The CU-Boulder Alumni Association will recognize 12 outstanding members of the CU community - faculty, staff, alumni community members and legislators -- at its 72nd Annual Alumni Awards ceremony May 7.听
The free event is open to the public and is set for 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 7, in the Old Main Chapel on the Boulder campus. The recipients will be honored for their distinguished careers and exceptional contributions to CU and the community.
To attend the Alumni Awards ceremony, please call (303) 492-8484 to make a reservation.
Virginia Patterson and John Richardson will receive the George Norlin Award in honor of their lifetime achievements and devotion to the betterment of society.听 Patterson is the semi-retired owner of The Printed Page, former school board president and longtime community volunteer who has been a mainstay in Boulder civic affairs for decades.听
John Richardson, of Bethesda, Md., still works -- at age 80 -- as a professor of information and telecommunications studies at the University of Maryland's Graduate School of Management and Technology. Richardson is an active public servant.
Three CU faculty and staff members will receive the Robert Stearns Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the CU community:听
* Alphonse Keasley is director of the Minority Arts and Sciences Program, a member of many committees, a Shakespearean actor and an Honors Program instructor.
* Larry Nelson is director of the Office of Contracts and Grants. In his 32 years at CU-Boulder, Nelson has streamlined systems, provided leadership to staff and facilitated a steady increase in grant dollars.听
* Professor William Wei of history also is director of the Sewall Residential Academic Program. He has taught history at CU-Boulder since 1980. His major publications include "Counterrevolution in China (1985)" and "The Asian American Movement (1993)."
Robert Bauers and Judith Liebman will receive this year's Alumni Recognition Award for their service to CU-Boulder. Bauers, the CEO and chair of Tatonka Capital Corp. and the owner of 10 Wendy's restaurants in Boulder and Weld counties, is a Buff fan and a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Advisory Council.
Liebman, of Urbana, Ill., is professor emeritus of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has been an active member of the CU-Boulder engineering advisory council since 1992 and serves as vice chair of the CU Foundation board.
The Outstanding Recent Graduate Award will go to "South Park" creators Randolph "Trey" Parker and Matt Stone. The duo used creative genius and the knowledge they gained in CU's film studies program to create the hit animated series, which lead to the feature film, "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut."
In honor of their support of higher education, state Sen. Penfield Tate and U.S. Rep. Mark Udall will receive the Alumni Legislative Recognition Award and Congressional Recognition Award, respectively. Tate, a Democrat from Denver and a strong supporter of CU-Boulder, is a member of the Joint Budget Committee.
Democrat Udall is in his second term representing Colorado in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has championed many beneficial pieces of legislation for higher education and research. Udall also has worked to secure funding for the ATLAS project on the CU-Boulder campus.
George Gramer Jr. will receive the Leanne Skupa-Lee Award for his outstanding volunteer service with CU's admissions office. The Army colonel is a lifetime member of the CU Alumni Association and has been a longtime contributor to the CU Foundation.