On a given weekend every year in October, hundreds — and sometimes close to a 1,000 — alumni and friends of Marietta College return to partake and celebrate the Homecoming festivities.

One activity that has taken a more prominent place over the past decade is the presentation of the Marietta College Alumni Association awards, which will be handed out on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Dyson Baudo Recreation Center.

This year the MCAA will present seven awards, including one new member to the Hall of Honor. Here are those individual who will be recognized this year:

Hall of Honor — Dr. Thomas J. Crowley ’69

Dr. Thomas J. Crowley, who published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers on past climate change, was the Director of the Scottish Alliance of Geoscience, Environment and Society at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Crowley, who died on May 8, 2014, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geology from Marietta and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Brown University. His widow, Gabriel, will accept the honor in his memory.

Distinguished Alumna — Alva Rogers ’82

Alva Rogers, who has appeared in films like School Daze and Daughters of the Dust, is an educator, play write and artist who lives in Queens, New York. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science, she went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Brown University and a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and Opera Writing from NYU’s Tisch School. She currently teaches at the Brearley School for Girls in New York City.

Distinguished Alumnus — Dr. Bob Monter ’62

Bob Monter enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the chemicals industry — which included time at his own venture, Wright Technological Network — following his graduation from Marietta College. He remains an energetic and continued supporter of Marietta College, which includes service as both vice chair and chair of the MCAA Board of Directors, as well as an Alumni Trustee. In recent years, he teamed with fraternity brothers to organize reunions of Alpha Sigs on campus.

Outstanding Young Alumna — Marcie Turner ’09

Marcie Turner is a school psychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. She was not on staff when the school endured the shooting tragedy that left 26 people dead, including 20 children. Turner says she is working with a greater number of parents and therapists than she ever has. Turner earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology, while minoring in Psychology. She also earned a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2012.

Outstanding Young Alumnus — Dr. Christopher Cheng ’06

Dr. Christopher Cheng, the grandson of the late Dr. Frank Cheng, has gone on to earn a Master of Philosophy and Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale — while on a full-ride scholarship. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Yale as he pursues RNAi-driven cancer therapy. He is also developing nanotherapeutics to inhibit hard-to-target microRNAs involved in multiple sclerosis and deafness. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Marietta.

Liz Tribett Service Award — John ’85 and Kris Hefner

John is the former president and owner of Blue & Gray Resources in Parker, Colorado, an exploration and production company. John and Kris have sponsored the College’s annual alumni reception at the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ annual conference and exhibition since 2008. This year the event will be in Amsterdam and they will once again sponsor the reception. The Hefners have also been a consistent supporter of the annual Community Baseball Day, which is conducted each spring.

Honorary Alumnus — Dr. Sid Potash

Dr. Potash retired after the 2011-12 academic year after serving the College for 38 years as a Professor of Management and Leadership. While he’s not in the classroom any longer, Sid is still visible on campus at athletic contests and other events. He represented Marietta well throughout his career, working with local organizations on organizational behavior and human resource management.