Southeast Alumni, Faculty to be Honored with 2024 Merit Awards

Alumni Merit Awards have been presented annually since 1958 to SEMO alumni who have brought distinction to themselves and the University.

Current members of the Copper Dome Society are provided 2 complimentary tickets to the dinner and additional tickets are $40 each. Make your reservation to attend today by calling (573) 651-2259.

Alumni Merit Award recipients:

• Jason E. Lane
• Lew Miltenberger
• Roosevelt Mitchell III

Distinguished Service Award recipient:

• Tiffany Rodriguez

Distinguished Young Alumni Award recipient:

• Tara Meyer

Faculty Merit Award recipientfor excellence in teaching:

• Laura Hatcher, associate professor in SEMO's Department of Political Science, Philosophy and Religion

Dr. Jason Lane '99 / Alumni Merit Award

Dr. Jason E. Lane graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in political science and business administration and has developed a 20-year career as an award-winning scholar, best-selling author, professor and public higher education leader.

After graduation from SEMO, Dr. Lane obtained a Master of Arts in political science and government and a Doctor of Philosophy from Pennsylvania State University. He later held senior leadership positions at the State University of New York (SUNY), including vice provost of the SUNY System, deputy director of the Rockefeller Institute of Government and dean of the School of Education at SUNY Albany. He also served as the dean of the College of Education, Health and Society at Miami University.

During his time at SUNY, Dr. Lane founded SUNY's Academic and Innovative Leadership (SAIL) Institute and has led leadership programs for the American Council on Education, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the National Association of Higher Education Systems.

Dr. Lane is nationally recognized for his leadership and has served as president of the National Association of Higher Education Systems, as well as chair of the Board of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems.

Dr. Lane has published over 100 academic papers and 14 books. His numerous accolades include the Fulbright New Century Scholar Award and the Award for Outstanding Contributions to International education research from the Association for the Study of Higher Education for his work with international organizations like OECD and UNESCO.

Dr. Lane is currently a special advisor to the president of the University of Illinois System and a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also currently directs the AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance and is co-director of the Cross-Border Education Research team. His work has been featured in several publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. Dr. Lane is proud to have educated hundreds of individuals, including many current college presidents.

While at Southeast, Dr. Lane served two terms as the president of student government, chaired the Emerging Leaders programs, and was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity.

"Southeast allowed me to explore things that I had passion for and led me to a career that wasn't even on my radar when I went to college. I was able to figure out what the right fit was for me, all within an amazingly supportive environment," said Lane. "That's a hallmark of this institution. It has a long-standing focus on the success of its students, preparing them for their future."

He currently resides in West Chester, Ohio, with his wife Kari and three children, Emerson, Jackson, and Avery.

Lewis Miltenberger '81 / Alumni Merit Award

Lewis (Lew) Miltenberger, a dedicated community leader and accomplished attorney, began his professional journey at SEMO.

Miltenberger graduated Southeast Missouri State University in May 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, majoring in finance and economics. He says his college experience instilled in him a great work ethic while also introducing him to diverse perspectives through professors and classmates from various backgrounds.

"College life taught me the value of hard work, teamwork and keeping a sense of humor," said Miltenberger. "I am incredibly grateful for the experiences and knowledge that SEMO brought me."

After college, Miltenberger moved to Nashville and entered the field of commercial real estate lending during the city's explosive growth. He later attended law school at Baylor University, followed by a successful legal career spanning Texas, Illinois and Missouri. With extensive experience in complex litigation, Miltenberger has represented numerous corporate clients in high-stakes cases.

In 1990, Miltenberger married Mary Ann Dobbs, and together they raised two sons in Southlake, Texas. He has been active in his community, taking on various civic roles. Despite a demanding career, he enjoys traveling with Mary Ann and spending time with his grandsons.

Roosevelt Mitchell III '05 / Alumni Merit Award

Roosevelt Mitchell III earned his general studies degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 2005 and has since built a remarkable career spanning nearly two decades as an award-winning educator, author, and public speaker. Originally from Charleston, Missouri, Mitchell obtained his master's degree in special education and a Specialist Degree in educational leadership, and he is currently working on his dissertation for a Doctor of Education.

Mitchell has written nine books, including his widely recognized work, Diary of a Disability Scholar, which is housed in several universities, including Harvard University's African American Research Center. He has been featured on national platforms such as Headline News, One America News Network, Black Enterprise and Education Post, as well as locally in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

His contributions to education have garnered numerous accolades, including being named Teacher of the Year, recognition by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of its "100 Men of Distinction," and being honored in 2017 as one of the 100 Most Influential Urban Professionals. Additionally, he received the Excellence in Education Award and was recently inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for his work with the Charleston basketball team.

