books, a nationwide literary small press, as well as curator of two art galleries.
Larry reconnected with Transylvania in the early 2000s as a participant in a networking event for students. In 2018, he joined the 100 Doors to Success program as a mentor and has enjoyed working with students, providing them internships. In addition to his volunteer work with Transylvania, he served many years as board chair of a financial institution, on the boards of other cultural and civic organizations, and as a classroom consultant for Junior Achievement for 20 years. His late wife, Jane Chancellor Moore ’73, was a fellow Transylvanian.
Shannan Stamper ’94
Distinguished Service Award
A native of Russell, Kentucky, and a William T. Young Scholar, Shannan Stamper made her mark on campus as a member of the choir, the symphonic and pep bands, Phi Mu, Phi Alpha Theta, Omicron Delta Kappa, Order of Omega and the Student Alumni Association. She graduated summa cum laude from Transylvania, majoring in both history and mathematics and received her law degree from Harvard Law School, where she served as a senior editor of the Harvard Environmental Law Review.
Shannan currently serves as deputy general counsel for academics, finance, students and athletics at the University of Kentucky, and she has more than 20 years of legal experience in the public and private sectors. Before joining UK, Shannan practiced law at Brown & Hill PLLC, as general counsel and executive director of legal services for the Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet and as a tax attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati and Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP in Washington, D.C. She also worked as a judicial law clerk for fellow Transylvanian, Karen K. Caldwell, U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Shannan has been actively involved as a graduate, first helping plan her fifth reunion in 1999, and then every five years since. She is a mentor with the 100 Doors program, having been one of the first to participate when the program launched in 2014. She was a member of the Alumni Board from 2016-22 and currently serves on the Board of Regents.
