Distinguished Alumni Award

Michael Rodriguez '89, 2008 recipient

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. He participates in a United States Agency for International Development project that is developing a national assessment program in Guatemala. He is the recipient of the 2008 Robert H. Beck Faculty Teaching Award from the College of Education and Human Development; the 2005 Albert J. Harris Research Award of the International Reading Association; and the 2004 Community Service Award from the College of Education and Human Development.

Rodriguez, a psychology major, earned a doctorate from Michigan State University and a master of arts in public affairs from the University of Minnesota.

Lorie Gildea '83, 2007 recipient

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. She holds a juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center where she graduated magna cum laude in 1986.

She is the chair of the Supreme Court’s Gender Fairness Implementation Committee and serves as the Court’s liaison to the Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules of Juvenile Protection Procedure, and the Board of Legal Certification. Gildea also serves on the Council and the Assembly of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Gildea is the author of an article, "Sifting the Dross: Expert Witness Testimony in Minnesota after the Daubert Trilogy," which was published in the William Mitchell Law Review. She is also profiled in a book by UMM Chancellor Sam Schuman, titled Old Main: Small Colleges in Twenty-First Century America.

Gildea’s charge as an associate justice with the Supreme Court is to review decisions of lower courts to determine if the lower courts correctly applied the law. Her decision early on to attend UMM was significant for her as well. "…the day I decided to attend UMM was one of the best days of my life," said Gildea.

(From the 2007 news story)

Jon Mukand '80, 2006 recipient

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. Mukand is a poet, author, researcher, and a physician specializing in rehabilitation medicine (physiatrist).

Mukand is currently principle investigator for the BrainGate Neural Interface System, which seeks to improve the quality of life for paralyzed patients by increasing independence. A silicon chip implanted on the surface of the brain records electrical activity that is transmitted to a computer that decodes and translates the signals allowing the patient to perform simple tasks via a second computer.

A love of literature and medicine merge in Mukand's poetry. In addition to authoring numerous scientific articles and editing two textbooks, Sutured Words: Contemporary Poetry about Medicine and Vital Lines: Contemporary Fiction about Medicine , he has published several poems, including: "Offering," "Revisions of a Medical Record," and "Oxygen."

Dwight Purdy, professor emeritus of English, one of Mukand's nominators states: "So far as I know, he [Mukand] is the only published and respected poet to publish extensively, too, in medicine. Some like William Carlos Williams, have been practicing physicians who published volumes of poetry. But Mukand is alone, I think, as a poet publishing widely in a scientific field. And although I am not qualified to speak about his scientific work, it seems to me consistent in its creative, cutting edge research with Mukand the poet. His work on quadriplegia and the structure of the brain might well be called a form of poetry."

Mukand is medical director at the Southern New England Rehabilitation Center and serves as an assistant professor at Boston University and Tufts University.

(From the 2006 news story)

Stuart Starner '65, 2006 recipient

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.

In 1995, his professional career grew to include the areas of higher education fundraising and planned giving. He served as associate director of development and planned giving at the University of Texas at San Antonio; the director of major gifts for intercollegiate athletics at Montana State University, and the chief executive officer at the University of Houston Athletics Foundation. Starner currently serves as director of major gifts at the 12th Man Foundation—Texas A&M University.

Fellow alumni Gary L. McGrath '68, dean of student affairs at Arizona State University, was one of Starner's nominators for the award. He notes that Starner, like many UMMers in the 1960s, grew up within 50 miles of the Morris campus. A three-sport athlete--football, basketball, and baseball--Starner was a leader on and off the field. McGrath states: "I have a great deal of respect for Stu Starner. In the highly competitive field of Division I intercollegiate athletics, Stu has been a successful head men's basketball coach at two institutions. Over the last ten plus years, Stu has applied his considerable management and leadership skills to become an effective university development officer. Stu is an excellent example of a UMM graduate from a small town in Minnesota who has had a very successful career."

