FLORENCE – “Party like the King” Lion Gras is this year’s Homecoming celebrations theme for the University of North Alabama; and for this year’s alumni award winners you might say they’ve already found the baby in the king cake!
Award recipients for 2015 represent a wide variety of UNA’s finest, including a certified prosthetist, a university CEO, and many others UNA grads will find familiar. They all will be honored during the Alumni Awards Banquet, Friday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m.
Stan Patterson, class of 1989; and Cagri Bagcioglu, class of 1999 and 2000, are the two recipients of this year’s Alumni of the Year Award. Patterson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and is a certified prosthetist who resides in Orlando, Florida. Patterson is nationally recognized for his revolutionary strides in prosthetic design. He currently serves as the founder and manager of Prosthetic and Orthotic Associates of Central Florida; one of his more prominent clients includes Olympic snowboarder Amy Purdy.
Cagri Bagcioglu graduated from UNA with a B.B.A and M.B.A in finance and 
economics. Bagcioglu currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Istanbul Bilgi University and is also the chief operating officer for the university. Prior to that, Bagcioglu served in various roles at different universities, including Arkansas State and UNA. Bagcioglu is a doctoral student at the University of Liverpool in the Higher Education Leadership Program.
In addition to the Alumni of the Year award, alumni awards are also given for Lifetime Achievement, Friends of the University, Educator of the Year, Military Service, Political Service, Community Service, Faculty/Staff Service and Athletic Hall of Fame. A full list of the award recipients can be found at alumni.una.edu/homecoming.
While the Alumni Banquet is always a big draw during Homecoming, the Office of Alumni relations has many other events planned, as well. Those events include a Geography Alumni Conference, the Jack Karnes Memorial Golf Tournament, and, of course, the Homecoming parade at 11 a.m., Saturday morning followed by the Homecoming football game at 6 p.m.
For more information or for a schedule of events: Office of Alumni Relations at 256-765-4201 or alumni.una.edu/homecoming.
The following is a list of award categories and winners:
Alumni of the Year
Cagri Bagcioglu ’99 &’00 – Istanbul, Turkey
Stan Patterson ’89 – Orlando, FL
Lifetime Achievement
Dr. Mitch Burford ‘51 – Florence, AL
Friends of the University
Ben ‘98 and Brenda Baker – Florence, AL
Josh Willingham – Florence, AL
Educator of the Year
Marsha Carter ’84 & ‘03 – Florence, AL
Kathy Hays ’78 & ‘86 – Sheffield, AL
Wayne Higgins ’71 & ’76 – Florence, AL
Military Service
COL. Buddy Brook ’91 – Florence, AL
Political Service
David Black ’80 –
Steve Stanley ’78– Sheffield, AL
Community Service
Susie Martin ‘81 – Florence, AL
Steve Pirkle ’79 – Decatur, AL
Johnny Simpson ’90 – Florence, AL
Faculty/Staff Service
Dr. Dennis Balch ’71 & ‘77 – Killen, AL
Larry Bates ’92 – Muscle Shoals, AL
Joan Parris ’74 & ‘76 – Tuscumbia, AL
Athletic Hall of Fame
Chris Fears ‘02
Doris Jones ‘84
Evan Oglesby ‘07
Alex Sloan
media release/University of North Alabama/Bryan Rachal
