Distinguished Alumni

Recognized for: Service to Saint Martin’s 

Sharon Brown-Kabanuck, Class of 1973, has a lifelong connection to Saint Martin’s University, deeply rooted in family history and a strong sense of community. Growing up in Yelm, Washington, she was raised in the shadow of Saint Martin’s, attending a parish served by priests from the Abbey. Her family’s ties to the University date back to the early 1900s – her grandfather attended Saint Martin’s High School, and her great-grandmother, Bertha Hammerschmith, was a member of the Mothers Club, commemorated on the plaque at the grand staircase landing in Old Main. 

During her time as a student at Saint Martin’s, Sharon worked in the library, served on the yearbook staff and co-edited the yearbook. After graduating with a degree in English Literature, she briefly worked as an educator before embarking on a distinguished career with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As a pension plan specialist, she played a critical role in training new employees in pension law as part of the national training panel. She also served as a district vice president for the National Treasury Employees Union and was a key member of regional and national contract negotiation teams. She concluded her career as a manager overseeing employees in Seattle, Portland and Sacramento. 

Sharon’s generosity and commitment to Saint Martin’s have been transformative. Understanding firsthand the impact of financial aid – having attended Saint Martin’s on scholarships and work-study – she has dedicated herself to supporting future generations of Saints. She established the Sharon Brown and Terry Kabanuck Study Abroad Scholarship to help students experience the educational benefits of international travel, a passion she shared with her late husband, Terry. She also played a pivotal role in creating the Saints Mentor with Heart program, which connects first-year students with upper-division peer mentors to guide their academic and personal success. 

A dedicated philanthropist, Sharon has generously named Saint Martin’s University as a beneficiary of a portion of her estate and has contributed to numerous scholarship funds and university initiatives. Sharon remains an active member of the Saint Martin’s alumni community, regularly attending events and supporting initiatives that enrich student experiences. Her legacy of generosity and commitment to education ensures that future Saints will have the same opportunities she did – opportunities that shaped her life and continue to inspire her passion for giving back. 

Recognized for: Professional Achievement 

Dr. Terrence "Terry" Burke, Class of 1975 Valedictorian, is a distinguished chemist whose groundbreaking contributions to medicinal chemistry have advanced the development of novel treatments for cancer, AIDS and other diseases. A protégé of Fr. Bede Ernsdorff, Terry earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Martin’s College before obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Washington under the direction of Professor Wendel Nelson. 

His early research led him to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he studied as a Fellow of the Pharmacology Associate Research Training Program at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and later as a Senior Staff Fellow at the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases. After briefly leaving the NIH to serve as Principal Chemist at Peptide Technologies Corporation, he returned in 1989 as a tenured Principal Investigator in the Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (reorganized in 2009 as the Chemical Biology Laboratory). In 2002, he became Head of the Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Section, and in 2003, he was appointed to the Senior Biomedical Research Service (SBRS). 

Over the course of his distinguished career, Terry has authored more than 360 publications, making significant contributions to the fields of anti-cancer and anti-AIDS drug design. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Sato Memorial International Award in 1997 from the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, the NIH Merit Award in 2002 for his achievements in drug design, and the prestigious Hildebrand Award in 2019, the highest honor bestowed by the Capital Region Section of the American Chemical Society for contributions to the science of chemistry. 

Terry’s footprint continues to grow through his pioneering research and mentorship of the next generation of scientists. His dedication to advancing medicinal chemistry has had a profound effect on the field, shaping the future of drug discovery and improving lives worldwide. 

Recognized for: Professional Achievement 

Dr. John Gallagher, a proud graduate of Saint Martin’s College in 1969, dedicated his career to advancing the work of higher education institutions and non-profit organizations through leadership, planning, philanthropy management, and organizational development. After graduating from Saint Martin’s, he earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Washington, and then returned to Saint Martin’s as an associate professor and associate dean, where he played a pivotal role in founding the Department of Corporate and Foundation Relations. 

John’s impact extended well beyond Saint Martin’s, however, as he went on to serve in key leadership roles at several institutions and later worked extensively with over a hundred non-profit organizations in the United States and Canada as a consultant. He was the Director of Development at the Evergreen State College, Associate Vice President for University Relations at Seattle University, and then was appointed Vice President for University Relations at the University of Puget Sound.  

In 1995, he was named the Executive Director of the UNLV Foundations and soon also became Vice President for Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). In these roles, he planned and led the University’s first major capital campaign, an effort that raised over $550 million dollars. In his twelve years at UNLV, the University raised over $700 million, and emerged as a major research university, a major economic engine for Nevada, and a key political advocate for many in the region. Through his work at the University, he played a pivotal role in driving these transformative outcomes.  

