September 08, 2022 —
On August 16th, 2022, the USW athletics department named Philip Lopez the first recipient of the Tyler James Memorial Scholarship. The university established the scholarship in memory of the late golf coach, Tyler James. James recently received the honorific title “Head Golf Coach Emeritus” following the tragic accident involving the USW golf team in the Spring. Philip Lopez is a returning golfer and will participate on the mustang golf team for the 2022-2023 academic year. Philip met with USW Interim President, Dr. RyanTipton, Associate Vice President for Athletics Steve Appel, and Incoming Golf Coach RJ Lester to receive the scholarship award.
Dr. Tipton notes, “we are so very proud of Philip and the leadership he has shown to his peers. Servant leadership is a core tenet of our university mission. Following the accident, Philip has been an inspiration on campus as he encourages his teammates to stay strong, get back on the course, and excel in the classroom. He’s undoubtedly demonstrated the traits of a true servant leader.”
Steve Appel, Associate VP for Facilities and Athletics, was present at the scholarship presentation and communicated the recipient decision to the family of Tyler James. The James family stated, “we are so proud for the memorial scholarship to go to Philip. He continued to work hard academically and athletically. Philip consistently reached out to the other golfers to encourage them and help make the dream of an all-conference academic-athlete team come true.”
The Tyler James Memorial Scholarship was established as a special award to be received by a member of the USW golf team who demonstrates exemplary leadership among their peers. The scholarship funds $1000 each semester and can be used to cover tuition and fees.
