Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award

Each year, the University of Minnesota Morris Alumni Association (UMMAA) recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their personal or professional life. Nominations are accepted throughout the year and the recipients are determined by the UMMAA Board of Directors. The recipients of the award are honored during homecoming and receive a framed certificate or engraved plaque. Recipients are also invited to visit and speak to classes in the discipline of their major or related discipline, if appropriate. A record of recipients, including a photo of each, is kept in the Office of Alumni Relations. The following details the requirements and process for the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Eligibility

  • Nominees must be alumni of the University of Minnesota Morris.
  • Nominees may be nominated by anyone (nominator does not have to be UMM alumni).
  • Nominees may be individuals, or a group of Alumni who have collaboratively and individually met the distinguished alumni award criteria.
  • All Nominees must satisfy each of the criteria for nomination (below).
  • Nominees who are not selected for an award may be re-nominated in subsequent years by following the same process.

 

 

Expand all

Nomination Process

Criteria for Nomination

  • How has the nominee demonstrated service to UMM? (i.e., financial support, engaging alumni, mentoring students, etc.)?
  • How has the nominee distinguished himself/herself by making significant contributions to his/her profession over a period of time, thus reflecting favorably on UMM?
  • How has the nominee distinguished himself/herself by making significant contributions to humanitarian efforts over a period of time; to their community; or to public service over a period of time thus reflecting favorably on UMM?

Application and Selection Process

  • Nominators must submit the following to the Office of Alumni Relations:
    • a nomination form
    • the resume or curriculum vitae of the nominee
    • one letter of support for each criteria set forth above
    • no more than three letters of support for the nomination: each letter submitted must speak to one or more of the criteria set forth above and each of the criteria must be met before the nomination is considered complete
  • Nominations are accepted anytime, but initial submission is encouraged by December 15.
  • Deadline for submitting all information is February 15.
  • Completed nomination packets are forwarded to the UMMAA Selection Committee by March 1.
  • Recommendations of the Selection Committee are forwarded to the UMMAA Board of Directors before the April meeting.
  • Letters to Honorees, Nominees and Nominators are sent on May 1.
  • Distinguished Alumni Awards recipients are publicly announced prior to the Student Honors and Awards ceremony in May.
  • Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are invited to receive their award in person at a reception and banquet honoring them during the fall Homecoming celebration.

Nomination Someone

Nominate Online Printable Nomination Form

Previous Recipients

Linda Dahlen ’72

Award Year
2024
Graduation Year
1972

A civil rights advocate, lawyer, environmentalist, and novelist, Linda Dahlen’s nominators call her a “strong role model for what UMM stands for,” and point to her life-long work “to further equality and fairness for everyone, as well as her support for UMN Morris and the environment.”

Her career started as an AmeriCorps/VISTA volunteer, and has included work as a human rights investigator, an affirmative action officer and director of the Office of Workforce Equity and Diversity for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDoT).

Profile Picture
Linda Dahlen

Joan Bulfer ’77

Award Year
2023
Graduation Year
1977

Bulfer graduated from UMN Morris with a biology degree, then went on to earn a master’s degree in human nutrition from the University of Minnesota. She worked in the field of public health, using her skills to improve public health systems. She was instrumental in designing, implementing, and evaluating population-based approaches to do this.

One of her nominators noted that “Joan is not only known for her expertise in community health and nutrition, but also for her ability to work with a variety of people, bringing them together to accomplish more than they could on their own.” Bulfer continues to provide support in obtaining appropriate funding for projects promoting the health of children and adults, as well as specifically to immigrants and the BIPOC community. 

Profile Picture
Joan Bulfer

Alana Petersen ’91

Award Year
2023
Graduation Year
1991

After graduating from UMN Morris, Petersen worked on Capitol Hill in the electoral and policy-making arena. She also served as the executive director of Target Market, an organization that promoted anti-tobacco messages, and as a national consultant on grassroots advocacy, organizing, field consulting, training, and targeting to engage, organize, and mobilize people to both vote and advocate for issues such as healthcare and labor.

