2025 Alumni Merit Award Honorees Recognized for Outstanding Achievements
Saint Louis University honored 12 distinguished graduates from across 11 schools and colleges as Alumni Merit Award or Pioneer Award recipients during SLU’s Commencement Recognition Dinner on Friday, May 16, 2025.
The annual Alumni Merit Awards recognize a graduate from each school and college who exemplifies SLU’s mission through their professions, intellectual pursuits, community involvement and continued support of the University. The Pioneer Award honors a graduate who is committed to Jesuit ideals, has distinguished themselves in their life’s pursuits and has helped pave the way for others.
“It is fitting that SLU holds this event during the same week we welcome the class of 2025 into our alumni family,” said Sheila Manion, vice president for development. “It is certainly our hope – and our belief – that tomorrow’s graduates will follow in the footsteps of our honorees and not only achieve greatness in their life pursuits, but also be a credit to their communities and this University through their service and dedication to our Catholic, Jesuit mission.”
Meet the Awardees
Listed in order of the founding of their associated school or college, the recipients of SLU’s 2025 awardees are:
Gregory P. J. Most (A&S ’81), College of Arts and Sciences
Gregory Most’s love of art history was inspired by his undergraduate mentor, Carolyn Valone, Ph.D., a former SLU professor of art history and renowned scholar of women patrons in Italian Renaissance art. Now working as the chief of the Department of Image Collections at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Most incorporates the teachings of other SLU professors like the late Maurice McNamee, S.J., and his groundbreaking link between angels and liturgical vestments in Flemish Renaissance art, along with his own expertise, to enhance the research of scholars worldwide who rely on the National Gallery’s extensive collections of art images.
Throughout his 33-year career at the National Gallery, Most has acquired 3 million-plus photographs and reproductive engravings, and has established the expansive collection within his department as one of the rarest in the nation. His contributions to the field include articles and book reviews, exhibitions and invitations to speak at international and national conferences.
Most’s commitment to giving back to his alma mater and the broader community is a testament to his enduring Billiken spirit. He is a vital resource for SLU undergraduates aspiring to careers in museums and galleries and has played a pivotal role in securing internships for students at the National Gallery. In addition, he has raised funds for many organizations in Washington, D.C., and Texas and has held influential positions on the boards of various art organizations, including the Art Libraries Society of North America and PHAROS: The International Consortium of Photo Archives.
Susan P. Willman, M.D. (A&S ’78, SOM ’82), School of Medicine
Susan Willman, M.D., a long-time supporter of Saint Louis University School of Medicine, earned both her undergraduate and medical degrees at SLU. She formed lasting relationships with faculty and staff and credits the University with shaping her holistic approach to patient care, which prioritizes emotional and spiritual health alongside physical well-being. These Jesuit values stood in stark contrast to what she encountered at other institutions after medical school.
Her personal journey also deepened her bond with SLU. After losing her brother to suicide in college, Willman battled severe depression during her medical training. Facing stigma and misunderstanding from peers and the broader medical community, she found strength in SLU’s patient-centered philosophy. Her experience made her a more compassionate physician, committed to treating the whole person.
As a single mother, Willman launched a solo practice in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, ultimately joining a successful IVF program. She contributed significantly to the field, including leading an international IVF study and advancing ultrasound use in operative hysteroscopy.
At a 2012 alumni reunion, Willman was struck by the statistic that 25% of all medical students suffered from depression or anxiety. Inspired, she made a lead gift to help establish WellSPACE, a holistic wellness center for students. The space supports emotional well-being and provides a safe place for relaxation, creativity and connection – especially for students from underrepresented communities.
Marian “Bo” Vatterott Mehan, J.D. (BSN ’74, LAW ’82), School of Law
Marian “Bo” Vatterott Mehan’s passion for serving those in need, ensuring equitable access to quality education and guiding individuals in their charitable endeavors reflects her lifelong dedication to the Jesuit principles of servant leadership. She was elected to SLU’s Board of Trustees in 2017 and serves as vice chair, playing a significant role in advancing the University’s mission and creating transformational impacts for students, Billiken athletes and the community at large.
A Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing graduate, Mehan began her career as a nurse and later earned her juris doctor degree from SLU’s School of Law. She has worked at Lewis Rice LLC, dedicating over 40 years to practicing as an estate planning attorney. She was inducted into SLU LAW’s Order of the Fleur de Lis Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded by the school, in 2016. In 2021, she received the Missouri Lawyers Media Women’s Justice Award, further acknowledging her contributions to the legal community.
A firm believer that education is the enduring path out of poverty, Mehan and her late husband, Terry Mehan (AS ’74), were instrumental in helping establish ACCESS Academies for middle-schoolers from underserved communities throughout St. Louis. Today, the nonprofit organization supports 500 students, guiding them through middle and high school. Currently, 21 graduates of ACCESS Schools are enrolled as undergraduates at SLU. In 2022, the couple received the first-ever ACCESS Academies Founders Award.
Mehan has served on the Board of Governors of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation and the St. Louis Archdiocesan Parish Teachers Compensation Committee, The Pershing Foundation, The Lesley A Waldheim Charitable Foundation and the Ceil and Michael Pulitzer Foundation Inc.
Akberet Boykin Farr, PH.D. (CSB ’93, GRAD CSB ’95, GRAD A&S ’02), Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business
Akberet Boykin Farr is a dynamic leader dedicated to empowering others and driving positive change. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, an MBA and a doctorate in organizational theory and public policy studies from Saint Louis University. Her deep expertise and lifelong commitment to service guide her work – both professionally and in the community.
With over 25 years of experience as a human resources executive, Farr brings broad expertise in organizational development, talent strategy, benefits administration, human resources systems and legal compliance. She currently serves as vice president of human resources corporate functions at Emerson.
Outside of work, Farr remains actively engaged in civic life. She is a member of the Saint Louis University Board of Trustees and serves on several nonprofit boards, including KIPP St. Louis, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and City Academy. A passionate advocate for equity, education and service, Farr leads with purpose and inspires meaningful impact throughout the community.
David J. Posek (PC ’66), Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology / School of Science and Engineering
David Posek continues to give back. Having earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Saint Louis University in 1966, his MBA from Drexel University in 1975 and working 40 years in the field, he understands SLU’s impact on shaping future leaders and developing a passion for service. With the goal of helping make the University’s education accessible to more students, he and his wife, Mary, established the David and Mary Posek Endowed Flight Fees Scholarship, providing financial support to students in the School of Science and Engineering’s aviation program.
Posek launched his career at General Electric (GE) in 1966. He was promoted to vice president of GE’s space and aeronautical services business, followed by his advancement to vice president of systems support services. In 1997, he became president of Lockheed Martin’s Department of Defense Services. He finished his career as president of Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Centers, retiring in 2005.
In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Posek was appointed to the South Carolina Ports Authority Board of Directors three times by three different governors. He was previously the board’s chair and is currently vice chair, while also serving as vice chair of the Jasper County Ocean Terminal Bi-State Commission to build a new port on the lower Savannah River. In 2020, he received the Maritime Association of South Carolina’s John Hassell Award in recognition of his distinguished service to the maritime industry. Posek is a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He is active in his Catholic parish, as well as the Appalachian Service Project and is on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Arts Council in Greenville, South Carolina.
Kevyn Schroeder (VSN ’75, GRAD PH ’83), Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing
Kevyn Schroeder embodies the values of serving others and lifelong learning. From researching infectious diseases and becoming a nurse practitioner to changing her career path to be a stockbroker and financial manager, Schroeder’s journey has been paved with her commitment to the magis, or “more,” of Jesuit education.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from SLU’s Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, Schroeder launched her professional work as an emergency room nurse in St. Louis. She felt drawn to explore the field of infectious disease and earned a master’s degree in public health and epidemiology, dedicating herself to patient care, research and improving hospital safety.
