Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

These are the 2023 University of Dayton Alumni Association’s Alumni Award honorees.

• A United States ambassador.
• A Flyers pitcher turned philanthropist.
• A civilian who dedicated her career and expertise to the United States Air Force.
• A public servant devoted to equity, education and clean energy.
• A young businessman creating change and paying it forward.

On Sept. 16, all five returned home to the University of Dayton for a ceremony to celebrate everything they’ve done to make an impact.

“These are the very definition of servant leaders molded in the Marianist tradition."

“These are the very definition of servant leaders molded in the Marianist tradition,” University of Dayton President Eric F. Spina said during the ceremony. “You've charted a path of selfless service to the country, to your communities, to your alma mater, and indeed to the world.”

For Ambassador W. Robert Kohorst ’75, this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award honoree, making an impact took him outside of the United States. After graduating from UD with a Bachelor of Science in accounting, he earned a law degree and then practiced law for several years before switching to real estate. Because of his business expertise and his dedication to giving back to his community, Kohorst was asked to serve as ambassador to Croatia, a position he held from 2018 to 2021.

“I think one of the real strengths I was able to bring to my job as the U.S. ambassador was the understanding of economics and business that started back on day one at the University of Dayton,” Kohorst said. “Plus, social skills … learning to get along with a diverse group of people and dealing with controversy and dealing with friendships.”

As a pitcher on the Flyers baseball team, Lawrence W. Woerner ’76, worked for years to bring victory to UD. It’s little wonder why he became the 2023 Special Service Award honoree. After graduation, he went on to create a human resources and benefits consulting firm in Latin America. And he stayed connected to the University. He has served as a University of Dayton board member and as a member of the advisory council for the University of Dayton’s College of Arts and Sciences. The Flyers baseball team’s current home base, Woerner Field, is named after Woerner and his wife.

“All the academic things you learn — the community, the maturing, all that — is with us our entire life,” Woerner said. “The relationships that I have obtained continue to this day.”

There were two Special Achievement Award honorees this year. The first, Lisa Payne Wansley ’84, grew up in the Bronx, New York, and after graduating, she returned home and got to work. She dedicated her career to creating equity, educational opportunities and clean energy initiatives. Wansley was the driving force behind New York’s Future Energy Leaders Scholarship, which annually awards a $10,000 scholarship to 10 students in underserved communities across New York.

“When I think of my experience at UD, I had a community of people who really nurtured me and helped me be at home and graduate,” Payne Wansley said. “I'm so glad there are [still people] nurturing students and helping them to find their place.”

After graduating from UD with a degree in mechanical engineering, Valerie M. Dahlem ’85, ’94, drew on her time studying aeronautics and astronautics at UD to enter the aviation industry. Eventually, she spent more than 30 years as a civilian in the United States Air Force, using her Marianist values to lead and earn the respect of her co-workers and superiors.

“I started very, very clearly as just a lump of ore and was turned into iron and steel and honed into a tool that could be used for the common good,” Dahlem said. “I know that every bit of that tool was honed at the University of Dayton.”

Last but not least, this year’s Joe Belle Memorial Young Alumni Award honoree, Michael Arafol Sia ’20, ’23, actively looks for ways to change the status quo and pay it forward. He and his company, Bandila Studios, are a major sponsor of the University’s annual Flyer Pitch competition. In fact, Sia founded the company as part of Flyer Pitch while still a student. He is also a contract negotiator for the United States Air Force and a previous member of day10, the University of Dayton Alumni Association’s young alumni board.

“I went to the Chapel my first day of school, and I did this every single day afterward,” Sia said. “I sat there in the first pew on the right and just asked God to let me see the opportunities and, boy, did he give me a lot.”

Before the Alumni Award ceremony concluded, University of Dayton Alumni Association President Jen Weed ’95 hosted a question-and-answer session with the honorees.

“No matter what, continue to share the UD story near and far,” Weed said to those in attendance. “Continue to serve our community as a volunteer, or nominate a worthy alum for an Alumni Award.”

The deadline is Dec. 31 to nominate an alum for consideration in 2024.

“Our [Alumni Award recipients] use the gifts that God gave them to serve the greater good and leave their communities better than they found them,” Weed said. “Thank you to all of you for being the best brand ambassadors the University of Dayton can have.”