Bethany College Honors Alumni Award Recipients During 2025 Homecoming Celebration 

BETHANY, W.Va. (Sept. 26, 2025) — Bethany College proudly celebrated the recipients of the 2025 Alumni Awards during the Alumni Celebration Dinner on Friday, Sept. 26, in Commencement Hall. The event, held as part of BC Pride Homecoming Weekend, brought together alumni, students, staff, faculty, and friends of the College to honor individuals whose lives exemplify excellence, leadership, and service. 

“Each year, the Alumni Awards allow us to celebrate individuals whose lives reflect Bethany’s enduring values of leadership, service, and achievement,” said Dr. Jamie Caridi, president of Bethany College, during the program. “This year’s winners were inspiring in every way. Their stories remind us of the big and little things that set Bethany apart—how it put them on a path to success, opened doors, and connected them to lifelong friends.” 

Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award 

Tim Keating ’75 was recognized for his remarkable career in collegiate football coaching. His coaching journey began at Georgetown University, followed by positions at DePauw University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Rice University. Keating later served as head football coach at Wesley College in Delaware before leading Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) to multiple conference championships and four NCAA Division III playoff appearances. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the football program at Stetson University in Florida. Since retiring in 2016, Keating has returned to Maryland, where he enjoys time with his children and grandchildren while reflecting on the mentors—Don Ault, Bob Goin ‘59, and Bob Riley ‘67—who shaped his career. 

James E. Allison Award for Teaching Excellence 

Dr. Lisa M. Reilly was honored for her outstanding contributions as a teacher, scholar, and mentor in chemistry. A member of the Bethany faculty since 2008, she currently serves as the Goulding-Woolery Professor in chemistry, chair of the department of physical and computational sciences, and associate provost of instructional technology and academic programming. Reilly has distinguished herself as an innovative educator in analytical chemistry, focusing on instrumentation, quantitative techniques, and data analysis. Beyond the classroom, she has championed undergraduate research, active learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration, while advising student groups such as the Pre-Health Club and Student Government Association (SGA). 

Outstanding Community Service Award 

Major Gary R. “Craig” Wagner ’85 received recognition for more than four decades of service in the military, aviation, firefighting, and community leadership. A physics graduate of Bethany, Wagner was active in student government, Sigma Nu fraternity, and the volunteer fire department before beginning his career as a U.S. Marine Corps officer and Naval Aviator. During his 21-year military career, he rose to the rank of Major and served in multiple combat and humanitarian operations worldwide, including Operation Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, a NATO mission in Latvia, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After retiring in 2006, Wagner continued his aviation career as a commercial and corporate pilot, earning Delta’s “Pilot of the Year” and flying routes on five continents. He also dedicated himself to firefighting, volunteering in California, and battling major wildfires, including the Tubbs Fire (2017) and Glass Fire (2020). Wagner and his wife, Patricia “Tish” Wagner, reside in St. Helena, California, where they raised three daughters. 

In his Homecoming remarks, Caridi expressed gratitude to the alumni community: “This will always be your home, and the Bethany community will always welcome you just as it did when you first arrived. You make us so proud, and it was an honor to celebrate your stories and achievements during this special weekend.” 

The Alumni Awards remain one of the most meaningful traditions of Homecoming, highlighting graduates and friends of Bethany whose lives embody the College’s mission of preparing engaged citizens to serve, lead, and achieve.