Wall of Honor 2015
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) Wall of Honor was established by the CHSS Alumni Advisory Board to acknowledge faculty and alums who have distinguished themselves throughout their careers through personal and professional achievements and who have made significant contributions to SHSU, the students, society, and thus have brought honor and distinction to our university.
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is pleased to announce the 2016 Wall of Honor Recipients:
The official ceremony for the Wall of Honor was held on Friday, February 27, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. in the CHSS building on the Sam Houston State University campus. A dinner honoring the recipients followed the ceremony.
Mr. Christopher L. Tritico graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. After leaving Sam Houston, Mr. Tritico went on to earn his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas in 1988. While he attended law school, Mr. Tritico did investigative work for Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, a renowned Houston criminal defense lawyer. Leaving his associate position at Mr. Haynes’ firm in 1994, Mr. Tritico went on to found his own firm, Essmyer, Tritico & Rainey, L.L.P. Since Mr. Tritico began practicing law, he has represented such notable clients as athletes Moses Malone, Gary Sheffield, and Julio Lugo, Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, the Houston Federation of Teachers, and the Employee Federation of North Harris Montgomery Community College District. Mr. Tritico’s notable representative cases include Sarsfield v. State (1991), Reynolds v. State (1993), and Goodie v. Houston Independent School District (2001).
Mr. Tritico has expanded his influence in the field of law beyond the courtroom by publishing several written works, including: “Teacher Contracts and the Hearing Process: The Road to Victory” (1997), “A Practical Guide to Policing Student on Student Sexual Harassments” (2000), “Real Culprit in Yates Case is the System” (2002), and “Investigative Techniques Every Lawyer Should Know.” Additionally, Mr. Tritico has appeared on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, Night Line, CBS Evening News, Meet the Press, Dateline NBC, 20/20, CNN, Fox News Channel and Court TV. Finally, Mr. Tritico is the legal analyst for FOX 26, KRIV in Houston, and the legal analyst and host of The Chris Tritico Show on News Radio 740 KTRH. His many accomplishments in the field of law are evidenced by his “Houston’s Top Lawyer for the People” title awarded by H Texas Magazine for the years 2005-2006.
Dr. Caroline Castillo Crimm graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Miami in 1969. After devoting the first years of her teaching career to Texas public schools, Dr. Crimm returned to school to receive her Master of Arts in Architectural Preservation from Texas Tech University in 1986, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Latin American History from the University of Texas in 1990. Dr. Crimm served first as an assistant, then associate, and finally a full professor in Sam Houston State University’s Department of History from 1992-2011. Her tenure was typified by teaching excellence, as evidenced by her many awards, which include: the SHSU Excellence in Teaching Award (1998-1999), the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Award (2004), the LULAC Educator of the Year Award (2006), and the San Jacinto Descendants Texas Teacher of the Year Award (2010).
Beyond her incredible contributions to student success in the classroom and in life, Dr. Crimm distinguished herself as a serious scholar in the field of Mexican-American History. Her many publications culminate in her major research accomplishment: De Leόn: A Tejano Family History (2004). De Leόn was met with much acclaim, receiving such awards as: the Texas Old Missions and Forts Restoration Association book award, the Presidio La Bahia Award for the best book on Spanish Colonial Texas in 2005, and the San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation award. Since her retirement from Sam Houston State University, Dr. Crimm has expanded her repertoire to include historical fiction.
MR. RON GAY, has earned two degrees in political science from Sam Houston State University, first in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree, and then again in 1984 with a master’s degree. Since 2008, Ron has served with distinction on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Advisory Board, and in 2016 he was elected as its chairman where he continues to serve. He was elected to the Alumni Board of Directors in 2019, and he is a life member in the Sam Houston State University Alumni Association.
Gay began his marketing career with Fidelity Union Life Insurance Company in 1978. He then moved to Bryan-College Station to work for the Bryan Broadcasting Company in its marketing department. He eventually moved on to have a successful 22-year career as the regional marketing director for the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan. Today, Gay is a registered representative with Cambridge Investment Research. In January of 2017 he opened his own practice—Ron Gay Financial Services—in College Station, Texas.
He is not only dedicated to serving Sam Houston State University, but he is also active serving his local community. Since 1980 he has been an active member of the College Station Noon Lions Club serving in numerous leadership positions at the local, district, state and international levels. In May 2021, he was inducted into the Texas Lions Hall of Fame in recognition of more than four decades of service to his community, state and nation. He is also an active member in the Knights of Columbus where he also served at the local, state and international levels. Gay is a Knight of the Grand Cross in The Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, a Papal honor bestowed on him by Pope John Paul II. He has held countless leadership positions in other well-respected organizations over the years, including the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce and the College Station City Council.
