The University of Iowa Alumni Association (UIAA) has announced the 2016 recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Awards (DAA), the association’s highest honor.

“The 2016 awardees are exemplary representatives of the University of Iowa,” says Jeff Kueter, UIAA president and CEO. “They are accomplished professionals, community leaders, philanthropists, and mentors to students and young professionals.”

Since 1963, the UIAA has presented Distinguished Alumni Awards every year to accomplished alumni and friends. This year, 12 awardees were honored in five categories: service, achievement, young alumni, faculty/staff, and friend of the university.

Three people received Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards to recognize their significant accomplishments in business or professional life or for distinguished human service to their community, state, or nation.

• Mary Anderson Blegen (M.A. '75, Ph.D. '87) of Aurora, Colorado—Internationally regarded as an accomplished researcher and fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Mary Blegen has developed evidence-based, widely implemented nursing practices that significantly enhance patient care and safety, as well as improve nursing education. In addition to her noteworthy research contributions, she has also served as a mentor, professor, and exemplary role model to countless young nurses.
• Mark Johnson (M.A. '73) of Los Angeles, California—One of this generation’s most prolific and successful film producers, Mark Johnson has spent his career creating critically acclaimed films and television programs that have helped shape American pop culture. The Peabody, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Oscar award winner’s work includes such influential shows as Breaking Bad, The Notebook, and Rain Man.
• Albert Ruffalo (M.A. '75) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa—As the founder of RuffaloCODY, Albert Ruffalo has rapidly grown the company into the leading provider of strategic fundraising and enrollment management services and software, serving more than 900 colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations around the world. The entrepreneur also graciously provides his visionary leadership to such organizations as Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, the American Cancer Society, Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, and the UI College of Education.

Four people received Distinguished Alumni Service Awards for specific and meritorious service to their university, community, state, or nation.

• Dale (B.B.A. '68) and Linda Baker (B.A. '68) of Golden, Colorado—With a spirit of cheerful giving and volunteerism, Dale and Linda Baker have made an indelible impact on many university areas, from the Henry B. Tippie College of Business to the UI Alumni Association. The Bakers have leveraged their professional success in health care consulting and education to strengthen their alma mater and provide scholarship support to many deserving students.
• Thomas J. Marriott Jr. (B.S.Ch.E. '68) of Allentown, Pennsylvania—As a longtime member and past president of the UI Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Professional Advisory Board, Thomas Marriott Jr. helped create a mentoring program between students and alumni that has made a difference in the lives of many undergraduates. The president of Hawkeye Consulting Services regularly volunteers his time in UI classrooms and has established a scholarship to assist chemical engineering students for years to come.
• Kyle Zimmer (B.A. '82) of Silver Spring, Maryland—Kyle Zimmer has made it her life’s mission to break down the barriers to reading. She founded the nonprofit, First Book, which has worked with publishers to provide more than 125 million new books to disadvantaged children and to promote literacy, learning, and educational equity among the nation’s youth.

Two individuals received the Distinguished Faculty/Staff Award for significant achievement or specific meritorious service on behalf of the quality and advancement of the university.

• Gary Fethke (B.A. '64, Ph.D. '68) of Iowa City, Iowa—Through his longtime tenure and multiple UI leadership roles—including as dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business and interim university president—Gary Fethke has influenced greatly the growth and vitality of this institution. His steady influence on campus can be seen in the bricks and mortar of buildings like the Pomerantz Career Center and in the innovative educational tracks offered to business students.
• Virginia A. Myers of Solon, Iowa—An accomplished artist widely admired for the invention of the Iowa Foil Printer, Virginia Myers began her 50-year UI career in 1962 when she became an instructor in the printmaking department—the only woman teaching studio courses at the time. Influenced by mentor Mauricio Lasansky, she rose through the ranks to full professor, devoting her considerable talents toward shaping the department into a successful program. 

Two people received the Distinguished Alumni Young Alumni Award.

• Meghan Henry Gutierrez (B.A. '98) of New York, New York—Meghan Henry Gutierrez has devoted her entire career to the government and philanthropic sectors, beginning as a Congressional staff member on Capitol Hill for a prominent leader in health care policy and then transferring her skill set to the nonprofit sector. Most notably among her achievements, she is the youngest chief executive officer of any major cancer-fighting organization in the United States, in her case the Lymphoma Research Foundation.
• Tom Niblock (B.A. '07, B.B.A. '07) of Arlington, Virginia—During his six years in the U.S. Foreign Service, Tom Niblock has amassed an impeccable record. His diplomatic career began as an assistant to the U.S. ambassador at embassies in Beijing, China, and Islamabad, Pakistan, where he developed a brand of excellence that continues through his foreign policy work in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Taiwan Coordination.

One person received the Distinguished Alumni Friend of the University Award, which recognizes specific and meritorious service on behalf of the quality and advancement of the university and/or the alumni association.

• Abigail M. Foerstner of Wilmette, Illinois—Abigail Foerstner’s devotion is exceptional in both spirit and deed, illuminated in the three major books she’s written about the University of Iowa: James Van Allen: The First Eight Billion Miles (an official biography), a book about Bertha Shambaugh, and a work that records the captivating history of the UI Museum of Art. She also collaborated with UI Libraries on a website that presents the history and role of Van Allen in the 1958 Explorer I satellite mission. An acclaimed journalism professor at Northwestern University, Foerstner has applied her writing skills toward becoming one of the UI’s best ambassadors.

The alumni association helps alumni build relationships with the UI and each other by offering a sense of community and belonging based on shared beliefs, values, experiences, and Hawkeye spirit. Through a variety of communications, events, and services, the association helps alumni express and reinforce their loyalty, gratitude, and pride—adding value to their own lives and communities while also enhancing the national reputation and ensuring the continued success of the University of Iowa.

Learn more about the Distinguished Alumni Awards and a database of past awardees.

The UIAA welcomes award nominations from friends and alumni of the UI.  If you know an exceptional alumnus/a, friend, or faculty/staff person who warrants recognition, please consider nominating them for the 2017 awards. Additional information on the nomination process is available at www.iowalum.com/daa/nominations.cfm.

The 2016 class will be honored on June 11, 2016, in Iowa City.