Erin Krupa ’02, Jay Tiemann ’21, Don Chaplin and Andy Hunt were honored by the Elon LGBTQIA Alumni Network during a Nov. 2 awards ceremony
The Elon LGBTQIA Alumni Network recognized four outstanding community members for their support of the LGBTQIA communities during a Homecoming & Reunion Weekend awards celebration.
Erin Krupa ’02, Don Chaplin and Andy Hunt received the 2019 Elon LGBTQIA Community Enrichment Award. Jay Tiemann ’21 was the recipient of the 2019 Matthew Antonio Bosch Student Community Engagement Award.
“We’re here to say today that we see you, that the university sees you, that there is most certainly a place for you at Elon right now and forever,” said Matt Lardi ’06, a member of the leadership team for the LGBTQIA Alumni Network.
Prior to the acknowledgment of the award recipients, Luis Garay, the new director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center, shared a hopeful campus update regarding the work the center has done in the Elon community to further improve campus inclusivity.
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, questioning, Queer, Intersex, asexual and Ally (LGBTQIA) Alumni Network strives to improve the campus climate for members of the Elon community by advocating on behalf of LGBTQIA issues and partnering with others to build an inclusive and respectful community.
The 2019 Elon LGBTQIA Alumni Network Award Recipients
Erin Krupa ’02
Community Enrichment Award
Pronouns – she/her
Erin Krupa graduated from Elon with a degree in mathematics and earned her master’s degree from Wake Forest University. She then taught at W.G. Enloe High School in Raleigh for four years before returning to school at North Carolina State University to earn her doctorate degree in mathematics. Currently, Erin serves as an assistant professor of mathematics and statistics education at North Carolina State University. In 2017, alongside her wife, Marianne ’04, Erin fought for homosexual couples in New Jersey to have equal rights in fertility health insurance coverage as heterosexual couples and succeeded in seeing this law amended on the day of the birth of their daughter, Carolina. A year ago the family also welcomed their son, Tyler.
Don Chaplin and Andy Hunt
Community Enrichment Award
Pronouns – he/him
Don Chaplin received both his undergraduate and medical degrees from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and went on to the University of Alabama Medical Center where he completed his residency. For 40 years, Don worked at the Kernodle Clinic in Burlington as well as a hospital practice at Alamance Regional Medical Center as an internal medicine specialist and cardiologist. Additionally, Don is one of the founders of Alamance Cares and serves as the medical director. This organization provides HIV education and prevention resources. He was also a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, formerly known as the American Physicians for Human Rights. His service to the LGBTQIA community, however, does not stop there. Don also serves on the North Carolina Commission of Public Health, ARMC Charitable Foundation and the Burlington Rotary Club and volunteers at the Open Door Clinic of Alamance County.
Andy Hunt attended Appalachian State University where he earned his business administration degree. He worked in the financial services sector, primarily the mortgage servicing arena prior to launching his independent contract business, which provides consulting and leadership services in the areas of business process management, regulatory compliance and loss and risk analysis. Andy is also active in the local aerialist silk community and often attends Elon health and wellness fairs to educate students on the importance of wellness practices.
Don Chaplin and Andy Hunt are both North Carolina natives who reside in Alamance County. They have been proudly together for 37 years and were officially married in 2013. They have devoted their lives to the enrichment and health of the LGBTQIA community and have humbly served as pillars of the community. They both serve as members of PFLAG Alamance and Alamance Pride, two organizations dedicated to LGBTQIA inclusion and support. With Andy proudly at his side, Don also served as the first out and proud president of the North Carolina Medical Society.
Jay Tiemann ’21
Matthew Antonio Bosch Student Community Engagement Award
Pronouns – he/him
Jay Tiemann ’21 is a human service studies major with minors in women’s gender and sexuality studies as well as poverty and social justice. His undergraduate research focuses on the experiences of trans men/transmasculine in the U.S. prison system. Jay has worked in Gender & LGBTQIA Center for the past three years, is a member of the President’s Student Leadership Advisory Council and is one of only a handful of students to serve on the university’s Strategic Planning Committee.
During his three years as a member of the Elon community as a visible trans student, Jay has helped improve the visibility of LGBTQIA students on campus by allowing for his story to be shared on numerous Elon news platforms. He has advocated for a comprehensive approach to support trans/nonbinary/genderqueer students, from requesting changes on how names appear on Phoenix cards to advocating for universal restrooms. Additionally, Jay successfully encouraged Elon representatives to attend the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference, which provided information as to how college campuses may be more trans-inclusive in providing health and wellness services.