Hefner named LSUS Distinguished Alumni as seven inducted into Circle of Excellence

Hefner named LSUS Distinguished Alumni as seven inducted into Circle of Excellence

SHREVEPORT - Willis Knighton Health neurosurgeon Dr. Matthew Hefner has been named the 2026 LSU Shreveport Distinguished Alumni at a Saturday awards brunch ceremony.

Hefner never left Shreveport en route to medical education with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology (2009) from LSUS before earning his M.D. from the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport.

The Northwood High graduate served as the chief neurosurgery resident from 2020-21 at LSU Health before accepting a neurosurgeon position with Willis Knighton in 2021.

His contributions of peer-reviewed research and presentations at national conferences in addition to the specialized care he provides to Shreveport and regional residents highlight the excellence for which he is recognized.

Hefner is part of a seven-member class to be inducted into the LSU Shreveport Circle of Excellence.

The LSUS Alumni Association welcomed Hefner, Dr. Toby Brooks, Mark Cantrell, Kendrick Farris, Renisha Sanders, Marty Young and Shelby Keith into the Circle of Excellence.

Each LSUS alumni awardee was selected because of distinguished professional achievement, leadership and service to their communities.

Brooks, who graduated in 2024 with a Master of Business Administration, serves as the Director of the Academy for Teaching and Learning at Baylor University.

In addition to his decades in the higher education field which has most recently focused on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in education, Brooks hosts the podcast "Becoming UnDone," cultivating an audience that ranks in the top 10 in both the education and self-improvement categories on Apple Podcasts.

Cantrell's voice will be familiar to fans of LSUS and high school athletics as he's served as a radio play-by-play announcer since 2000 (with LSUS from 2005-2018).

His impact covers more than just the airwaves now as the director of facilities at Riverpark Church. Cantrell earned a bachelor's in mass communications (2006).

Farris (2024 general studies) shined an LSUS weightlifting competitor, but people around the globe know his name as a three-time U.S. Olympian who is the only American male to break two national records in two different weight classes.

The Shreveport native boosts his Stoner Hill neighborhood and the city as a whole through various community outreach initiatives, most recently his FEED (Fueling Every Eater's Development) program with summer outreach at SPAR facilities to teach children about fitness and plant-forward nutrition.

Renisha Sanders molded her biology degree (2010) into a successful financial career as operations director at Cardinaux Wealth Advisors and is recognized as a talent builder and strategic thinker.

Sanders impacts the Shreveport community in myriad ways, being recognized as a 2020 ATHENA honoree and a 40 Under 40 honoree in the Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Initiative.

Marty Young's presence may have been rooted on LSUS's campus as the director of the Pioneer Heritage Center, but his impact has been felt throughout the parish and region with school-aged historical programming and the annual Pioneer Day.

Young (bachelor's in 2000, Master of Liberal Arts in 2006), who maintains and restores buildings that are more than 150 years old, was recognized for his commitment to preserve regional history by being selected to serve on the state committee for the National Register of Historic Places.

Shelby Keith is another life-long LSUS Pilot who serves as the vice chancellor for Finance and Administration.

Keith (bachelor's in management and administration and master's in computer systems technology) started his career as a programmer analyst in 1980 and has served in a variety of administrative roles. Keith has been an integral piece of LSUS's explosive growth, which has nearly tripled in the last 12 years to more than 11,000 students.