Nebraska Alumni Association Awards Presentation is May 5

The Nebraska Alumni Association will recognize 23 accomplished University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumni, eight students, a retired faculty member and an exceptional family at the annual Alumni Awards Banquet, an all-university celebration, May 5 at the Nebraska Champions Club.

Among the honorees are 11 young alumni who are the first-ever recipients of the new Early Achiever awards. The Early Achiever awards will be given annually to alumni 30 years of age or younger who have achieved early success or have shown great potential in their chosen career field.

A complete list of the 2011 award winners and complete biographies can be found on the Nebraska Alumni Association website, http://huskeralum.org/events/awards. The 2011 award winners were chosen by a selection committee comprising UNL alumni from across the country.

2011 Alumni Award Recipients, including graduation year(s) and city of residence:

Distinguished Service Award -- Tom Burnell, '84, '85, Lincoln, is CEO of the Nebraska Heart Institute and Heart Hospital in Lincoln. Prior to joining Nebraska Heart, Burnell held leadership positions at Eurofins Scientific Inc., GenomicFX, and Continental Grain Co.'s Animal Nutrition business. He has also served on the association's board of directors, the executive committee and as president of the board.

Alumni Achievement awards --

* Brian Bossard, '82, Lincoln, is attending physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at BryanLGH Medical Center. He is also founder and CEO of Inpatient Physician Associates LLC, providing all-day hospitalist services to several Nebraska hospitals.

* Randall L. Cerveny, '81, '83, '86, Tempe, Ariz., is a professor at Arizona State University specializing in weather and climate. He has studied weather on seven continents, earning the Antarctica Service Medal of the United States and the British Cartographic Society Medal. Cerveny has written two books and more than 100 scientific articles and has been interviewed by BBC, CNN, ABC News, NPR and the Today Show.

* Boyd Epley, '70, '72, Colorado Springs, Colo., is the director of coaching performance for the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the most decorated strength coach in history. Lindy's National College Football magazine named him one of College Football's Top 100 Most Important People of the Century after his training program helped produce five national championships and 356 wins in 35 years of Nebraska football.

* Frank "Dutch" Meyer, '51 (presented posthumously), was a professor of physical education at Catawba College. He initiated the Catawba's Athletic Training Program and led its wrestling team to 13 winning seasons. He earned the Herne Swink Award for outstanding teaching. Meyer served his country as a radioman in the Navy during World War II.

* Jane Olson, '64, Pasadena, Calif., is chair and longtime member of the board of directors of Human Rights Watch. She helped found the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race, chaired the board of the Landmine Survivors Network, and co-founded the California Committee of Human Rights Watch. She also worked with the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, volunteering in conflict zones in Eastern Europe and Latin America.

* John Plucknett, '77 (presented posthumously), was president of Home State Bank in Louisville. He is remembered for his work ethic, commitment and volunteerism. He was a member of the Cass County Economic Development Board and past chairman of the Keith County Economic Development Corp. and the Nebraska Innovative Zone Commission.

Young Alumni Achievement awards --

* Marc Kaschke, '96, North Platte, is the mayor of North Platte, and a young leader in the Nebraska Republican Party, serving on the state finance committee and co-founding the Lincoln County Young Republicans. Marc also works to support early-stage investments in companies with an emphasis on rural Nebraska.

* Angie Klein, '01, Morristown, N.J., is executive director of marketing operations and execution for Verizon, where she leads a team of six executives and 100 managers and oversees a budget of more than $100 million.

* Andrew Timming, '00, '02, St. Paul, Minn., is director and Principal Consultant at Oliventis LLC, a consultancy specializing in labor union strategy and advisory services. He also is a faculty member at Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester in England. He has lived, worked, or studied in the United States, Chile, Argentina, England, Hong Kong and Singapore.

* Teresa Zimmerman, '01, Chadron, is an assistant professor at Chadron State College where she leads the rangeland and wildlife program. In 2010, she was awarded the Nebraska Wildlife Society's Professional of the Year Award. She was elected to the Nebraska Wildlife Society board of directors and was selected as one of the nine participants nationwide for the Wildlife Society's Leadership Institute.

Additional Alumni Award Winners --

* Family Tree Award -- The William Wilson Cook, '27, Family

* Doc Elliott Award -- Dr. Robert Fuller, Lincoln

* Cather Circle Alumna of the Year -- Linda High Daniel, '65, Culpeper, Va.

* Early Achiever Awards -- Daniel E. Dawes, '06, Silver Spring, Md.; Matthew DeBoer, '07, '09, Omaha; David Graff, '05, '06, Lincoln; Misti Hogan, '03, Cedar Falls, Iowa; Brian Kaiser, '06, Lincoln; Amanda McGill, '02, Lincoln; Angel McMullen-Gunn, '03, '07, Seward; Abby Miller '02, Los Angeles; Kiersten Runnels, '03, New York City; Katie Juhl Telligman, '01, Washington, D.C.; John Wirtz, '05, '06, Lincoln

Student Award Winners --

* Roy and Catherine Yaley Student Leadership Award -- Tessa Alber, Blue Hill

* Howard and Judy Vann Student Leadership Award -- Suzy Hammons, Weeping Water

* Shane Osborn Student Leadership Award -- Alexandria Bieber, Shawnee, Kan.; Alexandra Law, Omaha

* Cather Circle Collegian of the Year -- Jessica Simpson, Omaha

* Charlotte Kramer Foreign Study Scholarship -- Logan Suhr, Lincoln

* Jack Miller Scholarships -- Jenna Busboom, Pickrell; Sarah Schroeder, Columbus

The Nebraska Alumni Association's mission is to promote the achievements and aspirations of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by engaging its students, alumni and friends. The association was founded in 1874. Learn more at http://HuskerAlum.org.

WRITER: Shannon Sherman