Key Points
- The Washington State University (WSU) Foundation will hold its annual Volunteer Awards Celebration on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Seattle to honor outstanding Coug volunteers.
- Mike and Kathy Hambelton are the 2026 recipients of the Weldon B. Gibson Distinguished Volunteer Award for sustained, transformational service to WSU.
- Scott ’82 and Lisa ’83 Taylor received the William F. “Biff” Brotherton Cougar Spirit Award for long-term philanthropic leadership and volunteerism supporting Cougar Athletics.
- Bruce Amundson (’75), Lewis Lee (’88), and Libby Walker (PhD ’84) were named recipients of the Foundation’s Outstanding Service Award for exceptional leadership and commitment.
- The Hambeltons’ contributions span scholarships, CAHNRS, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Cougar Athletics, and support for the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
- The Taylors led investments in the Taylor Sports Complex, a transformative matching challenge, and a scholarship for student-athletes; Lisa Taylor serves on WSU’s Campaign Executive Cabinet and Scott on the Cougar Athletics Campaign Committee.
- The WSU Foundation highlighted volunteers’ roles in advancing student success, supporting faculty, and strengthening WSU’s statewide impact.
- The Volunteer Awards program includes additional honorees whose sustained service helps grow WSU’s culture of philanthropy and expand opportunities across the university.
- Information about nominations and the Volunteer Awards program is available at the WSU Foundation volunteers page.
Seattle (King County Insider) May 14, 2026. As reported by the WSU Foundation, the organization convened its annual Volunteer Awards Celebration Thursday night in Seattle to honor a slate of alumni and partners whose leadership, advocacy, and generosity have strengthened the university’s statewide impact and supported students, faculty, and athletics programs. Mike Connell, vice president for Advancement and CEO of the WSU Foundation, said the awards recognize volunteers whose work has made WSU’s impact “bigger and better every day,” underscoring the Foundation’s view that volunteer service is critical to advancing student success and institutional engagement across Washington.
Who won the Weldon B. Gibson Distinguished Volunteer Award and why?
As reported by the WSU Foundation, the 2026 Weldon B. Gibson Distinguished Volunteer Award — the Foundation’s most prestigious distinction named for its founding chair — was presented to Mike ’71 and Kathy Hambelton for sustained volunteer service that has made a transformational difference at WSU. The Foundation’s announcement attributes the Hambeltons’ recognition to decades of leadership and philanthropy tied to Washington’s tree-fruit industry, with particular emphasis on support for the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), the Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, scholarships, Cougar Athletics, and the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, including a program equipping medical students with iPads.
What achievements earned Scott and Lisa Taylor the Brotherton Cougar Spirit Award?
According to the Foundation release, Scott ’82 and Lisa ’83 Taylor received the William F. “Biff” Brotherton Cougar Spirit Award for philanthropic support and enthusiastic volunteerism for Cougar Athletics and WSU. The Taylors are credited with more than four decades of leadership, including lead investments in the Taylor Sports Complex, a transformative matching challenge, and ongoing engagement that the Foundation says has strengthened student-athlete opportunities on and off the field; Lisa Taylor serves on WSU’s Campaign Executive Cabinet and Scott on the Cougar Athletics Campaign Committee.
Which alumni received the Outstanding Service Award and for what roles?
The Foundation named three alumni recipients of the Outstanding Service Award, given annually for exceptional leadership and commitment, identifying Bruce Amundson (’75, Political Science), Lewis Lee (’88, Electrical Engineering), and Libby Walker (PhD ’84, Political Science) as honorees. The Foundation’s announcement details Amundson’s long service on the Foundation’s Board of Directors and advisory roles for the College of Education and the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication; Lee’s service across more than 20 leadership roles including Foundation board chair and trustee positions supporting engineering, business, and the Honors College; and Walker’s decades-long advocacy and volunteerism for her college and the broader university community.
How did the Foundation describe the overall role of volunteers at WSU?
The WSU Foundation framed volunteers as indispensable partners in advancing education, research, and community engagement across the university system, noting that honorees demonstrate the “spirit of service” that drives philanthropic engagement and opens doors for students, faculty, and the institution at large. Mike Connell emphasized that volunteers help ensure the university has resources and partnerships needed to deliver meaningful impact both on campus and beyond, language the Foundation used in its event materials and post-event summary
What additional details did the Foundation provide about individual contributions?
The Foundation’s materials specify several concrete examples of volunteer impact: the Hambeltons’ multigenerational family ties to WSU since 1946 and targeted gifts supporting agricultural education and medical training; the Taylors’ leadership gifts and challenges that catalyzed broader fundraising for athletics facilities and scholarships; and the sustained board, advisory, and campaign work of Amundson, Lee, and Walker across units including engineering, business, honors, education, and communications. The Foundation also noted that the Brotherton family funds an annual scholarship for a deserving WSU student-athlete, an award tied to the Taylors’ recognition.
What opportunities exist for others to be recognized or to nominate volunteers?
The WSU Foundation pointed readers to its Volunteer Awards program webpage for information on nominating deserving Cougs for future awards and for details about the program’s criteria and past recipients. The Foundation’s announcement invites continued participation and nominations to sustain the volunteer recognition pipeline that undergirds the university’s philanthropic ecosystem.
Why does the Foundation consider volunteerism essential to its mission?
The Foundation’s narrative frames volunteerism as a central mechanism through which alumni and partners extend WSU’s reach: volunteers lead campaigns, advise academic units, promote community ties, and help secure resources that directly benefit students and faculty, the Foundation said in its release accompanying the awards event. That rationale informed the selection of honorees whose service spans governance, fundraising, advocacy, and programmatic support across disciplines and campuses.
Which programs and units did honorees notably support?
The announcement highlights support for CAHNRS, the Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Cougar Athletics, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, and multiple colleges benefiting from advisory and philanthropic engagement, signaling the cross-cutting nature of volunteer influence across WSU’s academic, research, and athletic missions.
Who spoke at the event and what did they say?
Mike Connell, vice president for Advancement and CEO of the WSU Foundation, is quoted in the Foundation’s coverage saying the volunteers “play a critical role in advancing student success, empowering faculty, and expanding WSU’s engagement with communities across the state,” language the Foundation used to frame the evening’s recognitions. The Foundation’s release places that quote at the core of its summary of the event and the awards’ purpose.
Background of the development
The WSU Foundation’s Volunteer Awards program, which includes distinctions such as the Weldon B. Gibson Distinguished Volunteer Award, the William F. “Biff” Brotherton Cougar Spirit Award, and Outstanding Service Awards, has for years recognized alumni and partners for sustained leadership and philanthropy that support university priorities; the Gibson Award, named for the Foundation’s founding chair, honors transformational service that has demonstrably advanced the institution. Past recipients have typically been alumni or community leaders with long-term engagement in governance, campaign leadership, and targeted philanthropy for colleges, research centers, and athletics, reflecting the Foundation’s enduring emphasis on volunteer stewardship as a cornerstone of its fundraising and engagement strategy.
Prediction:
How could the 2026 Volunteer Awards affect students, faculty, alumni, and donors? The Foundation’s public recognition of high-impact volunteers may strengthen donor confidence and encourage additional philanthropic and volunteer commitments by highlighting tangible examples of how sustained engagement translates into scholarships, facilities, research support, and programmatic resources for students and faculty. For alumni and current students, visible honors for volunteers can reinforce a culture of giving and service that encourages mentorship, internships, and networking opportunities; for academic units and administrators, award publicity may aid future fundraising and partnership efforts by demonstrating the returns of coordinated volunteer leadership.
