Outstanding CSU Graduates and Friends Honored at the Annual Distinguished Alumni Awards April 17

Note to Reporters: For photos of the award winners, visit CSU’s Flickr stream at www.flickr.com/coloradostateuniversity.

Outstanding Colorado State University graduates and friends will be honored at the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner from 5-9 p.m. on April 17 at the Embassy Suites in Loveland. Tickets can be purchased for $55 at www.alumni.colostate.edu.

William E. Morgan Alumni Achievement Award
The Colorado State University Alumni Association’s top award, the William E. Morgan Alumni Achievement Award, will be presented to Tim Bauer and Nathan Lorenz, who in 2009 were named “Heroes of the Environment” by Time Magazine. As members of Colorado State University’s snowmobile challenge team, and winners of the national Clean Snowmobile Challenge competition, Bauer and Lorenz saw an opportunity to convert dirty, two-stroke engines into cleaner and more fuel-efficient direct injection systems. Both men were working at the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory run by Professor Bryan Willson at the time. Their discovery led them to co-found the nonprofit Envirofit International with Paul Hudnut, an Entrepreneurship instructor at CSU’s College of Business, and Willson in 2003. In 2007, Envirofit created global clean cook-stoves, in order to achieve long term reductions in global indoor pollution. The clean cook-stove won the Best of What’s New in Green Technology from Popular Science magazine in 2008, and has sold more than 100,000 cook-stoves in India to date.

Charles A. Lory Public Service Award
The Charles A. Lory Public Service Award will go to Hernando de Soto for his exceptional leadership as president of the Institute of Liberty and Democracy, headquartered in Lima, Peru. He is sponsored by the College of Business and will receive the award for having demonstrated exceptional and sustained leadership both in his professional field and his personal commitments and for having given a significant contribution of time and talent to the university. De Soto and his colleagues are focused on designing and implementing capital formation programs to empower the poor in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and former Soviet nations. The Institute of Liberty and Democracy is considered by the Economist to be one of the two most important think tanks in the world. De Soto has been named as one of the five “Leading Latin American Innovators of the Century” by Time Magazine and has been included among the 100 most influential people in the world.

Jim and Nadine Henry Award
James Hansen, a professor emeritus of history at Colorado State University, will be honored with the Jim and Nadine Henry Award. Hansen helped start the doctorate program in public history at Colorado State and was the director of the Colorado Agricultural Archive at the Morgan Library. In addition to teaching, Hansen has published two of the definitive histories of Colorado State University: “Democracy’s College in the Centennial State: a History of CSU” followed by “Democracy’s University.” He has written and published six books. Hansen belongs to the Organization of American Historians, National Council on Public History and the Society of American Archivists. He has served on the Colorado Historical Records Advisory Board since 1977.

Albert C. Yates Student Leadership Award
Jessica Pratt will be awarded with the Albert C. Yates Student Leadership Award in recognition for her exceptional volunteer work with various organizations. A self described “volunteer junkie,” Pratt graduated in December 2009 with a degree in social work and is passionate about education herself and others about the suffering of other people and ways to help. Pratt has volunteered throughout Larimer County for Crossroads Safehouse, Meals on Wheels, Healthy Beginnings – a prenatal program for low-income and teenage mothers, the Larimer County Office on Aging and more.

Graduate of the Last Decade Award
Tiffany Bressan-Corbett and Courtney Noelle Maddox will receive the Graduate of the Last Decade Award (GOLD) for their fashion business, Girl ExtraOrdinaire that was born from joint ideas and goals recorded in a notebook during their days at Colorado State University. After their products were featured on the television show, “Trista and Ryan’s Wedding” in 2003, Girl ExtraOrdinaire became the number one vendor for several online bridal vendors. Today their business is a wholesale sportswear company that designs and manufactures clothes for women, men, children and dogs. Girl ExtraOrdinaire can be found on more than 700 retail Internet sites, specialty and department stores and produces top designed for various television shows.

