Honored Alumni
College Honor Alumnus/Alumna Award
Each year, the Colorado State University Alumni Association honors outstanding alumni from each of the university’s eight colleges. Honor Alumni are former students who, by their distinguished career and service to the University, state, nation, or world, have brought honor to Colorado State University and to themselves.
The ideal candidate must:
- be a former student from their respective college
- have a record of distinction and accomplishment in their field
- have demonstrated service to the university, state, nation or world
- have demonstrated achievements that have brought honor to CSU and to themself
Kristie and Jim Docheff
2021 Recipients
Kristie Dixon and Jim Docheff Jr. met at CSU in 1980 and built their lives on two shared passions: family and agriculture. They both come from fourth-generation agricultural families: Jim Docheff grew up on a dairy farm in Broomfield, Colorado; Kristie Docheff on a feedlot in Parker, Colorado. After graduation, Jim Docheff worked as a research associate at the CSU Dairy Research Center before he and Kristie Docheff bought 35 dairy cows of their own, and a few years later, purchased an 80-acre dairy farm in Mead, Colorado. Over the past 33 years, their farm has grown… Read More
Mark Swanson
2019 Recipient
Mark Swanson earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture business in 1986, followed by an executive M.B.A. He is a past president of the CSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, a member of the CSU CIS Advisory Board, and a past member of the CSU Institute for Entrepreneurship Board of Directors. In addition, he serves on the CSU College of Agricultural Sciences Dean’s Leadership Council. Since 2008, Swanson has served as the chief executive officer at Birko, a leader in food safety, and he is passionate about offering innovative chemistry and equipment solutions, supported by the best in technical expertise, to help companies save lives, reduce risks, and protect brands… Read More
Karl Hoppess
2017 Recipient
Born into an original family of Texas in 1938, Hoppess began his love with agriculture as a 12-year-old working summers and holidays on a ranch in central Texas. He became a devoted Aggie at Colorado A&M in August 1956. His life in the professional and business world began when he earned his bachelor’s degree in soil science from CSU and expanded upon his receiving a Doctor of Jurisprudence from SMU and being hired in Houston in 1963 to work as a trial lawyer… Read More.
Stuart Ross
2016 Recipient
Stuart Ross was born and raised on a cotton and cattle farm in Rhodesia. After completing his national service in the Rhodesian air force, and working for three years on the family farm, Ross attended Colorado State University and obtained a Bachelor of Science in agronomy and an M.B.A. Between degrees, Stuart worked as a research associate in the Department of Agronomy at CSU… Read More
Dale McCall
2015 Recipient
McCall has been involved in the agricultural industry for his entire life. McCall was active in the Future Farmers of America in high school in Yuma, Colo., where he received a number of awards and served as the chapter vice president and chapter president.
McCall went on to Northeastern Junior College to pursue his lifelong dream of being an agriculture teacher. While at NJC, McCall was a varsity football player, Livestock Judge of the Year, and student body president. McCall transferred to Colorado State University, majored in agricultural education, and served as president of Alpha Tau Alpha. He has taught high school agriculture for a number of years and has also taught animal science at NJC… Read More
Clinton Pilcher
2014 Recipient
Dr. Clinton Pilcher has spent most of his career working to improve insect pest management options for farmers. Dr. Pilcher’s interest in entomology started when, as a young boy, he worked in corn and wheat fields with his father, an Extension entomologist. He has dedicated his professional career to developing insect control solutions created through agricultural biotechnology. His ultimate goal is to help farmers globally manage these valuable tools in a sustainable manner in order to meet future food production needs… Read More
Paul Skinner
2013 Recipient
Paul Skinner’s influence in the world of wine comes from the deep perspective of someone who is a soil scientist, agronomist, researcher, and innovator. After earning a bachelor’s degree in water resource management from the University of Wisconsin, a master’s degree in agronomy from Colorado State University, and a doctorate in soil science from U.C. Davis, he began to investigate and develop new and improved technologies for data collection, analysis, and interpretation that removed a lot of the uncertainty from vineyard management… Read More
Vaughn Cook
2012 Recipient
Vaughn Myron Cook was raised in Southeastern Colorado, where he grew up helping on the family farm and looking after their Thoroughbred racehorses.
He then went to work for B.W. Pickett at CSU’s Equine Reproduction Laboratory, eventually working on the lab’s landmark research projects in equine reproduction and embryo transfer. When Dr. Pickett and James L. Voss formed a stallion reproduction consulting service, Cook traveled… Read More
Scott Hoffman Black
2011 Recipient
Scott Hoffman Black is the accomplished director of both large and small science-based conservation groups and campaigns. He has an extensive background in designing and implementing programs to protect biological diversity and to conserve habitat for threatened and endangered species.
Since 2000, Black has been executive director of The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, Ore. Mr. Black works to bring together scientists, farmers, wildlife managers, and landowners around the country and overseas, with the twin goals of economic and environmental viability… Read More