The CU-Boulder Alumni Association will honor 12 outstanding members of the CU community during the 74th Annual Alumni Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 5.
The award recipients will be recognized for their distinguished careers and exceptional contributions to CU and society at 7 p.m. in Old Main Chapel on the Boulder campus. The public is welcome to attend this free event.
Three CU faculty and staff members will receive the Robert Stearns Award in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the university.
The three recipients are alumnus Rich Castro, who directs the intramural programs at CU, founded Boulder Road Runners and is elite athlete coordinator for the Bolder Boulder; Professor Robert Spillman, who has directed CU's opera program and taught piano and conducting at CU for 17 years; and Ron Stump, vice chancellor for student affairs, who oversees a vast array of student programs at CU, along with a staff of 900 and a budget of $90 million.
The George Norlin Award recognizes outstanding alumni for their careers and service to society. Recipients Richard Petree and his wife, Virginia Hunter Petree, spent 31 years helping shape foreign policy and building cross-cultural understanding between the United States and East Asian nations. Richard is a retired ambassador and official with the U.S. Department of State, while Virginia was an active participant at his various posts around the world and at the United Nations.
Three alumni who have made significant strides in their careers within 10 years of completing their studies at CU will be presented the Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Alumni Awards. The award was renamed to honor the late astronaut and CU alumna following her death aboard the Columbia shuttle on Feb. 1, 2003.
The 2004 Chawla Award recipients are Kristi Anseth, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at CU-Boulder who is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research on human tissue engineering; Trent Hein, a Boulder computer expert who founded XOR and Applied Trust Engineering; and Kenzo Kawanabe, a Denver attorney who volunteers his time and skills for a large number of public service agencies.
In honor of their support of higher education, Bob Lee, the governor's chief of staff, will receive the CU Legislative Recognition Award, and alumnus and U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez will receive the CU Congressional Recognition Award.
Alumnus Dick Haynes of Milwaukee will be presented with the Leanne Skupa-Lee Award as the top student recruiter for the National Alumni Admissions Assistance Program.
The May 5 award ceremony is sponsored by the First National Bank of Colorado. Please make reservations by calling (303) 492-8484.