Distinguished Faculty Award
The Distinguished Faculty Award will go to Bradford W. Sheafor, who has participated in direct-practice research in the social work profession, and has been nationally recognized for his findings. In 1974, Sheafor became director of the emerging social work program at Colorado State University and has been a professor in social work since. Sheafor has held many positions at CSU, including associate director of the Human Factors Research Laboratory, co-director of the Family and Youth Institute and associate dean for research in the College of Applied Human Sciences.

Distinguished Athletic Award
For his outstanding commitment to Colorado State University’s athletic programs and an annual donor to the Ram Club, Gerry Pedersen will receive the Distinguished Athletic Award. Pedersen has been involved with the Ram Wheels program for more than 25 years. In addition, Pedersen is the founding member of the Ram Masters booster club, which fundraises for the men’s golf team. He also is a member of the leadership board of the Ram’s Horn Club at Hughes Stadium. For 35 years, Pedersen has been the owner of Pedersen Toyota, Scion and Volvo, and has received the prestigious Toyota President’s Award 12 times. In addition to CSU, Pedersen and Pedersen Toyota have contributed to United Way, United Day Care Centers, St. Joseph’s Church, Respite Care, Foothills Gateway, Larimer County Child Advocacy, Hope Lives and local youth teams and organizations.

Distinguished Extension Award
The Distinguished Extension Award is being given to Alvie Rothe, who worked in Weld County as an Extension agent for CSU from 1964-1991. Initially, he was charged with the 4-H and youth programs. Later, he assumed duties for the adult dairy and horse programs, conducted management short courses and was coordinator of the Weld County Fair. For 40 years, Rothe was involved in the 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging program. After his retirement from coaching, he continued as an instructor in the dairy cattle judging class at CSU. In addition to 4-H, Extension and the dairy program, Rothe also has been involved with the Colorado State Fair as the 4-H horse show superintendent, assistant horse show director, a member of the U.S. Western National 4-H Horse Classic management committee, and co-superintendent of the National Horse Judging contest. Rothe is a lifetime member of the Alumni Association.

College of Agricultural Sciences Honor Alumnus Award
Robert Brown will receive the College of Agricultural Sciences Honor Alumnus Award. Brown graduated from Colorado State University in 1968 and has served as national president of the Wildlife Society and president of the National Association of University Fisheries and Wildlife Programs. His research focused on comparative wildlife nutrition and physiology, and on the development of antler growth in deer as a model for osteoporosis in elderly humans. Brown served in the U.S Marine Corps from 1968-1992 and has three letters of commendation, two Purple Hearts, a Combat Action Ribbon and Vietnam Gallantry Cross. Brown is the dean of the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University.

College of Applied Human Sciences Honor Alumnus Award
The College of Applied Human Sciences Honor Alumnus Award will be presented to John P. Beeble, president and chief executive officer of Saunders Construction, a commercial builder and leader in Colorado construction. Beeble has spent his career in the Colorado construction and real estate industries working in estimating, business development and management. Saunders Construction has consistently ranked as a top contractor in the region and in 2008, was honored as the top contractor by revenue in the state. Beeble is a founding member of the Citadel Group, a national contracting group comprised of best-in-class contractors from across the country. He serves on the board of several organizations and has participated in university advisory boards and career boards, providing internships to Colorado State University students.

College of Business Honor Alumnus Award
Patrick Tracy will be awarded the College of Business Honor Alumnus Award. After graduating from Colorado State University, Tracy joined Dot Associated Dairy Products Company, the predecessor of Dot Foods, and currently holds the chairman position. In his 36 years at Dot Foods Inc., Tracy has helped his family-owned business become the largest food redistributor in the United States. Tracy was named vice president of marketing in 1978, president in 1985, and has served as chief executive officer from 1996 -2006. Tracy, along with 60-plus family members, created the Tracy Family Foundation in 1997, which awards grants to charitable organizations. He is a member of the Global Leadership Council and the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Business.