Petersen served on the UMM Alumni Association Board and helped establish the David Minge Internship Award, which supports students seeking Washington, DC, internships and educational opportunities.

Former Congressman David Minge wrote of his former staffer, “I know that not just I, myself, but also the broader state and national communities have come to recognize the U of MN Morris because of what Alana does and 
has done.”

Profile Picture
Alana Petersen

Simon Shannon ’97

Award Year
2023
Graduation Year
1997

Shannon graduated from UMN Morris with a chemistry degree and followed that up with a PhD in organic chemistry from the UMN Twin Cities, later earning an MBA from the Carlson School of Management. He joined 3M in 2004 and is currently a director of business development. He currently holds 18 US patents and received several professional awards from his service and professional work.

Shannon was one of the first UMN Morris chemistry majors selected to participate in the UMN Twin Cities McNair Scholars program. A standout wrestler while at UMN Morris, Shannon placed eighth at the NAIA national tournament and became the first African American to achieve athletic and academic All-American status. Beginning with his early involvement in the Black Student Union at Morris, Shannon has become a national leader in encouraging African American success.

Profile Picture
Simon Shannon

Amy Powers ’96

Award Year
2022
Graduation Year
1996

Amy Powers ’96 is a recipient of the 2022 University of Minnesota Morris Distinguished Alumni Award for distinguished service to the school and its students. Powers graduated from UMN Morris in 1996 with degrees in instrumental music and licensed in K-12 music education. As director of bands at Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights, Powers rallied her community around “The Equity Project,” which was based on the idea that all students can achieve when they have the resources and support they need.

Profile Picture
Amy Powers

Jennifer Westendorf ’91

Award Year
2022
Graduation Year
1991

Jennifer Westendorf ’91 is a recipient of the 2022 University of Minnesota Morris Distinguished Alumni Award for distinguished service to the school and its students. Westendorf graduated from UMN Morris in 1991 with degrees in biology and chemistry from UMN Morris and earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Mayo Clinic Graduate School. She then performed postdoctoral training at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Vanderbilt University, returning to Mayo Clinic to lead a NIH-funded research laboratory. Her research, teaching, and mentoring activities have contributed to important advances in the study and treatment of bone diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and bone cancers.

Profile Picture
Jennifer Westendorf

John Driscoll ’71

Award Year
2021

John Driscoll ’71 is a recipient of the 2021 University of Minnesota Morris Distinguished Alumni Award for distinguished service to the school and its students.

Driscoll graduated from UMN Morris in 1971 with degrees in history and art history and earned a PhD in art history from Pennsylvania State University. He was owner and director of Driscoll Babcock Galleries in New York City.

His publications were extensive and, according to his obituary in the New York Times, his book John Frederick Kensett: An American Master established Driscoll “as a leading authority on that Hudson River artist known for luminist paintings.” He sold work to private collectors as well as museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Detroit Institute of Art, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. He also donated work across the nation, such as giving 140 works to the Penn State Palmer Museum of Art.

Profile Picture
John Driscoll

Peter Falkum ’80

Award Year
2021
Graduation Year
1980

Falkum earned a biology degree in 1980 and went on to UMN Twin Cities for a Masters in Food Science. His storied career has seen stints at General Mills, Dannon, and, most recently, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. He played a key role in getting products such as Yoplait and the Silk line of dairy substitutes onto shelves. He’s been a coach and a scout leader for decades, establishing leagues, managing teams, and leading packs and troops of Boy Scouts.

Profile Picture
Peter Falkum

James "Jim" Odden ’71

Award Year
2020
Graduation Year
1971

James "Jim" Odden ’71 is this year's University of Minnesota Morris Distinguished Alumni Award winner. An educator, community leader, and philanthropist, Odden has a long history of service to his alma mater and to greater Minnesota.

Profile Picture
Jim Odden

Curt Larson ’68

Award Year
2019
Graduation Year
1968

Curt Larson ’68 earned the 2019 University of Minnesota, Morris Alumni Association (UMMAA) Distinguished Alumni Award. An inventor by trade, Larson spent his career creating new products at 3M.

