Five former student-athletes from Missouri University of Science and Technology and two honorary members were inducted into the Academy of Miner Athletics during the group’s annual induction ceremony.

The academy recognizes alumni who have brought honor to the university’s athletic department through their accomplishments on the playing field, in their careers and through community leadership. Academy members support the department through coordinated gifts of time, experience and money. The Academy of Miner Athletics was founded in October 2011 with its first induction class of 33 individuals.

New members are:

Wendy (Moore) Bailey of Fairway, Kansas, earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering in 2007 and a master’s degree in civil engineering in 2008, both from Missouri S&T. A four-year letter winner in cross country and indoor and outdoor track, Bailey holds multiple women’s track and field top-five performances in both indoor and outdoor 800-meter and the outdoor 4×400 meter relay. She was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Blue Key and Chi Epsilon. Since graduating, Bailey has worked for the last 14 years at Burns & McDonnell, where she currently works as an associate structural engineer and is the structural department manager in the aviation and federal group.

Kimberly Finke Morrison of Lakewood, Colorado, earned a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering from Missouri S&T in 1996. She also holds a master’s degree in civil engineering specializing in geosystems from Georgia Institute of Technology. Finke Morrison lettered in indoor and outdoor track and field 1992-96, and was an MIAA Academic All-Conference selection, an Academic All-America Team recipient 1995-96, Scholar Athlete 1993-96, and women’s outdoor track MVP in 1995-96. Finke Morrison is senior director of global tailings management at Newmont’s corporate headquarters in Denver. She was founding chair of the tailings and mine waste committee of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME), and served as editor of the first edition of SME’s “Tailings Management Handbook: A Life-Cycle Approach.” In 2020, she was named one of SME’s 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining and received the SME President’s Individual Citation Award. In 2022, she received SME’s Environmental Stewardship Distinguished Service Award and was featured in the “Pioneering the Field: Women in Mining” exhibit at the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum in Leadville, Colorado.

Dixie Finley of Rolla, Missouri, an honorary new member, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Missouri S&T in 1968. She also holds a master of education degree in counseling from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Finley is a member of the Miner Alumni Association and the Missouri S&T Order of the Golden Shillelagh. She founded the Dixie and Charles Finley Endowed Scholarship benefiting student-athletes, received the Robert V. Wolf Alumni Service Award in 2019, and was recognized in 2020 as a Miner Alumni Legend for outstanding achievement and service to her profession and community. Finley was a guidance counselor for the Rolla Public Schools, retiring in 2000 after 27 years. In 1999, she was recognized by the American School Counselor Association as the National Middle School Counselor of the Year. She serves as deacon, choir member, and on various committees at the First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. She is a member of the Phelps County Retired Teachers Association, has volunteered for the hospital of Phelps Health and for RPS Learning Center for non-traditional students. Finley’s late husband, Charles, began his coaching career at S&T in 1965 then served as head football coach from 1972 through 1991 before retiring in 2000. During his tenure, she attended 178 of 180 of his football games. 

Brian Gilmore of Allen, Texas, earned bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees in ceramic engineering from Missouri S&T in 1997 and 2001, respectively. A linebacker on the Miner football team, Gilmore was a three-year starter, four-year letterman, and team captain his junior year. His honors include MIAA Honorable Mention, MIAA Second Team honors, MIAA All-Academic Team, national recognition as a GTE/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) First Team Academic All-America, National Football Foundation/College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete of the Year, Burger King Scholar Athlete of the Week. His career total of 382 tackles is just shy of the record of 397. Gilmore has held both engineering and management positions with MEMC Electronic Materials, Texas Instruments and Pioneer Natural Resources. He holds six patents and the technical distinction of Associate Fellow. Gilmore also earned the technical distinction of Member, Technical Staff while at Texas Instruments. Currently he is staff engineer at Pioneer, an active member and past board member of Keramos Fraternity and an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the American Rock Mechanics Association.

Bryan Hogan of Kansas City, Missouri, earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering in 2012. He also holds a master’s degree in construction management from Arizona State University. A member of the track and field team 2007-10, Hogan lettered in the 400-meter dash as part of the 2009 GLVC Outdoor Track and Field Championship team. He was active in Alpha Phi Alpha, On-Track Mentoring and the National Society of Black Engineers. Hogan is a PMP-certified project manager with experience in managing commercial and industrial projects throughout the Midwest. He has represented and managed construction projects for companies such as UMB Bank, Burns & McDonnell, and Amazon. In 2022, Hogan joined Chewy as a senior project manager and currently leads all its new fulfillment center construction projects in the United States.

Alan Spector of St. Louis, earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1969. He was starting first baseman on the Miner baseball team that won the MIAA conference championship in 1968. Spector spent 33 years in a successful managerial career with the Procter & Gamble Co., retiring in 2002 as a director of worldwide quality assurance. In retirement, he is a strategic planning consultant for local non-profits and large cancer institutions around the country. He has authored 11 books, including two about baseball. He speaks nationwide about three of his books regarding the non-financial aspects of retirement planning, and continues, at age 76, to play baseball in senior leagues and tournaments, including international play in China, Russia, and Italy.

Dr. David Westenberg of Rolla, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor of biological sciences at Missouri S&T, has been S&T’s faculty athletics representative since 2013. He served for over 10 years as S&T’s pre-medical advisor, participated in the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative Fellows program and was a finalist for the 2018 NCAA Dave Pariser Faculty Mentor Award. In addition to research and teaching, Westenberg is co-advisor of the Missouri S&T iGEM synthetic biology student organization and advisor for the Missouri S&T Chapter of the National Society for Leadership and Success. He has received numerous awards for teaching and service including the inaugural College of Arts, Sciences, and Education Dean’s Medal in 2021, the University of Missouri System President’s Award for Community Engagement in 2020, and the American Society for Microbiology Carski Award for teaching and student success in 2020.

The Academy of Miner Athletics held its induction ceremony on Friday, Oct. 21.