Ron Gay has dedicated his life to the service of Sam Houston State University, his local community and the state of Texas. He and his wife, Terri, are both passionate world travelers. They currently reside in College Station, Texas and have three children and five grandchildren.
MRS. VANESSA F. HICKS-CALLAWAY, pursued her bachelor's degree from SHSU in political science with a minor in Military science while serving in the U.S. Army Reserves as a military police officer. During this time, she also worked as a correctional officer in a maximum-security prison that housed death row inmates. Her service in the U.S. Army as a supply sergeant and intelligence officer included two separate deployments to combat zones ultimately earning her the Bronze Star Medal. She then continued her education by earning her master’s in human resources management from Central Michigan University. In 2011, she released a Christian self-help book called “Decision Precision Vision”, showcasing her devotion to Jesus Christ.
After retiring from the military following 26 years of dedicated service, she instructed junior ROTC students as a Senior Army Instructor and never lost her commitment to service. She has volunteered for multiple non-profit organizations, including the Old Landmark Committee, Disabled American Veterans/Auxiliary, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Warriors Weekend, Court Appointed Special Advocate, Victoria Bach Festival, Victoria Police Foundation, Community and Schools, The Gabriel Project, and the Victoria Business Education Coalition as a student mentor. She has also served as president in the Kiwanis Club.
Mrs. Hicks-Callaway worked as a congressional staffer in 2016 for the Texas 27th Congressional District, U.S. House Representatives for nearly 3 years. She helped lead the fight to re-elect Texas Senator Ted Cruz as his field director for the South-Central Region in the 2018 midterm election. She previously served Texas governor Greg Abbott as his appointee for the council for Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Prevention. This position is especially meaningful to her as a survivor of open-heart surgery. She remains active in politics and served as a secretary, outreach coordinator and Precinct 21 chair for the Victoria GOP. She is a county and state delegate for the Republican party of Texas and is a member of the Victoria County Republican Women's Organization and the Texas Federation of Republican Women. In line with her passion and commitment to helping others, she is a Veterans Service Officer for the Texas Veterans Commission and works as a motivational speaker and plans to write another Christian self-help book.
She has been married to fellow U.S. Army Veteran Jason Ohm Callaway for 27 years and they have been blessed with two sons, Eric and Edward Callaway. Eric, who was a SHSU full scholarship track athlete, not only earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from SHSU in 2021, he also earned a Master of Science degree in Computing and Data Science from SHSU in 2023. Edward is currently a senior at Victoria East High School and plans to pursue a career in the arts.
DR. TERRY M. THIBODEAUX, received his first two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Education and a Master of Education, from McNeese State University in 1978 and 1980, respectively. He then went on to receive a doctorate in communication from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1986. Since 1987, he has dedicated more than 35 years of service to the Sam Houston State University community. He has been a professor, dean, department chairman and more in his years at the university, giving back to the students, faculty and staff around him.
From 2013-2020 he served as a university marshal, a presenter and mentor for incoming freshman events for seven years, as well as judged for the Miss Sam Houston Pageant for four years. In his time as dean of College of Humanities and Social Sciences, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and associate dean of CHSS he was dedicated to student success. He was an avid supporter of the SAM center and was an advisor in the center for years. Even after retirement he continued to support student success through advising.
As a professor, Thibodeaux excelled in making the class come alive. He offers trips to cultural festivals from surrounding states and areas. He invites guest speakers and lecturers, even musicians on a few occasions, to come speak to his classes. Students to this day keep in touch with him because of his willingness to commit to the classroom and the students. All this is seen on his high scoring teacher evaluations, his development of community engagement courses and his willingness to serve as the Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor society, advisor. For his commitment to students in and outside the classroom he has won the 2001 Texas Communication Association’s Educator of the Year Award. Recently, he was nominated for a Keys of Excellence Award by the SHSU Orange Keys.
He also served as a member of the editorial board for the undergraduate journal, The Measure. For the last several years he has served on the advisory board for the Texas Review. In 2019, he served on the search committee for a new managing editor for the Texas Review Press. He has served as a paper reviewer, panel moderator and committee member as an active member of the Southern States Communications Association (SSCA). In 2004 he was elected president of the SSCA. Over the years he has published several peer review articles, authored one book chapter, co-authored a book and wrote a textbook.
He has always strived to engage, promote and cultivate a diverse academic community sitting as department chair. He also helped pursue an environment for new faculty to feel welcome and have somewhere to go to feel supported and ensure we are keeping a strong focus on the students.
Past Wall of Honor Recipients: