LSTC Announces 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees

LSTC proudly celebrates the recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards, recognizing alumni who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, service, and academic excellence in their respective fields.

This year’s honorees are:

Rev. Dr. Emlyn A. Ott – Specialized Ministry Award
Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos – Called to Lead Award

Meet the 2025 Honorees

Rev. Dr. Emlyn A. Ott – Specialized Ministry Award

Rev. Dr. Emlyn A. Ott is a leader in specialized ministry and theological education. She serves as the Executive Director of Healthy Congregations, Inc., Director of Doctor of Ministry Programs, and Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Leadership at Bexley Seabury Seminary.

A Rochester, New York native, Dr. Ott’s passion for leadership was nurtured in her family’s truck manufacturing business. She holds degrees from The College of Wooster and Phillips Theological Seminary and has served as a parish pastor, pastoral counselor, campus pastor, nonprofit CEO, and seminary professor.

Dr. Ott is a Clinical Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and has completed postgraduate work at the Center for Family Process and the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. Outside of her work, she is an avid reader and hiker with a goal to visit every national park in the U.S. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her spouse, Dr. Robert Ward, Director of Choral Activities at The Ohio State University.

Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos – Called to Lead Award

Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos is a trailblazer in theological diversity and contextual theology within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As Director for Theological Diversity and Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement in the Office of the Presiding Bishop, he has shaped contemporary theological discourse.

Dr. Santos holds an MDiv (2002), ThM (2004), and PhD (2010) and is known for his work in interpreting Martin Luther’s theology for modern contexts. His scholarship appears in Living Lutheran and the Journal of Lutheran Ethics, and he authored the ELCA’s Freedom of the Christian study guide for the 500th Reformation anniversary in 2017.

A respected public speaker, Dr. Santos delivered the keynote address at the ELCA Rostered Leaders Gathering and preached for Lutherans Restoring Creation’s 2022 Earth Day Worship. His leadership in environmental stewardship and theological engagement continues to inspire faith communities nationwide.

About the Distinguished Alumni Awards

LSTC’s Distinguished Alumni Awards honor graduates who exemplify excellence in their vocations, commitment to service, and meaningful contributions to their communities.

For more details about the awards or this year’s honorees, contact:

Jessica P. Houston – Alumni and Congregational Engagement Officer
773.256.0697 | jhouston@lstc.edu