(From the 2006 news story)

Paulette Fairbanks Molin '66, 2005 recipient

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. Her dedicated career in education included serving as director of an American Indian elementary curriculum project for the Minneapolis Public Schools and as assistant dean of the graduate college and director of the American Indian Educational Opportunity Program at Hampton University in Virginia.

Professor of History Wilbert Ahern nominated Molin for the award. He praised the noted educator and author's professional and civic accomplishments, especially noting Molin's "path-breaking" study of stereotypes with which Indian children must deal. He also stated: "As a charter member of the National Caucus of the Woodcraft Circle, Molin, a member of the Chippewa Tribe from the White Earth Reservation, has helped create a supportive climate for other native authors."

Molin is coeditor of American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children , coauthor of Encyclopedia of Native American Religions , and the author of numerous articles, poems and stories. Molin has served as curator for several major exhibitions including Enduring Legacy: Native Peoples, Native Arts at Hampton and To Lead and To Serve: American Indian Education at Hampton Institute, 1878-1923, a traveling photographic exhibition which has been presented at numerous sites across the United States including Harvard University.

(From the 2005 news story)

Cy Thao '95, 2005 recipient

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. In 2000 he received a Bush Artist Fellowship that allowed him to complete a series of 50 oil paintings that he had begun as a student in 1993. The exhibition, "The Hmong Migration: Fifty Paintings" chronicles 5000 years of Hmong history beginning with creation stories and ending with a world map showing the many countries where Hmong people now make their homes. The powerful and moving exhibition was featured at the Minneapolis Institute of Art in 2004.

Jenny Nellis, professor of studio art, nominated Thao for the award. She noted Thao's dedication to serving others as exemplary, as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, as a member of the Hmong community, and as a member of the UMM community.

Nellis describes Thao's efforts on behalf of the Hmong living in Minnesota and studying at UMM as "uplifting and inspirational." In 2002 Thao launched a successful bid as representative for District 65A, the Frogtown neighbor in St. Paul which is home to a large Hmong population. In his service to UMM, the multi-ethnic student population, including the Asian Student Organization, has particularly appreciated Thao's support and guidance. He received the UMM Multi-Ethnic Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004.

(From the 2005 news story)

Leonard Munstermann '64, 2004 recipient

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.

After graduation, Munstermann accepted a position as a Peace Corps science teacher in West Africa where he developed a keen interest in insects that would lead to his life's calling. After returning to the U.S., he earned a master of science degree in zoology from the University of Minnesota and a doctoral degree in biology from the University of Notre Dame.

Munstermann is currently a research scientist in the Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health. His research involves molecular genetics focused on the insect vector that provide clues to genomic organization, population structure and evolutionary relationships. His research utilizes Aedes mosquitoes and phlebotomine sand flies of New and Old World and emphasizes three genetic approaches:

• gene linkage mapping provides genetic backbone for isolating genes and macrogenomic evolution;
• genetic variability within an insect species in the form of isoenzymes or DNA base pair substitutions indicate population structure, population origin or taxonomic relatedness;
• identification of closely related vector species by (biochemical) genetic means.

Munstermann has authored and co-authored 173 publications. He has presented numerous papers and posters at meetings of scientific societies and a number of prestigious invited lectures. His research has been funded by grants received mostly from the National Institutes of Health, and he has received educational grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. He has been associated with other grants totaling several additional million dollars.

Munstermann also serves as associate curator in the Division of Entomology at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, a prestigious museum with 1.5 million insect specimens to organize and study.

A Presidents Club giving society member since 1998, Munstermann is a loyal alumnus of the University of Minnesota, Morris, and a strong advocate of its mission.

(From the 2004 news story)

John Dayton '68, 2003 recipient

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.

