A pursuit of excellence: Meet the K-Staters honored at our 2026 Alumni Awards Evening
By Ashley Pauls and Tim Schrag ’12
K-State Alumni Association
While they may have graduated in different decades, Pat J. Bosco '71, '73, Leanne
G. Caret '88, Logan L. Britton '15, '16 and Sachin Dhanda '24 all discovered a similar
spark of inspiration during their time at K-State: a desire to pursue excellence.
The impact of their K-State experience stretched beyond simply earning a degree —
it shaped them into the leaders, scholars, innovators and change-makers they are today.
The K-State Alumni Association is proud to honor these four distinguished alumni at
our 2026 Alumni Awards Evening, an annual event which celebrates the recipients of the Alumni Excellence Award,
Distinguished Young Alumni Award, and the Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award.
Learn more about each of our 2026 award recipients through the profiles below:
Alumni Excellence Award
Leanne G. Caret '88
Former president/CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security
During her 34-year career, Leanne Caret became the first woman to lead a major Boeing
business unit, overseeing a $26 billion portfolio that delivered solutions spanning
from seabed to space.
“What I remember most about my earliest days at the company is the size and scale
of the products that we built,” Caret said. “They had a true impact on the world and
on the United States, but most importantly, the company was a family. It had a sense
of us all in it together, and it's why I was a second generation employee. My dad
and my mom met there, and I had the blessing to continue my career.”
In addition to her parents, she credits early mentors for shaping her success, from
her ninth grade math teacher who celebrated Caret’s love for numbers, to her first
boss who started her on a new career trajectory. She also is thankful for the educational
foundation provided by K-State.
“Without K-State, I wouldn't have had the career that I've had, and I have shared
around the world that if it hadn't been for my Kansas State education, none of this
would have been possible,” she said. “My mom never had the opportunity to go to school.
She was adamant that my sister and I, who's also a Kansas State alum, would be able
to be self-sufficient and live the life we were destined to live. And I remember the
day walking the campus with her and my dad, and watching her face reflect all these
emotions about this opportunity that they were giving us. It is an incredible gift,
and I'm just so very thankful, and I love them very much.”
Throughout her career, Caret has been recognized for her global impact. She was named
to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list for five consecutive years and received the 2024 Women In Defense Service to the Flag Award.
Caret defines her leadership philosophy in four words, all beginning with the letter “G”:
- “Grit is the willingness to roll up your sleeves and do the hard job. Don't ask others to do something you yourself wouldn't do.”
- “Gumption is about believing in yourself, and I think that's where K-State provided a lot of help for me.”
- “Grace is all about giving grace to others because we are all going to need grace at some point in our life.”
- “The most important thing is gratitude. How we treat folks, especially when no one's watching, is the single most defining
moment of your life.”
Caret currently serves as an independent board director and audit committee chair
for Deere & Company and RTX, and is a senior advisor to Blackstone and MyNextSeason.
She wants to continue giving back and helping others, in the same way that others
gave back to her early on in her career.
“You never know those individuals in your life that will be the greatest blessing
to you,” Caret said. “And I have been extremely fortunate to have had those types
of encounters, where somebody has reached out and helped lift me up multiple times
throughout my career. It's what has shaped my own leadership journey, and it's something
I'm extremely proud about my tenure at the company. It's also something that I spend
my time doing now as I serve on public boards and work with smaller companies. How
do I help people see how great they are and their potential, because we all have it.”
The Alumni Excellence Award recognizes a K-State graduate whose career, service and achievements exemplify the
spirit, values and excellence of the university. The recipient’s career endeavors
have achieved national and/or international recognition, and they exhibit the highest
standard of integrity and character. The award is made possible by the generosity
of the Curt ’73 and Sherry ’73 Frasier family of Beloit, Kansas.
Distinguished Young Alumni Award
Logan L. Britton, Ph.D. '15, '16
Associate professor of agricultural economics, Kansas State University
When Logan Britton arrived at K-State as a first-generation college student, he had
no idea he would one day return as a faculty member.
“I did not always know what opportunities were available or how to prepare for them,”
he recalls. “Faculty and staff expected a great deal from me, but they were also willing
to explain what I did not know and help me improve. Their confidence in me helped
me develop confidence in myself. My involvement outside the classroom taught me how
to work with people who did not always agree with me. I learned to listen and understand
their concerns before deciding how to move forward. Those experiences also made me
more willing to question the status quo when I believed something could be better.”
