Salisbury, MD —Six lifetime Sea Gulls making major contributions to their communities — in areas including athletics, the environment, education, history, medicine business and more — were lauded during the Salisbury University Alumni Association’s annual awards ceremony.
Winners were recognized in four categories: Gulls of the Last Decade (GOLD), Alumni Leadership, Service to Society and Lifetime Achievement.
Gulls of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award
Gulls of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award honors SU graduates within 10 years of earning their degrees in recognition of a commitment to excellence in post-collegiate life and a significant or ongoing commitment to extraordinary work, research or volunteerism.
This year’s recipients included Luke Campbell ’16, Nicole Lehmer ’14, and Jennifer Ports ’19.
As an SU student-athlete, Campbell won 11 NCAA track and field championships, the most in NCAA history. After graduation, he began a professional track and field career in Germany, with accomplishments including competing for Germany in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021 due to COVID-19), where he made the semifinals and finished 11th overall, and at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He has given back to SU and the greater community, returning to campus to speak about his time as a student-athlete and an Olympic competitor.
A scientific programs coordinator at the American Geophysical Union, Lehmer has collaborated with partners to expand the organization’s meeting portfolio to convene science and enable collaboration, supporting the world’s largest international Earth and space science meeting. Her background in political science and environmental policy has molded her policy-informed approach to program implementation. As a senior program specialist for Girls Scouts Nation’s Capital, she also provides program offerings for more than 6,000 teenage Girl Scouts in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
A special education teacher at Sudlersville (MD) Elementary School, Port received the Queen Anne’s County Public Schools New Teacher of the Year Award in 2021. She has created a comfortable, inclusive environment for her students, who have shown vast improvement in their education and social skills. She also works with special education students during the summer, enhancing their reading, writing and mathematics skills, and continues to check in on and support students during weekends and long breaks, and after they graduate to middle school.
Alumni Leadership Award
The Alumni Leadership Award recognizes alumni who participate in the life of SU through personal involvement on leadership committees, association with the student body and engaging with fellow alumni, augmented by their enhancement to the University’s financial welfare. This year’s recipient was Steve Shriver, ’74.
Earning his degree in history from SU, Shriver is a retired senior page and financial assistant with the U.S. Senate. As a student, he played a pivotal role in creating and developing SU’s student radio station. As an alumnus, he has continued to foster connections with alumni and supporters through radio reunion events. He also has participated in a number of other alumni activities in Washington, D.C., as well as campus events such as Alumni Homecoming.
A member of the Salisbury Circle, recognizing $1,000-plus in annual giving to the University, he and his wife, Donna, established the Steven C. Shriver Outstanding History Student Award. He also is a supporter of SU’s Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture.
Service to Society Award
The Service to Society Award is presented to alumni demonstrating contributions of service made for the betterment of society in a professional or volunteer capacity. This year’s recipient was Chaplin Cooper ’09, ’13.
A hospital chaplain at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional medical center in Salisbury for the past seven years, Cooper has served the facility for 14 years, including seven as a volunteer. He also has donated his time to organizations including the American Red Cross and health department-led Wicomico/Somerset Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and provides services at Alyria Health Care in Pocomoke City, MD, and Community Behavioral Health in Salisbury. In addition, he serves as a teacher’s assistant with Wicomico County Public Schools, and as a firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Salisbury Fire Department.
Hey stays connected to his Alma Mater as a social work intern supervisor. In addition to his interdisciplinary studies and social work degrees at SU, he earned a Master of Divinity in chaplaincy from Liberty University and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in community care and counseling with a focus on family and marriage therapy.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to alums who have demonstrated long-term success in their careers and who exemplify the attributes of an SU graduate in areas such as leadership, citizenship, community service and/or service to their businesses or industries.
This year’s honoree was developer Palmer Gillis ’75.
At age 30, Gillis left a secure position to start his own successful company, Gillis Builders, Inc., specializing in commercial and industrial projects. His dedication to revitalizing downtown Salisbury earned him recognition from influential local leaders who encouraged him to run for office himself. Gillis served on the Salisbury City Council from 1996-2000, representing the city on the Salisbury-Wicomico Planning and Zoning Commission during the latter part of his term.
He also has been involved in many local organizations including TidalHealth, serving in leadership roles with the Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development Corp., Downtown Salisbury Association and Salisbury Jaycees. A leading philanthropist in the region, he donated the Plaza Gallery Building and annex to SU in 2015, with business partner Tony Gilkerson, leading to the development of SU Downtown. He continues to make significant contributions to both his profession and his community.
Faculty Appreciation Awards
Also recognized during the ceremony were this year’s Faculty Appreciation Award recipients. They included Drs. Tina Reid (Nursing) in the College of Health and Human Services, Carolina Bown (Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies) in the Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts, Mark de Socio (Geography and Geosciences) in the Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology, Mike Koval (Accounting and Legal Studies) in the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business, and Diana Wagner (Education Leadership) in the Samuel W. and Marilyn C. Seidel School of Education.
In their nominations, alumni frequently gave eloquent and heartfelt praise to this year’s recipients, whom many said helped shape their experiences at SU.
Reid “constantly checked up on me, even after graduation” and “has helped me reach the goals I set for myself,” said one former student. “I hope many more future nurses get to have her as a mentor.”
Bown has “a love for teaching” and “the energy, enthusiasm and tremendous ability to connect with all her students,” said a former student. “Professor Bown clearly exhibited attributes graduates like myself could take with them into their careers, including hard work, perseverance and determination. It is safe to say she made a difference in the lives of her students.”
De Socio “cares about his students,” said an alum. “From the very first class, I enjoyed his expertise, his humor and his sometimes quite animated ways of presenting material. Dr. De’s lectures provided me with an education about world, political and economic history, as well as geography, that I often draw on today.”
Koval “did a great job breaking down topics to ensure his students understood the material, all while making the topics very interesting,” said a former student. “He taught me things that I now use in my career every day. One of the best professors I had in my four years at SU, hands down.”
Wagner “left an everlasting impression of the responsibility, character and commitment needed to be a postsecondary education professional,” said an alum. “I will forever be grateful for her mentorship and shared knowledge in the Master of Education program.”
For more information about alumni engagement at SU, visit www.salisbury.edu/alumni.
Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at www.salisbury.edu.
Photo IDs in Featured Image:
Top, from left: Jayme Block ’97, M’99, SU associate vice president for alumni engagement and development; SU Alumni Association President Austin Whitehead ’14, M’15; Alumni Award recipients Jennifer Ports ’19, Chaplin Cooper ’09, and Palmer Gillis ’75; Faculty Appreciation Award recipient Michael Koval; SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre, and Jason Curtin ’98, SU vice president of advancement and executive director of the SU Foundation, Inc. Front, from left: Faculty Appreciation Award recipients Carolina Bown, Diana Wagner and Tina Reid; and SU Alumni Award recipients Steve Shriver ’74 and Nicole Lehmer ’14