After twelve years, when he turned 60, John retired from UNLV and started a consulting firm that worked primarily with non-profit organizations, including colleges, universities, foundations, medical support organizations and a wide variety of community service enterprises. He worked with over a hundred organizations in twenty states and the District of Columbia, primarily to help them manage the business side of their operations better. He helped with board development, fundraising planning and execution, program planning, staff training, financial management and controls, and operational evaluation. He also served as an executive coach for some boards and leadership teams. Highlights in this work include the planning and leadership of a second $550 million capital campaign and a number of smaller but important capital campaigns at other organizations. In the course of his career, he has played a major role in the generation of over $1.5 billion in gift revenue for organizations. He retired from this consulting work three years ago.   

A respected figure in the national development community, John contributed to books published by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and published papers and opinion articles in a number of other professional outlets over the years. He also served as a chairman, panelist, facilitator and presenter at numerous professional conferences, sharing his knowledge and experience with colleagues across the country. He has also served on the boards of trustees for three large non-profit organizations with national and international reach. In 2007, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by his primary professional association. 

John’s legacy continues through the institutions he strengthened and the many people who benefited from his vision and leadership. His lifelong dedication to education, philanthropy and the national non-profit community continues to inspire future generations. 

Recognized for: Service to Saint Martin’s 

Tedi C. Reynolds is honored to serve as trustee for Saint Martin’s University, a place she believes continues to make a difference in our world. Attending Saint Martin's in the late 1960’s gave her life-long relationships, including her husband, Class of 1969 Valedictorian and fellow Distinguished Alumnus Dennis D. Reynolds. Tedi is grateful for the opportunity to steward that legacy into the future. 

Since 2020, Tedi has played a pivotal role in advancing Saint Martin’s University, beginning with a focus group dedicated to launching the For Every Saint comprehensive campaign. Believing in the bold vision of celebrating 125 years with a $100 million goal, she was soon asked by the Board of Trustees to serve as a campaign co-chair, working closely with the Office of Institutional Advancement through the campaign’s successful completion. 

In the fall of 2021, Tedi joined the Board of Trustees and has since been a dedicated advocate for institutional growth and development. As a Board representative, she was a champion of the 2022 Strategic Planning Process, a member of the 2023 Provost Search Committee, and currently serves as Chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee. Additionally, Tedi co-chaired the 2024 Presidential Search Committee, ensuring strong leadership for the University's future. 

Beyond governance, Tedi has been deeply involved in fostering community and philanthropy, serving as a co-chair for the Saint Martin’s Gala in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Her passion for the University is evident in her enthusiastic participation in a wide range of events, including Scholars Day, Commencement, the Nurses Pinning Ceremony, WA Vet to Tech graduations, Convocation, and the Abbey Church music series, as well as numerous alumni gatherings. 

Through her steadfast commitment and leadership, Tedi continues to work tirelessly to ensure a bright future for students, alumni and the institution as a whole. 

Recognized for: Professional Achievement

Jim Snyder’s lifelong commitment to excellence, service and innovation began during his time as a student at Saint Martin’s. As a high school student, he excelled both academically and athletically, serving on Student Council, Honor Society, and the Debate Team while earning All-Catholic and All-Northwest honors in football and basketball. His leadership continued in college, where he was Student Body President, a standout athlete, and an engaged member of numerous academic and extracurricular organizations, including the Mathematics Club, Judicial Board, and the Martian student newspaper. In recognition of his exceptional athletic achievements, Jim was inducted into the Saint Martin’s Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Jim went on to an extraordinary career in academia and pharmaceutical research. He served as a professor at Yeshiva University, where he developed a pioneering lap-dissolve projective device to teach molecular motion – an innovation that anticipated the visual learning tools used in modern education, including Microsoft PowerPoint. He later spent a decade as a professor at the University of Copenhagen and contributed to groundbreaking drug design efforts at Merck and G.D. Searle. 

For 22 years, Jim was a professor at Emory University, where he was actively involved with the Winship Cancer Institute. His research focused on utilizing computer modeling to design cancer-fighting drugs, and he co-edited Organic Chemistry, A Series of Monographs, which advanced understanding in the field of non-benzenoid aromatic compounds. Over the course of his career, he authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and remained dedicated to drug discovery until his passing in 2016. His pioneering work continues to have a lasting influence—two of his drug designs, including one targeting certain cancers, remain in clinical trials today. 

Beyond his scientific contributions, Jim was deeply committed to social justice and community service. In 1964, while at Cornell University, he traveled to Tennessee to support voter registration efforts for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. He was also a dedicated advocate for single fathers seeking custody rights, a youth sports coach, and a generous supporter of organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU. His mentoring extended beyond the laboratory; he built a family for his students, credited young researchers in publications, and fostered the next generation of scientists with unwavering generosity. 

Jim’s legacy of brilliance, compassion and dedication lives on through his contributions to science, education and social justice. His work continues to inspire, ensuring that his impact will be felt for generations to come.