He has taught more than 1,000 undergraduate students and mentored them while they
pursue careers, after graduation and while attending professional school. His professional
accomplishments are equally distinguished: he has secured with research teams more
than $4 million in external research funding, published 20+ peer-reviewed articles,
and earned national recognition for his teaching from organizations such as the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
“I love hearing from former students and learning that something from class stayed
with them,” Britton said. “It means a great deal when they tell me that what they
learned has helped them at work or given them confidence in a decision. Those conversations
remind me that the time invested in a student can matter well beyond one semester.
I want them to succeed professionally and become good people who contribute to their
communities.”
Whether he’s teaching in the classroom or conducting research, Britton weaves an attitude
of service into everything he does.
“K-State gave me the foundation for my career and continues to challenge me to grow,”
he said. “Returning as a faculty member has allowed me to repay some of what others
invested in me. I still have to pinch myself most mornings because I am in my dream
job.”
Distinguished Young Alumni Award
Sachin Dhanda, Ph.D. '24
Assistant professor of weed ecology, South Dakota State University
While Sachin Dhanda is grateful to K-State for giving him the opportunity to pursue
his Ph.D., he says the experience became so much more than simply earning a doctoral
degree.
“It was a game-changing journey that shaped both my career and who I am as a person.
I learned not only about research, teaching and extension, but also about collaboration,
leadership, service and the importance of being part of a strong community.”
As a student, he divided his time between the Manhattan campus and the K-State Agricultural
Research Center in Hays. He also was involved with the K-State Agronomy Graduate Student
Association and the International Coordinating Council, and he served as a K-State
Graduate Student Ambassador, interacting with prospective students from around the
world and encouraging them to pursue their own dreams at K-State.
“Looking back, K-State gave me the knowledge, mentorship, confidence and opportunities
to grow into the scientist, educator and mentor I am today,” he said. “I will always
be grateful for the people and experiences that made my time at K-State so meaningful.”
He now works as an assistant professor at South Dakota State University, where he
researches weed management challenges affecting farmers and also teaches weed science
to undergraduate and graduate students. He has authored or co-authored more than 20
peer-reviewed publications and regularly presents his research at national and international
scientific conferences.
“What I value most is the opportunity to work with people — farmers, students and
fellow scientists — and to see our work make a difference,” he said. “I feel fortunate
to be in a career that allows me to keep learning while helping others learn and grow
along the way. It means a great deal when former students share that something they
learned in class has helped them in their careers or the real world. Those moments
remind me why I enjoy teaching so much.”
The Distinguished Young Alumni Award honors K-State graduates age 35 or younger who are excelling in their professions
and contributing to their communities. The program is sponsored by the K-State Alumni
Association’s board of directors and Student Alumni Board.
Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award
Pat J. Bosco, Ph.D. '71, '73
Retired vice president and dean of students, Kansas State University
Pat Bosco served K-State for nearly 50 years in various roles including vice president
for student life and dean of students. He helped develop programs including K-State
First, All-University Open House, K-State Childcare Services, the Parents and Family
Association and the program that would later become the Staley School of Leadership,
among others.
He was a national leader in student life, enrollment management and student affairs.
His expertise, knowledge and perspectives have been courted by state and national
organizations.
Bosco, along with his team of admissions representatives, often partnered with the
K-State Alumni Association to visit K-Staters at alumni club events to help raise
awareness of K-State programming, promote the university and recruit prospective students
to campus.
“I remember my first alumni club event,” he said. “It was filled with purple and enthusiasm
like I’d never experienced before. I was taken back by the genuine authenticity of
the people that would come up to you and wish you the very best for our university.”
The Association also partnered with Bosco and his team to help recruit and retain
students, through scholarships and events like For Sophomores Only and Just for Juniors.
“It was really an extraordinary time raising scholarship dollars, creating enthusiasm
through alumni volunteer leadership and more,” he said. “Many of those activities
are existing today. I had a very unique responsibility to work during the day to improve
our quality of life on campus, and then on evenings communicate what we were doing
to alumni and prospective students.”
The Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award commemorates a current or emeritus K-State faculty or staff member for advocacy of
alumni relations, with a special emphasis on support and participation in alumni programs
that engage members of the Wildcat family. The award is made possible by the generosity
of the Barry Flinchbaugh family.