Michelle Widger
UNK Alumni Association, 308.865.8474
Six University of Nebraska at Kearney alumni will be recognized during 2011 Homecoming activities the weekend of Sept. 23-24. They will be honored at the 31st. annual Homecoming Awards banquet Sept. 23.
Among the award recipients are: Dr. Andrew Aprill of Princeton, N.J, Class of 1985; Jack Crowley of Hastings, Class of 1960; Dr. Phyllis Carlson Markussen of Kearney, Class of 1968, M.S. 1988; and Linda Timmons of Omaha, Class of 1985, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award.
John Wolf Snohomish, Wash., Class of 1973, will receive the Jim Rundstrom Distinguished Alumni Service Award, and Dr. Chad Vokoun of Omaha, Class of 1996, will receive the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award.
Dr. Andrew Aprill is founder and CEO of BioVid Corporation. He has spent his career developing strategic insights to clients in healthcare by combining therapeutic knowledge with innovative research methods. He has provided guidance to pharmaceutical clients with products at all stages in the lifecycle. Over the past decade, BioVid has become one of the most sought-after market research firms in the industry for their philosophy that marketing research is best characterized as a tool for decision support rather than a decision-making tool.
Dr. Aprill, who earned a Ph.D. from Temple University, has been a guest lecturer on strategic marketing at The Wharton Business School; Nebrija Business School – Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, Spain; and Guangzhou University, People’s Republic of China.
Jack Crowley has a long history of community and state-wide service. He has been executive director of the Central Community College (CCC) Foundation, an organization that he helped start. He has served on boards of the Hastings Economic Development Corporation, Norwest Bank Nebraska, Wells Fargo Regional Board, Economic Council of America, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, Catholic Social Services for the Lincoln Diocese, Kearney Public Schools Foundation, YMCA and Hastings Area Foundation. Crowley has been chair for both the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission and Nebraska Power Review Board.
He has been the Hastings Rotary Club president and the general chair for the Hastings Area United Way Drive. He is also a former board member and president for Hastings Area United Way, Nebraska Easter Seal Society, Lochland Country Club and Hastings Catholic School Board. He has served on the UNK Chancellor’s Advisory Council.
Crowley has received the Jaycees Distinguished Service Award, Volunteer of the Year by the Nebraska Economic Council of America and Nebraska Community College Association Service Award. He was named an Outstanding Alumni for Kearney Schools and was named to the CCC Hall of Fame.
Crowley earned a master’s degree from Ohio State University in 1963. Now retired, he was long-time owner of Crowley’s Women’s Clothing Stores.
Dr. Phyllis Markussen is a retired UNK professor who served on the faculty from 1988 until 2010. She served as professor and chair of the Department of Family Studies and Interior Design.
She has received the Outstanding Teaching Award for the College of Business and Technology, the Leland Holdt Security Mutual Life Insurance Distinguished Faculty Award and the NU system-wide IDEA Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In 2004, she was inducted into the National Kitchen and Bath Association Hall of Fame.
Dr. Markussen has served on the National Kitchen and Bath Association Board of Directors and has been active in a number of other organizations related to her academic program on a state, regional and national level.
Linda Timmons is president and chief executive officer for Mosaic, a position she has held since 2008. Mosaic is a faith-based organization serving people with intellectual disabilities. It was formed in 2003 by the consolidation of two Nebraska-born Lutheran ministries dedicated to the needs of people with disabilities. Bethphage Mission began in 1913 in Axtell and Martin Luther Homes began in 1925 in Sterling. Mosaic supports more than 3,500 people and employs more than 5,000 through 40 agencies in 250 communities in 14 states.
After graduating with a degree in social work, Timmons began her career as a social worker at Bethphage Residential Center in Axtell. In 1987, she became assistant to the president for management support at Bethphage Mission South in Austin, Texas, then executive director of Bethphage Mission South in Lubbock.
From 1994 to 1997, Timmons was president and chief executive officer at Bethphage Mission West in Denver. Since 1997, she has held positions with the company in Omaha.
Timmons earned a master’s degree in human services from St. Edward’s University and a master’s degree in public administration from Texas Tech University.
John Wolf has played a key role in the UNK Northwest Alumni Chapter in Oregon and Washington. He has served as the group’s president since 2004 and was instrumental in the group since its founding in 1984. That group rotates its annual events between Seattle and Portland. Among their projects has been the establishment of an endowed scholarship for UNK students.
Wolf also served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2003 to 2006. Now retired, Wolf spent a career in the insurance business, including 31 years as a health claims manager for Mutual of Omaha and owner of an Allstate Insurance Company agency.
Dr. Chad Vokoun is associate program director for the internal medicine residency program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is also director, consultative medicine and faculty adviser to Club Med, the internal medicine student interest group at the medical center.
Dr. Vokoun received the university-wide Outstanding Teaching Award for 2011. He has also received the Hirschmann Prize for Teaching Excellence and the Sir William Osler Teaching Award at UNMC. He has been named a UNMC Top Teacher from 2004 to 2011. At UNK, Dr. Vokoun was an All-RMAC first-team offensive guard, a GTE Academic All-American and the Male Student Athlete of the Year in 1995.
The alumni award recipients will be honored at the 31st annual Homecoming Awards banquet on Friday, Sept. 23. Tickets are $25 and are available by contacting the UNK Alumni Office at 308.865.8474 or emailing tmeyers@unkalumni.org.
