Hughes Named 2017 LCC Cardinal Citation Recipient

Parsons, KS—Each year Labette Community College (LCC) and the LCC Alumni Association recognize an individual or individuals for a lifetime of outstanding service to his or her community and/or to the college through the presentation of the Cardinal Citation Award. A distinguished panel of community members reviews nominations and recommends a Citee.

This year’s Cardinal Citation Award recipient is Rees Hughes. This is the highest honor that LCC bestows to individuals for outstanding lifetime achievement.

Rees Hughes, born and raised in Parsons, KS and is the son of William D. ‘Pete’ and Mary Hughes of Parsons. Hughes and his family currently reside in Arcata, California. Hughes attended LCC, as did each of his three siblings (Megan, Janie, and Griff), before continuing his education at the University of Kansas. In 1979 he left the University of Kansas with his baccalaureate and Masters degrees in Educational Administration and Guidance and Counseling for a position at Seattle University.

In 1984, Hughes married, Amy Uyeki, at the conclusion of their 2,100-mile cross-country cycling trip back to Kansas from Seattle. Not long after the wedding, they departed for Nairobi, Kenya where Hughes served as a research associate with the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, while collecting dissertation data. He was granted his PhD in Higher Education from the University of Washington in 1986.

In March, 1986, Hughes began a 23-year long career at Humboldt State University, part of the California State University system as the Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Student Life. Throughout his career he blended his interests in student development with his interest in comparative and international education.

For most of 1988, he returned to Kenya on a post-doctoral fellowship granted by the National Academy of Education at Harvard University to conduct additional research and writing on higher education in East Africa. In 1992 – 93, Hughes spent additional time in India at the Indian Institute for Education. From these experiences, more than a dozen articles were published on topics ranging from women in Kenyan higher education, the interface between education and employment in Kenya, equity issues in education, the roots of the demand for education, and the financing of education in India and Kenya. In 2003 – 04 Hughes served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Sri Lanka (along with his family) working toward the development of a national career guidance system. In 2010 he conducted training in the area of career guidance at the University of Udmurtia in Izhevsk, Russia as a Fulbright Senior Specialist.

Hughes completed walking the 2,650-mile long Pacific Crest Trail and co-edited two anthologies of essays (The Pacific Crest Trailside Readers) related to the trail published by the Mountaineers Books in 2011. Nearly $7,000 in royalties from the sales of these books has been donated to the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Just released in late April was a walking guide to the Northern Coast of California written by Hughes. His former Scoutmaster, Robert Brandenburg, would never forgive him if he did not mention that he is an Eagle Scout. Hughes attributes his lifelong love of the outdoors to early Boy Scout and family travels.

He currently serves on the Board of the Northcoast Regional Land Trust and the Bigfoot Trail Association. He coordinates the local Volunteer Trail Stewards program. He has served as a member of the board of his local United Way, school board, Humboldt Live (a youth empowerment non-profit), and as a volunteer mediator and board member for Humboldt Mediation Services

Most importantly, he is blessed with a wonderful family. His wife of 32 years, Amy Uyeki, is an artist who has worked extensively in block prints and pastels until more recently when she has done animation. They have two daughters, Chisa (27), and Mei Lan (21).

Hughes will be honored at the Cardinal Citation Reception prior to commencement on Friday, May 12th at 6:00 p.m. at the Commercial Bank Community Room. The public is invited to attend. For more information about the Cardinal Citee Award please contact Lindi Forbes at (620) 820-1212 or lindif@labette.edu.