Caspers DeVore Finalist for Tobin Award at UW

Casper’s Stanley DeVore, a physiology major with a Spanish minor, and Honors Program student, was among the seven finalists for the 2015 Tobin Memorial Award as the University of Wyoming’s (UW) outstanding graduating man.

Cheyenne’s Joshua Messer was the recipient for this year’s Tobin Memorial Award. Callie Berman, of Boulder, Colo., received the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award as UW's outstanding graduating woman.

The annual Tobin award is based on academic excellence and achievement, service to the university, participation and leadership in the community and campus activities, and citizenship qualities. Other finalists were Kyle Bochanski, Fairfax, Vt.; Christian Bopp, Waikoloa, Hawaii; Andy Kulikowski, Atascadero, Calif.; Mathias McCormick, Laramie; and Jose Rivas, Gillette. Students were honored at a recent luncheon.

To be considered for the Spitaleri and Tobin awards, students were judged on academic excellence and achievement; contributions and service to UW; participation and leadership in co-curricular activities; and demonstrated character and citizenship.

“I am proud to call the University of Wyoming my home! During my time at the University of Wyoming, I have received a fine education and been given the chance to become actively involved in learning, teaching and leading,” DeVore says. “The experiences that I have accumulated over the last four years have given me the physiological knowledge, the leadership qualities, and the personal communication skills that will make me a physician that people may understand and respect as a professional and an individual.”

Nominators wrote letters of support for each of the students.

“One of Stan’s great strengths is his translational thinking. Stan has the ability to make immediate connections between seemingly disparate concepts. While humble in his manner, he has the courage to be unexpected, witty and expressive,” one nominator wrote. “This reminds me of playing in a musical quartet, where one person suddenly starts playing with an increased level of dynamism and the music from everyone changes. Stan supplies that sudden creativity to a situation and his courage is infective.”

Another professor wrote, “Beyond his tremendous academic performance, Stan stood out in my class because he was such a positive member of our community. I think of Stan DeVore as someone who embodies all the qualities we are looking for in a UW student. A great intellect, he wears his learning lightly. He is a leader who leads by the example of his kindness, collegiality and integrity.”