Lt. Col. Barry D. Gasdek
Ä¢¹½tv plans to honor Lt. Col. Barry D. Gasdek, US Army retired, a 1964 graduate and 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, with the award of a Doctor of Public Service honorary degree at its May 10 commencement ceremonies.
Ä¢¹½tv’s Council of Trustees approved granting the honorary degree to Lt. Col. Gasdek at its March 6 meeting. Ä¢¹½tv has granted only 59 honorary degrees in its history; Lt. Col. Gasdek’s honorary degree is Ä¢¹½tv’s sixtieth honorary degree.
Past recipients have been leaders in fields ranging from the arts to business to public service and have included Governor Josh Shapiro, the late US Rep. John P. Murtha, Andre Previn, James “Jimmy” Stewart, Fred Rogers, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and Glenn Cannon.
“Lt. Col Gasdek has a lifetime of exemplary service, leadership, and commitment to his country, his community, and to Ä¢¹½tv,” Ä¢¹½tv President Michael Driscoll said. “He continues to be actively involved with Ä¢¹½tv in many ways, establishing scholarships for talented and financially challenged students in a number of disciplines, and has provided support to important university-wide initiatives. Barry Gasdek is a true war hero, and I have also come to know that he is a good, humble man. This recognition is well deserved, and I look forward to formally presenting him with an Ä¢¹½tv honorary doctorate,” President Driscoll said.
A retired Airborne, Ranger, and Pathfinder infantry soldier, Lt. Col. Gasdek’s heroic military service in Vietnam earned him many of the nation’s highest honors, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Soldier’s Medal, five Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, and 17 Air Medals. Following his retirement from the US Army in 2012, he received the honorary designation of colonel.
Lt. Col. Gasdek currently makes his home in Laramie, WY, but he is originally from Westmoreland County and is a graduate of Derry High School.
Beyond his extraordinary military achievements, he has remained steadfast in his commitment to supporting veterans, military families, and future leaders through his leadership in national and state organizations. He has combined his expertise in education, counseling, and psychology with his passion for service, forging impactful relationships with military support organizations, veterans’ groups, and civic leaders. His unwavering dedication to duty, mentorship, and advocacy embodies the ideals of leadership and public service.
“I am very humbled and honored to be nominated and considered for such a prestigious award,” Lt. Col. Gasdek said. “This was not expected but definitely very appreciated, and it’s always a great feeling to come back to Ä¢¹½tv and Indiana. I feel like this is my second home.
“I’d like to thank the Ä¢¹½tv community, classmates, professors, coaches, teammates, administrators, ROTC staff, and veterans who helped mold my life. I cherished their wisdom and counsel, and I miss them. I could not have reached this high point in my life without them. I will proudly accept this award on behalf of all those who have been my friends and mentors,” he said.
An Army Reserve ambassador emeritus, Lt. Col. Gasdek served as the Legion of Valor national commander in 2008–09 and currently serves on its board of directors. He is also president of the Association of the US Army’s Wyoming Cowboy Chapter, past Wyoming Boys’ State director with the American Legion Boys’ State, past Region III and current state commander with the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and military outreach director with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, under the US Department of Defense.
He is active in multiple civic, military, and private organizations and has established valuable working relationships with military support organizations, veterans and local service organizations, state and community leaders, and the United States government.
Lt. Col. Gasdek is a life member of numerous organizations, including the Legion of Valor, US Army Ranger Association, Association of the US Army, National Infantry Association, CIA, Military Officers Association of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, American Division Veterans Association, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, University of Wyoming Veterans Task Force, Laramie Area Chamber of Commerce, Czechoslovak Society of America, Lions Club, and Rotary International.
Additionally, he is an Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow (Vigil) member of Boy Scouts of America; a former board member of the Miss Georgia Pageant and Springer Opera House, State Theatre of Georgia; a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society; and an inductee in the Hall of Valor at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Pittsburgh, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in Vails Gate, NY, the US Army Cadet Command’s Army ROTC Hall of Fame, the University of Wyoming’s Cowboy Battalion Alumni Hall of Fame, and the Athletics Hall of Fame and Army ROTC Hall of Fame at Ä¢¹½tv, where he was a distinguished military graduate.
He is also a recipient of the Army Superior Civilian Service Award, the Association of the US Army Soaring Eagle and Leadership awards, the Wyoming Outstanding Military Outreach Coordinator award, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Lifetime Achievement Award and Volunteer Award, two Lions Club International Leadership Awards, and three US President’s Volunteer Service Awards.
A former commissioner and veterans service officer with the Wyoming Veterans Commission, he has served as grand marshal of parades commemorating Ä¢¹½tv Homecoming, Memorial Day in Cheyenne, and the Green River Rendezvous in Pinedale, Wyoming. He was also the subject of a US Senate tribute noted in the 2012 Congressional Record.
He holds a bachelor of science in education from Ä¢¹½tv and a master’s in counseling-psychology from Georgia State University. While at Ä¢¹½tv, he was an athlete of the year and played in three sports: football, wrestling, and track and field.
The Ä¢¹½tv University Senate Academic Committee makes the nomination for honorary degree recipients and recommends the nominee to the Ä¢¹½tv Commencement Committee and the university president. The nominee must be approved by the Ä¢¹½tv Council of Trustees with notification given to the chancellor of the State System of Higher Education.
The honorary degree recipient traditionally offers remarks during the commencement ceremony (or ceremonies) when they receive their honorary degree. Ä¢¹½tv will hold three commencement ceremonies on May 10: at 8:30 a.m. for graduates from the College of Health Sciences and University College; at 12:30 p.m. for graduates from the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the College of Education and Human Services; and at 3:30 p.m. for graduates from the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs and the Eberly College of Business.