In 1982 John stumbled upon an interesting property-a dining establishment-and discovered a talented chef. A few months later, he resigned from his law firm position and entered the world of hospitality by opening his first restaurant, Routh Street Cafe in Dallas. Currently, John is a partner in Cuisine Concepts the umbrella organization and operating company of Tejas, Goodfellow's and Tejas Express restaurants, The Franklin Street Bakery, and a restaurant management and consulting business, all located in Minneapolis.

John gives generously and graciously to a variety of important organizations. He served as chair of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, an organization planning a multi-purpose performing arts complex in the Dallas Arts District. John also served as chairman of the board and president of The Dallas Opera and chair of The Dallas County Youth Village, a residential treatment facility for young people. He was an executive committee member of The Dallas Zoological Society and board member of ChildCare Dallas. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Minnesota Foundation, The Taft School in Connecticut and Eaglebrook School in Massachusetts.

John co-chaired the UMM Campaign Minnesota Volunteer Executive Committee. The successful fundraising drive garnered much good will for UMM and almost $9.6 million dollars in private support for the campus.

(From the 2003 news story)

Robert Gandrud '65, 2002 recipient

Bob Gandrud graduated in 1965 with a degree in mathematics. He immediately joined Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal financial services organization, as an actuary. After working in several divisions of the company including insurance, product developments, sales and marketing, and management information services, Bob quickly rose to the top ranks of management. Bob was named president in 1987 and chief executive officer in 1988. He led Lutheran Brotherhood for 12 years, overseeing a period of tremendous growth and change.

Over the years Bob has served on a number of business, community, college and church boards. He and his wife, Nancy, have helped build a dozen homes for Habitat for Humanity, and have been foster parents to more than 40 infants. Bob has continued his community involvement during his retirement, serving on the Luther Seminary Major Gifts Committee, making congregational visits, and serving as co-chair of UMM's capital campaign.

(From the 2002 news story)

Lue Her '97, 2002 recipient

Lue Her was born in Laos and spent his earliest years in a Thai refugee camp. When his family immigrated to the United States, he grew up in a crime-ridden housing project in St Paul. His mother insisted that he attend a mostly-white elementary school in order to learn English more quickly, and Lue was soon translating for other Hmong parents.

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. Through this fellowship, he worked with Hmong-American Community, Inc., an economic development group that serves immigrants in the Central Valley of California. While there he helped farmers start a cooperative which sells thousands of dollars of Asian produce every week.

Since 1999, Lue has worked with the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office, where he manages AmeriCorps/Get Ready!, a national service program that helps disadvantaged students succeed in school and go on to college. He also assists in the recruitment and placement of students enrolled in UMM's English Language Teaching Assistant Program, placing them in semester long teaching opportunities in Thailand and Laos.

(From the 2002 news story)

Bruce Johnson '71, 2002 recipient

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."

Bruce moved to Hollywood in 1979 where he started out making low-budget teacher-education films for Dave Bell Associates, an independent television production company. He did everything: wrote, produced, directed, edited, and sound on location. Over the next several years, Bruce produced documentaries, industrial films and public affairs programs. His credits included "America, America," a series for the Disney Channel profiling extraordinary Americans, and "On Campus," a PBS news program that won him two of three Emmy Awards in 1983 and 1984. In 1985 Bruce joined Hanna-Barbera as a producer and became swept up in animation.

Bruce was named studio general manager when Turner Broadcasting acquired Hanna-Barbera in 1991. After several years, he began to miss the creative work that comes with producing, and in 1995, formed PorchLight Entertainment with the founding vision to "tell good stories that impart moral lessons." His target audience: the entire family. The company's flagship property is the very successful "Adventures from the Book of Virtues" - classic stories from around the world now in its fourth season on PBS. This series has been sold in over 75 countries worldwide. Next came "Jay Jay the Jet Plane," a preschool series that airs daily on PBS. The company has also produced movies for the Disney Channel, Fox Family Channel, Animal Planet, Hallmark, and others.

(From the 2002 news story)