Throughout her 10-year nursing career, compassion and integrity fueled Schroeder’s capacity to be fully present for her patients in times of suffering. By listening to them, she helped people find the strength to heal. Though she loved working in the field of nursing, Schroeder wanted to help others in a new way and transitioned her career to finance several years ago; she is currently a managing director in investments with Stifel Financial Corp. She has been recognized in Forbes’ America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State List for consecutive years. She dedicates her time to her clients and teaches a personal finance class to student nurses to help them attain the financial knowledge they need to build secure futures. Passionate about giving back, Schroeder eagerly takes on leadership roles that allow her to foster connections and strengthen the impact of the University. She serves as a Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing Dean’s Executive Advisory Board member.
Margaret Donnelly, J.D., (SW ’75, GRAD SW ’77, LAW ’88), School of Social Work
Imbued with a passion for social justice, lifelong learning and service to the community, Margaret Donnelly has dedicated her career to advocating for children and families and serving the greater good. Thanks to her work over the past four decades as a social worker, lawyer, state representative, public health director and judge, countless Missouri families are living safe and healthy lives.
Donnelly started her career as a school social worker after earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Saint Louis University. She also continued her SLU education, attaining her law degree in 1988. While working in her private law practice, she served as a Missouri state representative for six years and chaired the Commission for Abused Women and Children Shelter, which established St. Louis County’s first domestic violence shelter. In 2009, then-Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Donnelly as the director of the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, a role she held through 2012. She also served as a St. Louis County Family Court commissioner from 2013 until 2016, when she was appointed as a St. Louis County circuit judge. She retired in 2024.
Donnelly’s contributions have been recognized with SLU’s Order of the Fleur de Lis, the School of Law’s highest honor, the 2001 President’s Award of Honor from the Women Lawyers’ Association, the 2002 St. Louis County Family Court Child Advocate of the Year award, the Missouri Alliance for Children & Families 2006 Child Advocate of the Year Award, and the Women’s Justice Advocate of the Year Award, among others.
Laura Purcell Verdun (A&S ’89, GRAD DCHS ’91), Doisy College of Health Sciences
From helping patients struggling with speech and swallowing disorders to empowering professionals to elevate their speaking skills, Laura Purcell Verdun has been influential in helping others find and reclaim their voices.
For over 30 years, Verdun has brought hope to individuals facing acquired voice, speech and swallowing disorders, whether related to use, illness or neurodegenerative disease. Motivated by a steadfast devotion to making effective communication achievable for all, Verdun operates her private practice, VoiceTrainer, LLC, in Washington, D.C. She is committed to both healing and transformation, offering expert voice therapy and speaker coaching. Beyond the clinic, she has been a passionate volunteer leader through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation, Dysphonia International, and CurePSP.
Having received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication disorders from Saint Louis University, Verdun fosters her connection to SLU by imparting her expertise to graduate students and early career professionals. She shares her expertise on national television and radio broadcasts, podcasts and news magazines. A frequent contributor to the field, she has published numerous papers and presented widely on a range of topics.
Verdun has received many honors for her work, including the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association Outstanding Graduate Student Award in 1991 as SLU’s designee, and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Outstanding Alumna Award in 1999, as well as the Communication Disorders Foundation of Virginia’s Martha Mullins-Callender Award in 2024, among others, reflecting her lifelong advocacy for patients, colleagues and the profession.
Deidre Griffith (GRAD PH ’03), College for Public Health and Social Justice
Deidre Griffith is a public health leader who is valued for her ability to build connections and lead with strategy and compassion. For the past 25 years, she has put people who are most vulnerable to poor health outcomes at the center of her work, playing a crucial role in addressing systemic barriers to health in communities across the St. Louis region and rural Missouri.
Griffith earned her Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) from Saint Louis University and remains committed to living SLU’s value of cura personalis – caring for the whole person. Throughout her career and now in her current position as the vice president of community health improvement at BJC HealthCare, Griffith answers the call to serve communities and equips peers and colleagues with the tools necessary to ensure positive health outcomes for at-risk patients and people living at the margins. She has also been instrumental in recruiting and training underrepresented students to SLU’s Master of Public Health program and has continued serving as a mentor to SLU students, returning regularly to speak about her public health journey and as a guest lecturer.