Profile Picture
Curt Larson

Marilyn Strand ’77

Award Year
2018
Graduation Year
1977

Dr. Marilyn Strand ’77 earned the 2018 University of Minnesota, Morris Alumni Association (UMMAA) Distinguished Alumni Award. An outstanding student at UMN Morris, Dr. Strand has been a leader in patient care for almost 40 years.

Profile Picture
Marilyn Strand

Dennis Gimmestad ’73

Award Year
2017
Graduation Year
1973

Dennis Gimmestad ’73 has enjoyed a 40-year career in historic preservation. Through his professional and volunteer activities, he has devoted his life to stewarding Minnesota's history for future generations.

Profile Picture
Dennis Gimmestad

Teresa Luckow Peterson ’91

Award Year
2017
Graduation Year
1991

Teresa Luckow Peterson ’91 has worked to revitalize the native language and lifeways of the Dakota people. An educator and tribal leader, Peterson has supported a number of Indigenous communities.

Profile Picture
Teresa Peterson

Tom Mahoney ’70

Award Year
2016
Graduation Year
1970

Tom Mahoney ’70, of Hancock, was the creator and founding director of the Grants Development Office at the University of Minnesota, Morris. During his 25-year tenure, average grant awards rose sixfold, to nearly $1 million per year in public and private funds.

Profile Picture
Tom Mahoney

Mark Schuller ’96

Award Year
2016
Graduation Year
1996

Mark Schuller ’96, of DeKalb, Illinois, is an associate professor of anthropology and NGO leadership and development at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. His research before and after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake examines why multi-billion-dollar humanitarian aid efforts failed to relieve the poverty and suffering of the Haitian people.

Profile Picture
Mark Schuller

Sharon Stewart Reeves ’68

Award Year
2016
Graduation Year
1968

Sharon Stewart Reeves ’68, of San Diego, California, spent 38 years as a special collections librarian. As director of library services for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspapers, she was a pioneer in creating online, searchable newspaper archives.

Profile Picture
Sharon Stewart Reeves

Todd A. Olson ’83, PhD

Award Year
2015
Graduation Year
1983

Olson, vice president for student affairs at Georgetown University, has spent 29 years in the field of higher education. During his 13 years at Georgetown, he has led programmatic planning for new facilities, developed innovative programs to enrich student well-being, acted as a senior negotiator in university-community planning agreements, and taught undergraduate and graduate courses.

Profile Picture
Todd Olson

Dr. Richard Wehseler ’91

Award Year
2015
Graduation Year
1991

Dr. Wehseler, physician and medical director of physician staff development at Affiliated Community Medical Center (ACMC), has been a respected member of Minnesota's medical community since 1998. His contributions to community and family medicine have earned him such honors as the Mayo Clinic Chief Resident in Family Medicine in 1998, the 2010 Minnesota Family Physician of the Year Award, and the 2011 Physician Excellence Award–ACMC system.

Profile Picture
Richard Wehseler

Tim Goodmanson ’86

Award Year
2014
Graduation Year
1986

Goodmanson is a respected member of the New York City theatre community. He has been designing professionally for stage and television since 1993. His many stage credits include assistant scenic designer at the Public Theater and the Lyric Opera of Chicago and scenic designer at Westbeth Theatre Center and Waverly Place Theater.

Profile Picture
Tim Goodmanson

Barbara Gunderson Stowe ’72

Award Year
2014
Graduation Year
1972

Stowe has spent 35 years in the field of advancement. As an independent consultant, she has worked with clients such as the Aga Khan University, the University of Brighton, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the United Nations Foundation.

Profile Picture
Barbara Gunderson Stowe

James "Doc" Carlson ’65

Award Year
2013
Graduation Year
1965

James “Doc” Carlson ’65, professor emeritus of music, served the University of Minnesota, Morris from 1978 until his retirement in 2009. Over the course of 31 years, Carlson was instrumental in establishing the Morris jazz program.