College of Engineering Honor Alumnus Award
The College of Engineering Honor Alumnus Award will go to Thomas Williams, who is considered by many as the father of Level-Sensitive Scan Design technique and a pioneer in Electronic Design Automation. Williams received his doctorate from Colorado State University and is former chief scientist and fellow of Synopsys Inc., in Boulder. Williams has twice served as a distinguished visitor lecturer for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Williams was named an IEEE Fellow in 1988 and received the Computer Society’s W. Wallace McDowell Award for outstanding contributions to the computer art in 1989. He is a member of the industrial advisory board for CSU’S Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Currently, Williams is an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

College of Liberal Arts Honor Alumnus Award
David Goodman will be awarded the College of Liberal Arts Honor Alumnus Award. Goodman has worked in domestic and international entertainment for more than 35 years. He has lived abroad and produced entertainment experiences in more than 40 countries as vice president executive producer for Walt Disney Company and Anheuser-Busch. He has overseen the production of nearly 10,000 live shows, tours and events. Goodman is a consummate percussionist. He has shared billing with jazz artists such as Spyro Gyra, Bob James and Pat Metheny. Goodman has played with comedians such as the Smothers Brothers and Andy Kaufman, and musical acts such as Doc Severinsen and Roy Clark. An advocate of arts education and cultural diversity, he has been a board member of several schools and their art programs, and has created workshops and performing arts programs for young people. Goodman is chief experience officer at Goodman Experiences LLC.

Warner College of Natural Resources Honor Alumnus Award
Tom L. Thompson, who was once the third highest ranking forester in the nation, will receive the Warner College of Natural Resources Honor Alumnus Award. Thompson has spent 27 years with the U.S. Forest Service and served has president of the Society of American Foresters in 2008. He served on the Forest Service Legislative staff in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for all 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands. He also served as deputy regional forester for the Rocky Mountain region for 12 years. Thompson serves on the Leadership Council for the National Forest Foundation, the board of the National Museum of Forest Service history and remains very active in his career. Thompson is a lifetime member of the Alumni Association.

College of Natural Sciences Honor Alumnus Award
The College of Natural Sciences Honor Alumnus Award will go to Dr. Michael Swanson. A graduate of Colorado State University, Dr. Swanson graduated as the top chemistry major, and later received an M.D. from the University of Colorado. Dr. Swanson is certified in obstetrics and gynecology and has been voted by his peers, on two separate occasions, as the top obstetrician/gynecologist in a survey by CBS4 News in Denver. He was also chosen as the top obstetrician/gynecologist in a survey by 5280 Magazine. Swanson continues to be active in reproductive surgery, specializing in minimally invasive surgery and microsurgery and is on active staff at several Denver hospitals. He is actively involved in the life of Colorado State University, as former member of the Development Council and is currently a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council for the College of Natural Sciences, and is a lifetime member of the CSU Alumni Association.

College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Honor Alumnus Award
John Pape will receive the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Honor Alumnus Award. For more than 20 years, Pape worked for the Department of Communicable Disease Epidemiology Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and served as the public health expert in Colorado in the area of zoonotic disease surveillance, investigation and control. Public health workers, health professionals and the public look to him as an authority on subjects such as rabies, plague and other animal- and vector-borne conditions capable of affecting humans. Pape contributed new research during the West Nile virus outbreak in 2003-2004 and has consistently demonstrated a capacity for explaining the complex in understandable terms to the public. In 2004, Pape received the P.W. Jacoe Memorial Award from the Colorado Public Health Association and in 2008, he won the Jacille Zeches Award from the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.

Evening Emcee
Lee Kamlet, head writer for ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer in New York City, will serve as the evening emcee. Beginning as a producer for CNN, Kamlet then joined ABC News as a producer, where he covered three presidential campaigns and wide array of stories. In 1998, Kamlet joined NBC News as a producer at Dateline NBC. Kamlet received the Distinguished Alumni Award for the College of Liberal Arts in 2009, and recently was awarded the Writers Guild of America award for the Best Regularly Scheduled News Program.
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