College of Education and Human Development to celebrate four outstanding alumni at 2026 Alumni Awards

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) will celebrate four outstanding alumni during the 28th annual CEHD Alumni Awards on Friday, Oct. 9, during homecoming weekend.

This year’s honorees are Kelly Alvarez and Dr. Jiangang Xia, recipients of the Golden Apple Award; Jazz McKinney, recipient of the Keystone Early Career Award; and Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker, who will be honored posthumously with the Keystone Meritorious Achievement Award.

Each recipient represents the impact of a CEHD education through leadership, advocacy, scholarship, service and a deep commitment to strengthening communities.

Kelly Alvarez, Golden Apple Award

Kelly Alvarez ’02, who studied elementary education, has become one of Michigan’s leading voices for multilingual learners and the educators who serve them. Alvarez currently serves as an English learner consultant with the Michigan Department of Education, where she helps advance multilingual education initiatives for school districts and intermediate school districts throughout the state.

Her influence extends beyond Michigan through her national leadership and advocacy. Alvarez previously served as president of the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators, championing equitable opportunities and stronger support for multilingual learners across the country.

In 2026, Alvarez received the Spirit of Excellence Award from the Michigan Association for Bilingual Education in recognition of her leadership, advocacy and service to bilingual and multilingual education. Her work continues to elevate the importance of multilingual education while supporting educators and creating learning environments where students’ languages, cultures and experiences are recognized as strengths.

Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker, Keystone Meritorious Achievement Award (posthumously)

Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker, M.A.’14, Ph.D.’08, who studied evaluation, measurement and research, was a nationally recognized leader whose career helped transform organizations and advance equity across higher education, healthcare and the broader West Michigan community. Booker most recently served as vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at University of Michigan Health-West.

There, Booker led major institutional changes designed to strengthen equity for employees and patients. Her work included expanded visitation rights, equal benefits for same-sex spouses, LGBTQ+ patient-centered care training and more inclusive patient intake practices. Her leadership also contributed to the health system receiving national recognition for its commitment to LGBTQ+ healthcare equality.

Before joining UM Health-West, Booker served as the first executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Davenport University, where she developed the university’s first institution-wide DEI strategy and measurable accountability benchmarks. She also spent more than two decades helping shape equity efforts in higher education, including contributing to long-term anti-racism and inclusion initiatives at Calvin University.

Booker’s influence continues through the people, organizations and communities she touched. Following her passing, the Grand Rapids Chamber and University of Michigan Health-West established the Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker Award for Inclusive Excellence in her honor, ensuring that her legacy of leadership and advocacy continues to inspire future generations.

Her posthumous Keystone Meritorious Award celebrates not only an extraordinary professional career but a lasting commitment to building organizations and communities where more people feel welcomed, valued and empowered.

Jazz McKinney, Keystone Early Career Award

Jazz McKinney, M.A.’14, who studied counseling psychology, has built a career centered on advocacy, mental health and creating stronger, more inclusive communities. McKinney currently serves as executive director of the Grand Rapids Pride Center and has worked in racial justice and 2-SLGBTQ+ advocacy for nearly two decades.

McKinney stepped into leadership at the Pride Center during one of the most challenging periods in the organization’s history. Since then, they have helped transform its operations and financial sustainability, growing its budget from approximately $200,000 to $630,000 while expanding the organization’s ability to serve the community.

Under McKinney’s leadership, the center has expanded mental health support, crisis services, food access, gender-affirming resources and inclusive community programming. They have also led equity-focused reforms designed to better serve 2-SLGBTQ+ communities, transgender individuals, seniors, people with disabilities and other historically underserved groups.

McKinney also leads the Grand Rapids Pride Festival, one of West Michigan’s largest 2-SLGBTQ+ events, which now reaches approximately 35,000 attendees annually. Their leadership and advocacy have earned them regional recognition, including their designation as one of Crain’s Grand Rapids Business’s Most Influential Leaders. 

Dr. Jiangang Xia, Golden Apple Award

Dr. Jiangang Xia, Ph.D.’14, who studied educational leadership, has built a nationally recognized career at the intersection of educational leadership, research and teaching. Xia is a professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he prepares graduate students in educational leadership, quantitative research methods, data-informed school improvement and dissertation research. His promotion to professor was announced by Nebraska in 2026.

At Nebraska, Xia has transformed the way doctoral students experience quantitative research. Over the past decade, he has redesigned core doctoral research methods courses around greater accessibility, real-world application and what he calls “estimation thinking.” His approach incorporates open educational resources, scaffolded assignments, video tutorials and practical applications designed to make complex statistical concepts meaningful to practicing educators.

That commitment to students has earned Xia some of Nebraska’s highest teaching honors, including the 2023 College Outstanding Teaching Award and 2024 College Distinguished Teaching Award. His scholarly leadership extends nationally and internationally through research, journal editorial roles, conference presentations and work advancing new approaches to quantitative methods in educational research.

Mentorship is also central to his work. Since 2014, Xia has chaired or co-chaired 19 completed dissertations while mentoring numerous additional doctoral students, helping emerging scholars build both the technical skills and confidence needed to conduct meaningful research.

Join the celebration and attend the awards

The 28th annual CEHD Alumni Awards will take place on Friday, Oct. 9, at 5:30 p.m. in the WMU Student Center ballroom. Dinner will be provided, and registration is free for all attendees.

The event is held during Western Michigan University’s homecoming weekend and provides an opportunity for alumni, faculty, staff, students, families and friends to come together and celebrate the people who continue to make CEHD proud.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.