Profile Picture
Doc Carlson

Mathew J. LeFebvre ’87

Award Year
2013
Graduation Year
1987

Mathew J. LeFebvre ’87, professor of costume design at the University of Minnesota, began his career at the University in 1996. Since achieving the rank of associate professor in 2002, LeFebvre has produced designs for 52 professional (juried) productions at significant venues, including five off-Broadway productions, 20 for the Guthrie Theater, five for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, four for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and 15 for Penumbra Theatre Company.

Profile Picture
Mathew LeFebvre

Ann Michels ’92

Award Year
2013
Graduation Year
1992

Ann Michels ’92, actress and singer with the George Maurer Group, has worked extensively as a performer since graduating from Morris. As an actress, she has appeared in nearly 60 productions with over 25 companies, including Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, the Guthrie Theater, the Pantages and Hennepin Theatre Trust, and North Star Opera.

Profile Picture
Ann Michels

Robert Hansen ’73

Award Year
2012
Graduation Year
1973

Robert Hansen ’73 graduated with a theatre and English double major. He earned a master’s degree in theatre while a student at Florida State University and, later, a doctorate in the same field from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Profile Picture
Robert Hansen

Puncky Heppner ’73

Award Year
2012
Graduation Year
1973

Puncky Heppner ’73 graduated from Morris with a psychology major. He obtained a master of arts and a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Profile Picture
Puncky Heppner

Maddy Maxeiner ’76

Award Year
2012
Graduation Year
1976

Maddy Maxeiner ’76, as a Morris philosophy alum, has used her numerous talents to benefit the University of Minnesota, Morris community. Beginning her career as a freelance writer, Maxeiner volunteered for state election campaigns and worked on campus through grants.

Profile Picture
Maddy Maxeiner

Ronald E. McRoberts ’69

Award Year
2012
Graduation Year
1969

Ronald E. McRoberts ’69 is a mathematics alum. He received master’s and doctoral degrees in biostatistics from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Profile Picture
Ronald McRoberts

David Eckmann ’78

Award Year
2011
Graduation Year
1978

David Eckmann ’78, chemistry major, graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and completed a residency in diagnostic radiology. His area of expertise is neuroradiology, in which he completed a fellowship.

Profile Picture
David Eckmann

Gary McGrath ’68

Award Year
2011
Graduation Year
1968

Gary McGrath ’68, history major, earned a master of science in student personnel administration at Western Illinois University and a doctorate in higher education administration from Indiana University. He served the Morris campus for 17 years of his career in higher education, first as director of activities from 1968 until 1972, then as vice chancellor of student affairs from 1986 until 1999.

Profile Picture
Gary McGrath

Thomas McRoberts ’68

Award Year
2011
Graduation Year
1968

Thomas McRoberts ’68 (1946–2010), history major, continued to be a student advocate and campus leader long after he served on Morris Campus Student Government as a student leader himself. After graduating, McRoberts earned a master of arts in history at the University of Oregon.

Profile Picture
Tom McRoberts

John Tavis ’85

Award Year
2011
Graduation Year
1985

John Tavis ’85, chemistry and biology, earned a doctorate in molecular and cell biology from Pennsylvania State University. He completed two post doctorates, first at Pennsylvania State University and then at the University of California, San Francisco.

Profile Picture
John Tavis

Dennis Anderson ’73

Award Year
2010
Graduation Year
1973

An award winning journalist and conservationist, Anderson is an outdoor columnist and editor for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In 1982, he served as a principle founder and first national chairperson for Pheasants Forever, a wildlife habitat and conservation organization that now has more than 125,000 members in the United States and Canada.

Profile Picture
Dennis Anderson

Susan E. Jackson ’74

Award Year
2010
Graduation Year
1974

An internationally respected scholar and researcher, Rutgers University Professor of Human Resource Management Susan Jackson’s expertise is in the area of organizational psychology, the “field that subserves the science of management.” Her research focuses on three different areas: stress/burnout, strategic and international human resource management, and diversity.

Profile Picture
Susan Jackson

Kenneth Bruss ’78

Award Year
2009
Graduation Year
1978

With nearly 30 years of varied positions in the food and pharmaceutical industry, Kenneth Bruss ’78, chemistry, currently serves as director of technical operations for sanofi-aventis, a pharmaceuticals manufacturing firm. His role encompasses three major areas including health safety and environment, site security, and the overall facilities and maintenance area for the site including site capital investments.

