Saint Martin’s University announces the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees

LACEY, Wash. – Saint Martin’s University is pleased to announce the five recipients of its 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards, presented during the Homecoming festivities on Friday, February 28, 2025. Honorees are Sharon Brown-Kabanuck ‘73; Dr. Terrence “Terry” Burke ’75; Dr. John Gallagher HS’65, ‘69; Tedi Reynolds ‘71; and Jim Snyder HS’57 (posthumous). 

“For more than four decades, the Distinguished Alumni Awards have honored graduates who have helped shape the legacy of Saint Martin’s University. Our honorees exemplify the Catholic Benedictine values at the heart of our mission and their achievements are a testament to the lifelong impact of a Saint Martin’s education,” said Saint Martin’s University President Bill Brownsberger, S.T.D. “As we celebrate their contributions, we also recognize how alumni from the past and present continue to shape the future of our university and inspire the next generation of students.” 

The University has recognized its notable alumni since the early 1980s. Recipients of this award were selected by members of the National Alumni Board from nominations based on service to their community, professional achievement, or service to the University.  

“Our Distinguished Alumni honorees are a testament to the lasting impact of a Saint Martin’s education. Their time here shaped where they are today, and their achievements serve as an inspiration to our current students,” said Nate Peters, interim vice president of institutional advancement and vice president of marketing and communications. “Seeing how they have carried forward the lessons and experiences from their years at Saint Martin’s reminds us of the strength of our alumni network and the difference our graduates make in their communities and beyond.” 

Here are some highlights about each of this year’s award recipients: 

Sharon Brown-Kabanuck ‘73 

Sharon Brown-Kabanuck, Class of 1973, is being recognized for her Service to Saint Martin’s.  Sharon has a deep, lifelong connection to Saint Martin’s University, shaped by her family’s history with the institution. Her grandfather attended Saint Martin’s High School, and her great-grandmother was a member of the Mothers Club. Sharon’s academic journey at Saint Martin’s included working in the library and co-editing the yearbook, and she graduated with a degree in English Literature. After a brief career as an educator, Sharon joined the IRS, where she became a pension plan specialist. She played a vital role in national training efforts, served as a district vice president for the National Treasury Employees Union, was a key member of regional and national contract negotiation teams, and concluded her career as a manager overseeing employees in Seattle, Portland and Sacramento. Sharon’s philanthropy has had a transformative impact on the university. She established the Sharon Brown and Terry Kabanuck Study Abroad Scholarship to help students experience the educational benefits of international travel, and helped create the Saints Mentor with Heart program to support first-year students. Sharon has also contributed to numerous scholarships and has generously named Saint Martin’s University as a beneficiary of her estate. Her ongoing involvement with the alumni community and dedication to student success reflect her enduring commitment to Saint Martin’s and future generations of students. 

Terrence “Terry” Burke ‘75 

Dr. Terrence “Terry” Burke, Class of 1975 Valedictorian, is being recognized for his Professional Achievement. Terry is a distinguished chemist known for his groundbreaking work in medicinal chemistry, particularly in the development of treatments for cancer, AIDS and other diseases. A protégé of Fr. Bede Ernsdorff, Terry earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Martin’s College before completing his Ph.D. at the University of Washington. Terry’s early research took him to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he studied as a Fellow of the Pharmacology Associate Research Training Program at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and later as a Senior Staff Fellow at the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases. After briefly leaving the NIH to serve as Principal Chemist at Peptide Technologies Corporation, he returned in 1989 as a tenured Principal Investigator in the Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (reorganized in 2009 as the Chemical Biology Laboratory). In 2002, he became Head of the Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Section, and in 2003, he was appointed to the Senior Biomedical Research Service (SBRS). With over 360 publications, Terry’s contributions to anti-cancer and anti-AIDS drug design have earned him prestigious honors, including the Sato Memorial International Award and the NIH Merit Award. In 2019, he received the Hildebrand Award, the highest recognition from the Capital Region Section of the American Chemical Society. Terry’s work continues to influence the field of medicinal chemistry, and his mentorship of young scientists ensures that his legacy will continue shaping the future of drug discovery and improving lives worldwide. 