Currently, Mitchell serves as a special education supervisor for East St. Louis School District 189 while working on his dissertation titled "The Hiring and Retention Experiences of African American Male Special Education Teachers in the State of Missouri."

"Coming to SEMO was life-changing," said Mitchell. "If I had went anywhere else, I don't know if I would have made it through because it was such a powerful community."

Dr. Laura Hatcher | Faculty Merit Award

With a decade of service at Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Laura Hatcher has established herself as a passionate advocate for student learning in political science and public administration, currently leading the Department of Political Science, Philosophy and Religion as its chairperson.

Hatcher received her undergraduate degrees in English, linguistics and political science from the University of Utah, before completing her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in political science, focusing on public law and judicial behavior.

Dr. Hatcher's teaching focuses on constitutional law, judicial behavior, administrative law and disaster studies. During her time at SEMO, Hatcher has served as the pre-law coordinator for her department over the last seven years, helping students navigate the law school application process and find careers in law adjacent positions.

Dr. Hatcher's initial interest in Southeast came during her research into disputes arising from the intentional flooding of farmland along the Mississippi during the 2012 flood.

"I remember telling my research assistant 'I could work here full time!'" said Dr. Hatcher. "Two years later, I accepted an offer to do just that."

Hatcher's research focuses on civil liberties and disaster contexts. Her work has been published in several journals, and she has served on editorial boards for a variety of publications.

Hatcher currently serves on the Board of Directors of Renew Missouri and the Kellerman Foundation for Historic Preservation. She also spends her time bettering the community through her volunteer work with Old Town Cape and PORCH Initiative of Cape Girardeau.

Tiffany Rodriguez '03 | Distinguished Service Award

Tiffany Rodriguez earned her Master of Natural Science in Chemistry from Southeast Missouri State University, a degree she now applies in her role as a forensic chemist at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Forensic Laboratory in Atlanta, GA.

Before joining ATF, Rodriguez worked at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory from 2009 to 2020, where she received the Civil Service Commendation Medal for her outstanding contributions to national security and forensic investigations.

Her expertise includes trace evidence and glass analysis, as well as glass direction of force, coatings and polymers, pressure-sensitive tapes, textiles and textile damage, hair suitability, and more. Over the past four and a half years, she has rebuilt the ATF's Trace Evidence section, which had been inactive due to retirements. When the Department of Justice retired some like-new forensic machinery, Rodriguez facilitated its donation to SEMO, calling Dr. Jim McGill, associate dean and professor of chemistry and physics.

"I was more than happy to see the equipment get a second life," Rodriguez said. "I wanted to give back just a little of what SEMO has given me-a great career in forensic science."

In August 2024, Rodriguez successfully restored accreditation to the ATF's Trace Evidence section, following external audits and new equipment validations. She also brought glass analysis capabilities online for the Atlanta lab for the first time.

Rodriguez has co-authored influential studies in glass analysis that have shaped conclusion criteria in the forensic sub-discipline. She currently serves as the Program Co-chair for the Criminalistics Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She resides in Atlanta, GA, with her husband and two sons.

Tara Meyer '14 / Distinguished Young Alumni Award

Tara Meyer works as a distinguished costumer in Los Angeles, California, but just ten years ago she was graduating from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

Meyer earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts with an emphasis in theatre design and technology in 2014. Born and raised in Cape Girardeau, Meyer is nominated for the Young Alumni Award just three years after her late father, Thomas Meyer, received the Alumni Merit Award in 2021.

"I feel so honored that I was chosen for this," said Meyer. "I feel like he would have been so happy that I could share this connection with the school with him. I feel very lucky."

During her time at Southeast, Meyer worked in the theatre costume shop as an assistant and stitcher at the River Campus for 32 productions.

After graduating, Meyer moved to Los Angeles, California, where she worked as a costume assistant on several television shows until meeting the required hours to join the Motion Picture Costumer's Union. Meyer has worked on a variety of television genres, which is exemplified through her work on The Mandalorian, The Masked Singer and Lucifer. In 2021, Meyer was promoted to key costumer and led the costuming teams on the Emmy-winning productions of The Masked Singer and Disney's Beauty and the Beast Live!

"I found that going to SEMO gave me a good, practical foundation," said Meyer. "I was able to apply what I was learning in the moment."

Besides working in film and television, Meyer also served as the personal costumer on Michael Bolton's Mexico Concert Tour (2023) and as a backstage costumer on The Industry's latest experimental opera, Comet/Poppea (2024).

Applying To SEMO
Eligible new Missouri undergraduate students with a 2.75 high school GPA and who are eligible for Pell Grants won't pay any tuition or fees at Southeast Missouri State with the Will To Do Award. SEMO also offers one tuition rate nationwide for domestic students. Apply at semo.edu/apply.

Prospective students are encouraged to visit campus. For more information or to visit campus, visit the Southeast Admissions page or [email protected].