Profile Picture
Kenneth Bruss

Randy Koopman ’78

Award Year
2009
Graduation Year
1978

Randy Koopman's career path has led him from field service engineer to technical sales representative to regional manager to director and, finally, to his current position as senior director for Waters Global Services.

Profile Picture
Randy Koopman

Michael Rodriguez ’89

Award Year
2008
Graduation Year
1989

An associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in the College of Education and Human Development, Michael Rodriguez '89 researches psychometric properties of tests and applied measurement with particular interest in Latino youth development and students with disabilities.

Profile Picture
Michael Rodriguez

Lorie Gildea ’83

Award Year
2007
Graduation Year
1983

An associate justice with the Minnesota Supreme Court, Gildea completed her four-year undergraduate education at UMM in three years with a 4.0 (A) grade point average. She was named a Scholar of the College, a member of the Dean's List and received a Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate.

Profile Picture
Lorie Gildea

Jon Mukand ’80

Award Year
2006
Graduation Year
1980

Jon Mukand graduated from UMM in 1980, receiving a bachelor of arts in chemistry and English. He earned a master of arts in English from Stanford University in 1985, a doctor of medicine degree from Medical College of Wisconsin in 1985, and a doctorate in English literature from Brown University in 1995.

Profile Picture
Jon Mukand

Stuart Starner ’65

Award Year
2006
Graduation Year
1965

Stuart (Stu) Starner graduated in 1965, receiving a bachelor of arts in physical education, a minor in history, and secondary education certification. He began his career in higher education as assistant basketball coach to Head Coach Jim Dutcher of the University of Minnesota Gophers and then served as head coach at Montana State University.

Profile Picture
Stuart Starner

Paulette Fairbanks Molin ’66

Award Year
2005
Graduation Year
1966

Paulette Fairbanks Molin graduated in 1966, receiving a bachelor of arts in French and English. She continued her education at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she earned a master of fine arts in 1975 and a doctorate in 1987, both in educational administration.

Profile Picture
Paulette Fairbanks Molin

Cy Thao ’95

Award Year
2005
Graduation Year
1995

Cy Thao graduated in 1995, receiving a bachelor of arts in political science and studio art. He helped found the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent in St. Paul and served as its first director.

Profile Picture
Cy Thao

Leonard Munstermann ’64

Award Year
2004
Graduation Year
1964

In 1964, Leonard Munstermann was a member of the first graduating class, earning a bachelor of arts in psychology. He was the first senior president of the Morris Campus Student Association, the first undergraduate research assistant and also served as editor of the student newspaper during his undergraduate career.

Profile Picture
Leonard Munstermann

John Dayton ’68

Award Year
2003
Graduation Year
1968

John Dayton graduated in 1968 with a speech degree and secondary education certificate. After serving several years in the UMM Admissions Office and two years with the U.S. Army, he enrolled in Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock. Following graduation, he joined one of the largest, oldest, most prestigious law firms in Dallas—Thompson, Knight, Simmons and Bullion—and specialized in real estate law.

Profile Picture
John Dayton

Robert Gandrud ’65

Award Year
2002
Graduation Year
1965

Bob Gandrud graduated in 1965 with a degree in mathematics. He immediately joined Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal financial services organization, as an actuary.

Profile Picture
Robert Gandrud

Lue Her ’97

Award Year
2002
Graduation Year
1997

Lue excelled in high school and thrived at UMM, earning degrees in political science and secondary education and becoming involved in a number of student organizations. After graduation in 1997, Lue received a Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs, a program that matches Coro Fellows with top executives in business, government, and philanthropy.

Profile Picture
Lue Her

Bruce Johnson ’71

Award Year
2002
Graduation Year
1971

Following graduation in 1971 with a degree in English, Bruce earned a Ph.D. in English and education, with studies in film, from Northwestern University. His first film, made in 1977, was a promotional documentary for the ABC mini-series "Roots."

Profile Picture
Bruce Johnson