University
will be honored with awards presented by the Alumni Association during a reception on Friday, Oct. 18. The reception will begin at 2 p.m. in the Wilkinson Alumni Center at Ford and Joplin streets.
Ryan Bartlett, Benjamin Cochran and Amber (Shaverdi) Huston will be honored with the Dr. Kenneth K. Bateman Outstanding Alumni Award. Lexington Peterson and Josh Thompson will be presented with the Gorillas of the Last Decade (GOLD) Alumni Award (formerly Good Apple Award).
The reception is open to campus and the community.
Dr. Kenneth K. Bateman Outstanding Alumni Award Benjamin Cochran Benjamin Cochran (MSN ’13, family nurse practitioner & DNP ’16, advanced practice nursing) is a board-certified family nurse practitioner at Labette Health’s Clinic in Altamont.
Starting his nursing education at Labette Community College, he finished his bachelor of science in nursing at Wichita State University before attending the Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing at Pitt State, where he earned two advanced degrees.
In addition to practicing nursing, Cochran hosts a podcast called “Just Some Podcast” for nurse practitioners, which he started in 2018.
He was awarded the Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence in Kansas from the American Association of See PSU, Page 7.
Nurse Practitioners in 2021. Cochran also received the William & Allene Guthrie Van Meter Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from LCC in 2023.
He is a member of the LCC Nursing Advisory Board, the LCC Foundation & Alumni Association Board, the Altamont City Council, is president of the Curious Minds Discovery Zone and has coordinated Labette County Toys for Tots since 2013 with his wife, Audra.
Cochran grew up in Chetopa. He has lived in Altamont for the last 17 years with his family.
Ryan Bartlett
Ryan Bartlett (BA ’03, communication) is the senior producer of Digital Talent Production at FOX Sports in Los Angeles, California.
After graduating from Pitt State, he began his broadcast career. He worked at KMBC- TV, KOAM-TV, ESPN and NFL Media where he served as digital line producer and managing producer. In his current role, Bartlett oversees the digital production of content for the NFL, MLB, WWE, Gambling and NASCAR.
He is a three-time Emmy Award Winner and a two-time winner of the Vision Award at ESPN for Creative Excellence, just to name a few.
Bartlett grew up in Merriam, Kansas, and is a graduate of Shawnee Mission North.
Amber (Shaverdi) Huston Amber (Shaverdi) Huston (BA ’05, communication) is the executive director of the National Association for Campus Activities. She is the first female in NACA’s 64-year history to hold that role.
In addition, Huston is serving her second term as national president of Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority. She has served Alpha Sigma Alpha in a variety of roles – as a volunteer, an advisor, and as an employee – since she graduated from Pitt State. She was initiated into the Eta Eta Chapter at Pitt State during her collegiate years.
Huston grew up in Girard. She and her family currently reside in Columbia, South Carolina.
GOLD Alumni Award Lexington Peterson Lexington Peterson (BS ’21, polymer chemistry & BSET ’21, plastics engineering technology) is the business development manager in the Automotive and Mobility division at ENGEL in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating in 2021, Peterson joined the team at iMFLUX as a field process engineer. She then joined KraussMaffei as project manager in their injection molding division. At ENGEL, Peterson builds partnerships and advances a shared vision on the future of automotive and mobility markets with a special focus on sustainability and emerging technologies.
Peterson grew up in Amsterdam, Missouri.
Josh Thompson
Josh Thompson (BST ’17, construction management) is the owner and CEO of J.T. Cos. in Pittsburg.
J.T. Cos. includes J.T. Construction and J.T. Home & Lawn. Thompson started J.T. Home & Lawn while he was a student at Pittsburg State. After graduation, Thompson joined Crossland Construction Company where he served as a field engineer and project manager.
Thompson was born and raised in Pittsburg. He still lives in the community today with his wife, Amy.
