Alumni Organizations & Awards

Mrs. Jane (Dennis) Hager ’67 B.S. 

Mrs. Jane (Dennis) Hager has spent more than 50 years serving Hardin-Simmons University with quiet, behind-the-scenes hospitality. A 1967 graduate with a double major in Physical Education and Business Education, Jane taught for decades in Crosbyton and Abilene ISD, earning Teacher of the Year honors at both Lee Elementary and Madison Middle School. She married the late Lawson Hager, HSU’s longtime Director of Bands and Dean of the School of Music and Fine Arts, and together they became beloved fixtures of campus life, known to generations of Cowboy Band and School of Music students simply as Boss and Mom.

For decades, Jane served as an integral member of HSU Round Table, hosting and catering countless receptions, dinners, and parties for the School of Music, the Cowboy Band, and other campus groups. She served three terms on the HSU Alumni Association Board of Directors and, in 2019, received the Peggy Pattillo Student Advocacy Award from the School of Music and Fine Arts in recognition of her many selfless years of volunteer service. In retirement, she delivers Meals on Wheels and remains a devoted supporter of HSU students, faculty, and athletics.

Jane’s family ties include younger sisters Peggy (White Dennis) Neyland ’74 B.S. and Kelly (Dennis) Randles ’80 B.S., daughter, Heather (Hager) Baker ’92 B.M., and son-in-law, Cory Baker ’05 B.B.S., daughter, Emily (Hager) Clancy ’95 B.B.S., daughter, Holly (Hager) Soben ’96x, nephew, Thomas “Ben” White ’00 B.A., and granddaughter, Elizabeth Clancy ’24 B.B.A.  

Mr. Bennie Kniffen ’72 B.B.A.

Bennie Kniffen is a retired energy industry executive who spent more than four decades in accounting, finance, and corporate leadership. He is a native of Abilene and received a BBA in accounting in 1972 from Hardin-Simmons University and a MBA in 1973 from the University of North Texas, Kniffen began his career with Arthur Andersen before joining Southland Royalty Company, where he served in as a manager of auditing and reporting.

In 1986, Kniffen joined XTO Energy, serving as Senior Vice President and Controller throughout the company’s remarkable growth from a regional independent producer into one of the nation’s largest natural gas producers. During his tenure, he provided accounting and financial leadership through years of expansion, acquisitions, and public company reporting.  XTO was acquired by ExxonMobil in 2010.

As a distinguished Hardin-Simmons alumnus, his career reflects the values of disciplined stewardship, professional excellence, and leadership, making him a valued voice on topics of corporate governance, energy finance and accounting, and the American energy sector.

Chief Melvin Martin ’76 B.S. 

A dedicated public servant from the start, Chief Melvin Martin served two years in the U.S. Army before joining the Abilene Police Department in 1969, beginning a lifetime of service to his hometown. While serving, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from HSU in 1976. Over his 40-year career, he built a first-class department through improved training, staffing, and support programs, co-authored legislation establishing the Texas Center for Missing Children and Missing Persons, and served on juvenile justice and homeland security committees under four Texas governors. He founded the nonprofit Friends of Safety City, Inc., leading a capital campaign that funded a new Fire Safety House and Police Education Center. Upon his 2009 retirement, the City of Abilene renamed the facility the Melvin Martin Center for Children’s Safety in his honor. Additionally, the Kiwanis Club of Abilene established the Melvin Martin First Responder Award.  This prestigious award is presented annually to an outstanding first responder whose exceptional service and courage have made a lasting impact on the lives of others.

Martin credits HSU professors Dr. Julian Bridges and Dr. Rod Canady, who became lifelong friends, with shaping how he understood community needs and human behavior throughout his career. He remains active in Abilene, volunteering with the Kiwanis Club, the Cedar Creek Waterway Development board, and in his local church.

Dr. Courtney Queen ’97

Dr. Courtney M. Queen earned a Bachelor of Behavioral Science in History from Hardin-Simmons University in 1997 before completing a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of North Texas. She serves as Associate Dean for Strategic Partnerships, Interim Chair of Public Health, and tenured Associate Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health.

A Fulbright Scholar to Latvia and former Peace Corps volunteer, she has spent nearly two decades researching early detection of Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical disease, along with melanoma detection and healthy aging, earning the Chancellor’s Award of Excellence in Research from the Texas Tech University System in 2024. She now serves on national task forces guiding responsible AI use in public health.

As an HSU student, Courtney belonged to Phi Alpha Theta and Gamma Beta Phi and took part in oral history projects preserving stories of World War II veterans. She credits HSU faculty and staff with shaping the path that led her to Peace Corps service, a Fulbright scholarship, and a career in higher education leadership.

Mrs. Kayla (Willis) Dillman ’14/’16

Kayla (Willis) Dillman is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and co-owner of GrowthPoint Counseling and Consulting in Colleyville, Texas. She earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as dual Bachelor’s degrees in Ministry and Psychology, from Hardin-Simmons University. At HSU, she joined the Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Honor Society, served as a Six White Horses rider, and administered tests to peers with testing accommodations in the Testing and Disability Services Department.

Calling her HSU experience “truly transformative,” Dillman blends evidence-based counseling with her certification as a PATH International equine specialist, integrating animal-assisted therapy into her practice. She is also a senior adjunct professor at Abilene Christian University, mentoring future counselors.

Active on the HSU Board of Trustees, Dillman is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and serves on the SOS International Red Light Rescue Panel. Guided by faith, she helps clients pursue growth, connection, and lasting change.

Dr. Juvenal Havyarimana ’11

Born in Burundi and raised in a refugee camp in Tanzania, Dr. Juvenal Havyarimana came to the United States in 2006, settling in Abilene, Texas. Introduced to Hardin-Simmons University by family friends, he earned a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2011, graduating with multiple academic honors.

HSU shaped not only his career path but also his values. A professor once drove him from Abilene to Lubbock for a medical school program interview — an act of kindness that inspired his lifelong commitment to helping others.

Havyarimana went on to earn a Master of Public Health and a Doctor of Medicine from Texas A&M University, followed by an emergency medicine residency at the University of Florida. Today, he serves as an emergency physician in Florida and Georgia and has held leadership roles, including assistant medical director and EMS medical director.

With his wife, he founded Children Education Angels Inc., a nonprofit supporting more than 80 children in Burundi. In 2020, the Tallahassee Democrat named him Tallahassee Man of the Year. A devoted husband, father of three, and active church member, Juvenal continues to live out his calling with integrity, faith, and compassion.

Geoffrey Turner serves as Lead Pastor of Beltway Park Church in Abilene, Texas, where he has faithfully ministered for more than 18 years. Since joining the staff in 2007, Geoffrey has served in a variety of roles—including Student Pastor, College Pastor, North Campus Pastor, Weekend Services Pastor, and Teaching Pastor—before stepping into the Lead Pastor role in May 2025.

A 2008 graduate of Hardin-Simmons University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Geoffrey also earned a Master of Theological Studies from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Originally from Lubbock, he moved to Abilene just before starting his senior year of high school and quickly found a church home at Beltway Park.

Geoffrey met his wife, Sarah ’08, in high school, and the two continued their journey together at HSU, where they built lifelong friendships. They married in 2006 and are now raising two daughters, Berkley and Ellie Katherine. Geoffrey is a servant leader whose heart for ministry, devotion to family, and commitment to the gospel have shaped a legacy of influence that extends far beyond the walls of his church.