The Marshall University Foundation has announced the Professor Dan Hollis Scholarship. This scholarship was generously endowed by Matt and Tiffany Lockhart to support future students in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
The scholarship honors Dan Hollis, who has dedicated more than two decades to teaching and mentoring Marshall students while helping shape generations of journalism and mass communication professionals.
For Hollis, the scholarship’s significance extends far beyond the recognition attached to his name.
“As educators, we spend our careers investing in people and hoping we’ve made a difference,” Hollis said. “To have a former student establish a scholarship in my name is one of the most meaningful honors I could imagine. I’m deeply grateful to Matt and Tiffany, not because of the recognition, but because they’ve chosen to create opportunities for future Marshall students. A scholarship is an act of faith in the future. It tells students, ‘We believe in you,’ and that’s a powerful gift.”
Throughout his career at Marshall, Hollis has earned a reputation for combining professional experience with a deep commitment to student success. His teaching and service have been recognized through numerous honors.
Hollis’ accolades include being named the 2012 West Virginia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He has also received Marshall University’s two highest awards for teaching — the Charles E. Hedrick Outstanding Faculty Award (2019-2020) and the Marshall and Shirely Reynolds Outstanding Teacher Award (2010-2011).
His professional accomplishments include a regional Emmy Award, three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, induction into the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and most recently, induction into the Silver Circle of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, an honor recognizing more than 25 years of distinguished contributions to the television industry.
For Matt Lockhart, establishing the scholarship was an opportunity to honor a professor whose influence extended far beyond the classroom.
“He has touched the lives of so many students. It’s an honor to be able to pay a part of that back to him and Marshall University. It’s just a small piece of appreciation for what he has done for me,” said Matt Lockhart, a 2004 graduate of the journalism school who is deputy general counsel at Norfolk Southern in Atlanta, Georgia.
As Huntington natives and Marshall University graduates, the Lockharts hope that this scholarship will be a catalyst for others who may want to pay forward their experiences and express gratitude toward the mentors who helped pave their path.
Lockhart remembers a simple moment from his freshman year when Hollis tapped him on the shoulder and said, “I see how hard you have been working.”
“That’s the magic of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications,” Lockhart said. “It’s a place where students aren’t just taught. They are seen, valued and empowered.”
Hollis and Lockhart have remained close for decades.
The recipient(s) will be a student who is a major in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications and in good academic standing with a 3.0 GPA. First preference will be given to a journalism major.
For financial information regarding the Professor Dan Hollis Scholarship, please contact Marshall University’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at (304) 696-3162.