Lubbock Christian University is proud to announce its 2015 Alumni Awardees: Denny Bullard, Elizabeth Ryan, Tim and Rebecca Talley, Dr. Willie K. Sang, and the LCU Associates. Denny Bullard (’67), Senior Vice President of Operations Services for Pioneer Natural Resources, has been named Lubbock Christian University’s Distinguished Alumnus for 2015 for significant professional and personal achievement. He has responsibility for the operations of Pioneer Pumping Services, the company’s well stimulation fleet, and for Premier Silica, Pioneer’s industrial sand mining operations. In addition, Denny is responsible for the health, safety, environmental services and operations training departments. Pioneer Natural Resources is a large independent oil and natural gas company based in Irving, TX. They are one of the most active drillers in Texas’ Spraberry/Wolfcamp oil field in the Permian basin. Pioneer is also one of the largest natural gas operators in the Rockies and Mid-Continent regions. The company has assests in the coal bed methan-rich Raton Basin as well as the Texas Panhandle gas field. After receiving his associate’s degree from Lubbock Christian College, Denny went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University. Denny currently serves on the Texas Tech University Industry Advisory Board for Petroleum Engineering and the Texas Tech University Dean’s Council. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts. Denny and his wife Patti have two daughters, Laura and DeeAnne, and four grandchildren. Elizabeth (Atkinson ’02) Ryan has been named Young Alumna of the Year in recognition of her professional achievements. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lubbock Christian University with a B.A. in Humanities (emphasis in pre-law) and a minor in Biblical Studies. She received her J.D. cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law, where she served as the executive student writing editor for the "Law Review". Elizabeth focuses her practice on oil and gas matters, including title examination, transactions, operations, and regulatory. She partnered with Joel M. Carson III in creating Carson Ryan LLC after her energy practice grew at a rapid pace in 2012 and 2013. In January2011, Governor Susana Martinez appointed Elizabeth to New Mexico’s Environmental Improvement Board (EIB), where she currently serves as board secretary. She’s also an active member of Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico. She has served on the board for the State Bar of New Mexico Section on Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law and is a trustee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation as well as the New Mexico author for the Foundation’s Mineral Law Newsletter. Elizabeth is a published author on issues ranging from appellate review to oil and gas topics and was the 2011 president of the Chaves County DWI Planning Council. Elizabeth and her husband Zack (’02) have two daughters, Isabelle and Kathryn. Tim (’79) and Rebecca (Henderson ’79) Talley have been selected as recipients of the KC Moser Award for excellence and outstanding service to the church. They met as students and married after graduation from Lubbock Christian College. Tim joined the Broadway Church of Christ team in January of 2013 as the outreach minister and transitioned to the campus/international ministry team in the fall of 2014. He previously served the Broadway Church as singles minister from 1979 to 1985. Tim and Rebecca spent the majority of their life in ministry on the mission field, serving the people of East Africa. For approximately 27 years, 1985 to 2012, they worked with churches and villagers of Kenya and Tanzania, supported by the Broadway Church. Tim’s first 12 years in Kenya saw him involved in a rural work of evangelism, church planting, and leadership training among the Giriama people group, working in their mother tongue. During this period, Jim Beck and Tim started the Uzima Christian Training Center in Malindi, Kenya that continues to serve as a regional training center for Christians of coastal Kenya. The Talleys spent the next eight years living in the city of Mombasa where they began learning and working in the Swahili language. Tim helped Kenyan leaders plant several urban churches and continued his ministry to rural Giriama churches. Tim served for many years as a board member of the Nairobi Great Commission School. In 2006 the Talleys moved to Tanzania where Tim spent his time in leadership training and church maturation. The Talleys worked closely with Pioneer Bible Translators doing “scripture impact” work among the Zigua people group. Rebecca taught rural women in Kigiriama and urban women in Swahili as well as providing counseling support to women with marriage problems. Rebecca joined the Broadway staff in Oct. of 2013 as the associate campus minister. Her primary role has been the administration of the Christ in Action campus center where ministry to students from Texas Tech, LCU, and South Plains College takes place. Many have benefitted from her counseling, mentoring, and teaching. She has, and continues to, serve as one of the coordinators of ISF (International Student Fellowship). She earned her Master’s in Christian Ministry from LCU in December 2014. Tim and Rebecca, have three adult daughters and two young granddaughters. Elizabeth (Libby) Harrison and her husband, Bryan, live in Doro, South Sudan, East Africa ministering with Sudanese refugees under the direction of Pioneer Bible Translators. Elizabeth is a linguist working in translation, literacy development, and trauma healing. Bryan is the North African branch director of PBT, working in translation and church planting. They have two daughters, Annabelle (3) and Mary Katherine (2). Deborah Kirby and her husband, Joshua, live in Abilene, Texas. Deb teaches chemistry and biology at Abilene Cooper High School. Joshua is the CEO of Thrive, an organization dedicated to finding and fighting the root causes of poverty. Abigail Talley is in nursing school in the Dallas area. Dr. Willie K. Sang (’75 to ’78), Chief Research Officer at Kenya Medical Research Institute, has been named recipient of the Gary and Pat Estep Award in recognition of excellence and outstanding contributions to the sciences. He is the principal investigator for the Walter Reed Project and East African Public Health Laboratory Networking Project (EAPHLNP). He also serves as the head of the Center for Microbiology Research (CMR). Dr. Sang earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya (2003 to 2007), a Masters in Medical Microbiology from the London School of Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom (1987 to 1988) and a Bachelors in Microbiology from Texas Tech University USA (1978 to 1981). While a student, he was active in campus life and was a member of the Lubbock Christian University cross country team, being named all-American in 1977. In addition to his studies, Sang received extensive training at the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, the Osaka Medical School in Japan and Gifu Medical School, Japan and was attached at the Public Health Laboratories at Collindale, UK. He is credited with numerous publications. Dr. Sang also serves as the following:

• The principal investigator for the Global Emerging Infections Surveillance & Response System Enteric project
• KEMRI Committee member for advocating for rights of people with disabilities
• Coordinator to the World Bank/East African Public Health Laboratory Networking Project (EAPHLN) Regional Advisory Panel (RAP)
• A.G. Director for the Centre for Microbiology Research (CMR)

He and his wife Maggie have four children, Elmore, Nellie, Liz, and Abigail. LCU Associates have been named recipient of the 2015 FW Mattox Award in recognition of its long history of excellence and outstanding service to the university. The organizational meeting for the Associates occurred on April 29, 1958, in the LCU cafetorium barracks. One of the first projects was to sew curtains for the windows. By October of that year there were 900 charter members. Many are still active participants. The organization has raised almost $3 million for LCU. Some of the contributions include construction of the home economics building (currently home to the Behavioral Sciences Department), renovation of the Arnett House, remodeling of Johnson Hall, refurbishing Katie Rogers Hall, painting the president's home, landscaping, furniture, office renovations, and parking lots. Each year, the Associates fund unbudgeted items for departments and offices. Their ongoing project is providing funds for the library to purchase books and other media requested by the faculty. Funds were also raised to convert the library card catalog to an online catalog. The Arnett House was moved to the LCU campus in 1957 to coincide with the opening of the college. It served the college as the first administration building, and later was used for housing, offices, a counseling center, print shop, photo lab, and the psychology/sociology department. It is still in use today, continually being maintained by the Associates, and is a welcome reminder of how LCU has grown through the years. In 2014, the Lubbock Historic Society made application for the house to be designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, recognizing that the property is of local, regional, or state significance. The Associates will celebrate the 100th birthday of the Arnett House in 2015.