SUU Honors Outstanding Alumni During Homecoming
Published: October 03, 2024 | Author: Pixie Merkley | Read Time: 5 minutes
Few traditions at SUU highlight its incomparable history quite like Homecoming's Alumni Banquet. These outstanding T-Birds may come from significantly different backgrounds, but their stories converged through their shared impacts on SUU's history. This year, Southern Utah University will recognize these T-Birds for their contributions to SUU's legacy of success and community involvement: Paula Mitchell, one of our very own past associate professors; Stacee Mclff, current president of Snow College; and Cam Levins, the widely decorated runner and Olympic qualifier.
They will be honored during SUU's 2024 Alumni Banquet held on Thursday, Oct. 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Distinguished Service - Paula Mitchell
For members of SUU's faculty and staff who have sought corollary aid on substantive boards and committees over the past two decades, one name sprung quickly to mind, as its bearer has contributed wisdom, vision, and great industry. Paula Mitchell began her studies at SUU in 1973 and met her future husband, Tom Mitchell, in a Kim Jones math class before the couple relocated to Murray, Utah, following Tom's 1976 graduation. Determined to earn her own degree, she returned to campus three different years to complete her final year of school, graduating in 1994 in elementary education, with minors in reading and fine arts.
"I received my Master of Library Science degree in 2004," she says. "That was the year I began to work in Special Collections where I found my passion of collecting, preserving, and sharing with the public the history of SUU and the community in which it resides."
Since retiring in 2022, she has been working with the Daughters of Utah Pioneers as their museum curator and has also been representing the Old Spanish Trail Association as their representative with the "Hike the Hill" organization that does lobbying in Washington, D.C., to help preserve and promote national historic and scenic trails. She also works with the Utah State Arts and Museum Department as a traveling instructor to help small museums preserve and care for their artifacts and collections. In addition, she is at work editing and compiling photos for a history of SUU's 125th historical volume covering the years 1997 to 2022.
Paula Mitchell is a true heroine, the bearer of a vast expanse of knowledge and experience that has proven invaluable in many aspects of SUU life. Her work continues to enrich the campus even today.
Outstanding Alumnus - Stacee Mclff
Stacee Yardley McIff, a Panguitch native, is currently the president of Snow College, where she upholds the same ideals she embraced so happily on SUU's campus.
She bears two names that have meant much to this institution, as both the Yardleys (her maiden name) and McIffs have exhibited consequential leadership to benefit Southern Utah University and its students.
From her 2006 beginnings on Snow's faculty, she has expertly held a string of major responsibilities, including championing student engagement as a faculty member and as business department chair, associate provost, vice president, and interim president before becoming the institution's 18th leader herself last year. Stacee fully credits SUU's hand in her preparation.
Both her father, John Yardley, and father-in-law, Kay McIff served as chairs of SUU's Board of Trustees; her father was named to the board during the time Stacee served as student body president of SUU.
She also represented SUU on the Utah State Board of Regents, SUU's National Alumni Council, and as a member of the Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service Board.
Armed with a bachelor's degree in business education from SUU as well as a master's degree from Utah State University in business information systems, she now has nearly completed work on a post-graduate certificate in community college leadership from Old Dominion University.
Stacee Yardley McIff will ever be known as among Southern Utah University's brightest stars.
Young Alumnus - Cam Levins
Southern Utah University is exceedingly proud of Cameron Levins. And while his athletic accomplishments are indeed impressive, his appreciation of SUU and those who have profoundly aided him, truly mark Cam as a distinctly treasured alumnus.
In 2012, the Thunderbird distance runner gained great fame as the winner of the Bowerman Award - recognized as the Heisman Trophy of the U.S. collegiate track & field world presented to the year's single most outstanding male and female athletes in that sport. It marked an athletic honor on a plateau higher than any previously or since at SUU.
And even today, more than a decade later, he is ever apt to express his gratitude to Thunderbird Coach, Eric Houle, and to the University for helping him advance from a slightly above-average runner to a world-class athlete.
In his SUU career, he was a 14-time Summit League champion in nine separate running events. He has gone on to compete in three Olympiads representing his native Canada in distance events beginning with the 10k and 5k races at the 2012 Summer Games in London. He holds four Canadian running records as well as the fastest-ever North American marathon mark in history. Most recently, in the Paris Games this summer, he ran his second Olympic marathon following his showing in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Today, the 35-year-old lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, fellow SUU grad and standout runner, Lizzy Butler Levins (Class of 2013) who is a critical care/emergency medicine pharmacist. Cam competes under the sponsorship of the Asics Corporation, a 75-year-old purveyor of athletic shoes, which allows Cam to focus fully on his running career.
Southern Utah University's Homecoming is a tradition centered on honoring, recognizing, and celebrating all T-Birds, as well as our community of supporters. All alumni, current students and their families, faculty and staff, founders, friends, and community members are invited to join the Thunderbird family for Homecoming Week. Learn more about SUU's Homecoming festivities at suu.edu/homecoming.
Tags: Alumni Homecoming
Contact Information:
Brooke Heath
435-586-5400
brookeheath1@suu.edu