As a servant leader, Griffith purposefully supports the common good, empowering change for the people and communities most impacted by inadequate access. She also extends her expertise to values-oriented organizations, such as the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Youth & Family Center, the St. Louis Integrated Health Network and the Community Health Commission of Missouri. Griffith was recently selected by the Annie E. Casey Foundation for the prestigious Children and Family Fellowship. She is inspired every day by the resiliency of the communities she serves and her loving family and friends.
Saijai Peng, D.D.S. (DENT ’85), Center for Advanced Dental Education
With over 40 years of experience as an orthodontist and dentofacial orthopedic practitioner, Saijai Peng, D.D.S., delivers the same exceptional care and compassionate service she honed at Saint Louis University. She continues SLU’s tradition of excellence while also mentoring dental students and orthodontic residents at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California, where she has dedicated over three decades to shaping the next generation of dental professionals.
Peng operates a private practice in Walnut, California, where she provides individualized care to children, adolescents and adults. She is committed to empowering her patients by giving them comprehensive insights into their dental health and orthodontic concerns, helping them make well-informed decisions for their overall well-being. Throughout her career, Peng has received numerous honors, including the 35-year Award from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.
Peng is extremely grateful for her SLU education and that of her son Daniel Areepong, D.D.M. (CADE ’17), who will take over Peng’s practice after she retires. A strong advocate for the Center for Advanced Dental Education’s (CADE) exceptional academic and clinical training, Peng generously supports CADE and has been recognized in SLU’s distinguished leadership giving societies, including the Founder’s Circle, the President’s Circle and the DuBourg Society.
Susan W. Nall, Ph.D. (GRAD ED ’75), School of Education
Susan Nall, Ph.D., asks herself and others, “What can be?” rather than accepting “what is.” She has been a tireless advocate for the education of the very young since the 1970s and instrumental in improving the education of all students, from those in their early years to the adults who educate them.
Nall quickly rose through professional ranks and became chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Subsequently, she served as assistant dean of the SIUE Graduate School. She was the first woman in each position.
Nall’s expertise has been sought after in the St. Louis region, the country and the world. She regularly consults with programs in early literacy and program development. Several years ago, she completed multi-year consultancies in Azerbaijan and Qatar.
Nall is an ongoing supporter of Saint Louis University and has served on several boards of directors, including Ready Readers, Women of Achievement, the YWCA Metro St. Louis, the St. Louis County Library Foundation, Metro Theater Company, SIUE Foundation, and the Flance Early Learning Center. She also volunteers for USO Missouri at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, International Institute of St. Louis, International Mentorship Program as a mentor and co-director, St. Louis Mosaic Project, and the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
Nall’s impact has been recognized with many awards, including the Woman of Achievement Award, Outstanding Service Award from the Missouri Association for the Education of Young Children, Women of Worth, Distinguished Alumna from Webster University, Outstanding Junior Teaching Excellence Award, and as an American Champion from the Nine Network.
Lucina Diaz, J.D. (LAW ’17), Pioneer Award
Lucina “Lucy” Diaz is dedicated to integrating Saint Louis University’s Jesuit values into her life and is a well-rounded individual who contributes to the greater good.
A first-generation student, she has been a strong advocate for diversity in higher education and the legal profession and is committed to serving others. Diaz has tutored adults enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and worked as a Spanish medical interpreter through AmeriCorps at Casa de Salud. Additionally, she has given back to her alma mater by mentoring students, being active in the School of Law’s Young Alumni Society and sharing her professional experiences with law students as a guest speaker and panelist.
For most of her career, Diaz has worked as a judicial law clerk for the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, handling a variety of appeals and analyzing complex legal issues. From 2022 to 2023, she was an assistant attorney general with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. In 2023, she returned to the Court of Appeals after being sought out for her experience in appellate law. Diaz is a strong proponent of judicial clerkships and encourages law students to pursue these opportunities after graduation.
Diaz’s journey has been shaped by innovation, excellence and service. As a young alumna, her actions and accomplishments distinguish her pioneering spirit, paving the way for others to excel in their respective professions and lives.
After graduation, Saint Louis University alumni head out into the world to make a difference in their fields, in their communities and in the lives of others. Learn about how SLU honors their achievements with a variety of awards.