Distinguished Alumni Award

Dr. Wendy Heger Bonnell ’95 and Dr. Ric Bonnell ’96, both pediatricians, exemplify the ethical leadership described in TCU’s mission statement. They established the Happy Hill Farm Free Clinic in Glen Rose in 2006, and helped found Ruth’s Place Free Clinic in Granbury in 2008. Starting in 2007, they traveled to Haiti mulitple times with their children, Elizabeth, Will and Jack, running clinics and helping at an orphanage. In response to Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Ric organized a medical team to set up a clinic, treating thousands. The Bonnells organized and led additional surgical teams to Haiti and both still continue to work there. In 2010, the couple adopted Laney, an orphaned Haitian girl, and in 2013, her four siblings: Mackenson, Dieuner, Yolette and Lina.

Valuable Alumni Award

Terry Turrentine Irby ’82 has been active in leading her class reunion committees for decades, serving as reunion chair, Executive Class Gift Ambassador and gift chair. She is the current vice chair of the Frog Club Advisory Board and will become its chair in June 2016. A member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Board, she formerly served on the Dallas Regional Council and each summer opens her home to new students and their parents at annual send-off parties. She is a Lifetime Centurion of the Frog Club and a member of the Chancellor’s Council and the Addison & Randolph Clark Society. Terry is a partner with Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow, Inc. She and her husband, L.R. “Butch” Irby, live in McKinney.  They have two sons, Clayton ’10 and Stuart ’14.

Alumni Service Award

Jack Larson ’86 was president of our National Alumni Association from 2012 to 2014, and served on The Campaign for TCU Steering Committee. He is a  member of the National Alumni Executive Board and the Fort Worth Alumni Board, and has served as chair and gift chair for his class reunions. In 2003 Larson become involved in the Clark Society, becoming chair from 2007 to 2009.  His efforts helped the Clark Society Endowed Scholarship become a sustainable award. Larson graduated magna cum laude from TCU in 1986 before matriculating at the University of Virginia School of Law. He is president and managing director of the law firm of Mellina & Larson, PC. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Fort Worth and have two children, Benjamin and Marguerite.

Outstanding Young Professional Award

Andrew F. Flahive ’04 graduated summa cum laude from the Neeley School of Business with a double major in finance and accounting, and a 4.0 GPA. He then spent 11 years as a top performer at Goldman, Sachs & Co. where he completed 150 transactions totaling more than $90 billion. In 2013, Flahive was the only U.S. vice president to receive an early promotion to managing director. In February, Flahive accepted a position as president of the Single Family Residential Capital subsidiary of Amherst Holdings in Austin. He is a member of the Tri-State TCU Alumni Council and is on the Neeley Alumni Board. He is married to fellow Frog Amanda Welsh Flahive ’99. They are proud parents of Abigail Ann.

Distinguished Student Award

Brandon Alexander Newman ’15 graduated summa cum laude with a BS in political science, with minors in criminal justice and psychology.  A John V. Roach Honors student, he maintained a 4.0 GPA while participating in the TCU Political Science Distinction Program. A TCU Chancellor’s Scholar, he was also named Senior Scholar for Political Science and given the Civic Literacy Internship Award. He serves as vice president of  TCU’s Mortar Board chapter and as student representative on the Clark Society Board. Newman held an internship with the Honorable Judge Robb Catalano in Criminal District Court No. 3 in Tarrant County. He will attend University of Virginia School of Law.

Honorary Alumni Award

Marilyn E. Davies and her family have established the Davies School of Communication Sciences & Disorders in Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences. The vision and generosity behind this  $5 million gift brings further distinction to an already exceptional program, and provides funding for the Davies Graduate Workspace in the Miller Speech & Hearing Clinic. Davies became passionate about the habilitation of the deaf and hard of hearing program while her daughter, Morgan ’12, was a TCU undergraduate. Currently CEO of Bailey Banks Seismic, L.P, Davies is a 30-year member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. She lives in Houston with daughter, Morgan and son, Taylor.