Outstanding Alumni

The Outstanding Alumni Award was created to recognize alumni who have achieved a certain level of professionalism, won other awards in their area of expertise, achieved a high level of position within their careers, and who have sustained their success over a lengthy period of time. Alumni must have graduated from the College of Media & Communication at least 10 years ago. Up to three winners are chosen by a Selection Committee consisting of the Dean’s Executive Committee and the President and VP of the National Advisory Board. 

2025 Award Winners

Brandon Formby 
Managing Editor for News and State Affairs 
The Texas Tribune 

2025 Outstanding Alumni Award 

Brandon Formby is an accountability-focused journalist and compassionate newsroom leader whose career in Texas media spans more than two decades. His work is defined by impactful storytelling and a dedication to public service.

A 2002 graduate of Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Formby has built his career on holding power to account and delivering coverage that informs and engages communities across the state. 

He is the managing editor for news and state affairs at The Texas Tribune, where he leads five editorial teams covering urgent policy and legislative issues. Under his guidance, the newsroom has produced influential reporting on immigration changes, Texas’ water crisis and key proposals shaping the state’s future. Recognized for his mentorship and collaborative leadership, Formby is committed to developing the next generation of journalists while ensuring the Tribune’s coverage remains timely and accurate. 

Formby previously served as news editor and night news editor at the Tribune, directing coverage of major events such as the Uvalde school shooting, the 2021 power grid failures and the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in his career, he spent more than a decade at The Dallas Morning News, where his investigative reporting on urban development, political ethics and government accountability prompted policy changes and community action. 

While at Texas Tech, Formby served as editor-in-chief of The University Daily (now The Daily Toreador) and La Ventana yearbook, early experiences that foreshadowed a career defined by journalistic excellence and civic responsibility.  

 

Chuck Lanehart 
Partner 
Chappell, Lanehart & Stangl, P.C.

2025 Outstanding Alumni Award 

Chuck Lanehart is a highly respected criminal defense attorney whose career in Texas law spans more than four decades. A double graduate of Texas Tech University, he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1974 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1977. While at Tech, he was a member of The University Daily (now The Daily Toreador) and the Kappa Tau Alpha honor society. 

Board-certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Lanehart has tried hundreds of cases in both state and federal courts, including more than 200 homicide cases. His record includes a rare capital murder acquittal and significant victories in complex white-collar defense. Dedicated to expanding access to justice, he often represents college students at reduced rates and takes on select pro bono cases. 

Lanehart’s leadership in the legal community includes serving as president of the Lubbock Area Bar Association, director of the State Bar of Texas and director of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, where he earned numerous service awards. He is also a founding member and past president of the Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, in addition to being a frequent lecturer and mentor to younger attorneys. 

Beyond the courtroom, Lanehart serves on civic boards, writes a history column for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and authored Tragedy and Triumph on the Texas Plains (2021). In 2008, he was named one of Lubbock’s “200 Most Influential People.” He and his wife, Paula L. Lanehart, share a lifelong commitment to the law and community service. 

 

Kristen Lollar 
Chief Marketing Officer 
Whitley Penn

2025 Outstanding Alumni Award

Kristen Lollar is an accomplished communications and marketing executive with more than two decades of experience leading strategic initiatives and building strong professional networks. She is the chief marketing officer at Whitley Penn, a top public accounting firm, where she serves on the Innovation Council and Growth Champions team and advises the firm’s NextGen Council. 

Lollar is actively involved in the Association for Accounting Marketing, participating in the Major Firms Growth Group and holding a certification in business development fundamentals. She also serves on the advisory board for the Boomer Consulting Marketing Circle and on the North America Marketing and Business Development Committee for HLB International. 

A dedicated community leader, she is vice chair of the executive board of directors for the Plano Chamber of Commerce and mentors emerging professionals through the American Marketing Association’s DFW Mentor Program and the Dallas Business Journal’s Mentor Monday initiative. 

A 2000 graduate of Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in music, Lollar remains deeply connected to her alma mater as a former Dallas Chapter president and current member of the College of Media & Communication’s National Advisory Board. She lives in Little Elm with her husband, Erik, and their son, Orrin

 

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Note that if someone does not win, she or he will be automatically renominated on next year’s ballot (up to 3 years).

Previous Outstanding Alumni

 

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