John Gallagher, HS’65, ‘69 

Dr. John Gallagher, a 1969 graduate of Saint Martin’s College, is being recognized for his Professional Achievement.  John dedicated his career to advancing higher education institutions and non-profits through leadership, planning, philanthropy management and organizational development. After earning a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Washington, John returned to Saint Martin’s as an associate professor and associate dean, where he helped establish the Department of Corporate and Foundation Relations. John’s influence extended well beyond his alma mater. He held key leadership positions at the Evergreen State College, Seattle University and the University of Puget Sound. In 1995, he became Executive Director of the UNLV Foundations and later Vice President for Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There, he led the university’s first major capital campaign, raising over $550 million, and helped secure more than $700 million in total during his tenure. After retiring from UNLV, John founded a consulting firm that worked with over 100 non-profits across the U.S. and Canada. His expertise in fundraising, board development, and financial management contributed to the generation of over $1.5 billion in gift revenue. A respected leader in the development community, John received numerous accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. John has contributed to books, published papers, served as chairman, panelist and facilitator at numerous professional conferences, and served on the boards of trustees for three large non-profit organizations. His work continues to inspire and shape the future of education and philanthropy. 

Tedi Reynolds ‘71 

Tedi C. Reynolds, a proud trustee of Saint Martin’s University, is being recognized for her Service to Saint Martin’s. Her connection to Saint Martin’s began in the late 1960s, where she formed lifelong relationships, including with her husband, Dennis D. Reynolds, Class of 1969 Valedictorian and fellow Distinguished Alumnus. Tedi has been deeply involved in advancing the University’s mission since 2020. Tedi’s leadership has been pivotal in the success of the University’s For Every Saint campaign, where she co-chaired the effort to reach the ambitious $100 million goal set to celebrate the 125th year anniversary of Saint Martin’s. She was later appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2021, where she has championed institutional growth and development. Tedi played an instrumental role in the 2022 Strategic Planning Process and served on the 2023 Provost Search Committee. She co-chaired the 2024 Presidential Search Committee and currently chairs the Institutional Advancement Committee. Beyond governance, Tedi has been deeply involved in fostering community and philanthropy, co-chairing the Saint Martin’s Gala in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Her passion for the University is evident in her enthusiastic participation in a wide range of events, including Scholars Day, Commencement, the Nurses Pinning Ceremony, WA Vet to Tech graduations, Convocation, and the Abbey Church music series, as well as numerous alumni gatherings. Tedi’s unwavering commitment and leadership help to build a bright future for the University, its students and alumni. 

Jim Snyder HS’57 

Jim Snyder, high school Class of 1957, is being recognized posthumously for his Professional Achievement.  Jim’s lifelong commitment to excellence, service and innovation began at Saint Martin’s, where he excelled academically and athletically, serving as Student Body President and earning All-Catholic and All-Northwest honors in football and basketball. His leadership and athletic contributions earned him induction into the Saint Martin’s Hall of Fame in 2016. After college, Jim embarked on a distinguished career in academia and pharmaceutical research. He taught at Yeshiva University, where he developed a pioneering lap-dissolve projective device, and later at the University of Copenhagen. His contributions at Merck and G.D. Searle advanced drug design, and his work as a professor at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute focused on designing cancer-fighting drugs. Jim co-edited Organic Chemistry, A Series of Monographs, authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications, and remained dedicated to drug discovery until his passing in 2016. His pioneering work continues to have a lasting influence —two of his drug designs, including one targeting certain cancers, remain in clinical trials today. Beyond his scientific achievements, Jim was committed to social justice and community service, supporting voter registration efforts during the Civil Rights Movement. He was also a dedicated advocate for single fathers seeking custody rights, a youth sports coach, and a generous supporter of organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU. His mentoring extended beyond the laboratory, crediting young researchers in publications and fostering the next generation of scientists with unwavering generosity. Jim’s legacy of innovation, leadership and social justice continues to inspire, with his work leaving a lasting impact on both science and society. 

About Saint Martin’s University:  

Saint Martin’s University is an independent coeducational university, with undergraduate and graduate offerings, located on a wooded campus of more than 380 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 13 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University empowers students to pursue a lifetime of learning and accomplishment through its 31 majors, 11 master’s programs, one doctorate program and six certificate programs spanning the arts and sciences, business, counseling, education, engineering, nursing, and leadership. Saint Martin’s welcomes more than 1,300 undergraduate students and 250 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and more students to its extended campus located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.   

Media Contact:

Nate Peters

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Interim Vice President of Institutional Advancement

(360) 438-4367

npeters@stmartin.edu