Seven alumni, including three from central Wisconsin, will be honored for
achievement and service as the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point marks Homecoming
weekend.
The Alumni Awards Banquet Saturday,
Oct. 3, will recognize a Distinguished Alumnus from each of the four colleges:
Andy Kubitz, ‘93, Los Angeles, of the College of Fine Arts and Communication;
Russell Wanke, ‘85, Appleton, of the College of Natural Resources; Patrick
Rothfuss, ’00, Stevens Point, of the College of Letters and Science; and Rear
Admiral Steven Day, master’s ’82, Port Edwards, of the College of Professional
Studies.
The Trailblazer Award will be
presented to Tracie Lyn Roberson, ’06, Stevens Point, for exceptional
achievement within 10 years of graduating. The Mary Ann Nigbor Volunteer of the
Year Award will be given to Gordon Faust, ’58, Madison, for outstanding service
to the Alumni Association. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to
John Boyne, ’56, Centerville, Mass., for going above and beyond throughout his
career.
Kubitz, executive vice president
of Program Planning and Scheduling for ABC Entertainment Group, decides
programming for daytime, primetime and late-night time periods. During his
career he has directed 18 television fall launches on CBS and ABC including the
premieres of “Survivor,” “CSI,” “NCIS,” “Blackish” and “How to Get Away with
Murder.” He earned a master’s degree in business administration from Pepperdine
University Graziadio School of Business and Management.
Wanke, CEO of Expera Specialty
Solutions, has spent more than three decades in the paper industry and also
worked for Thilmany Papers, NewPage and Stora Enso. He chaired the Wisconsin
Paper Council Board of Directors and serves on the UW-Stevens Point College of
Natural Resources Advisory Board, Paper Science Foundation Board and board of
the American Forest and Paper Association in Washington, D.C. In 2014 he was
the Paper Industry Management Association Executive of the Year.
A three-time New York Times
best-selling author, Rothfuss has published the fantasy novels “The Name of the
Wind,” “The Wise Man’s Fear” and the “The Slow Regard for Silent Things” as
well as a not-for-children picture book series, “The Adventures of the Princess
and Mr. Wiffle.” He created the charity Worldbuilders, which has raised more
than $4 million for Heifer International. He has also taught part-time at
UW-Stevens Point.
During his more than 46 years in
the military, Day served as the first reserve flag officer to become director
of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and Military Personnel. He taught industrial arts in Port Edwards for
more than 11 years and worked at the Port Edwards paper mill for 21 years. At
his retirement from the Coast Guard, he was awarded the Distinguished Service
Medal.
Roberson is president and
part-owner of Rudy Rack, a bicycle storage retailer based in Stevens Point.
While studying at UW-Stevens Point she was an intern for the company then
became its general manager after graduation. Roberson sets up and maintains the
distribution of Rudy Rack products in Europe from the United Kingdom.
Faust was a member of the Alumni
Board of Directors for 25 years, serving as its president during UW-Stevens
Point’s centennial in 1994. He was president of the university’s chapter of Phi
Sigma Epsilon and later as volunteer regional director and national vice
president. He served in the Air National Guard during the Korean War then in
the Wisconsin Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force Reserve and Air Force
Intelligence Command. He received the Commendation Medal and Meritorious
Service Medal. He and his wife, Astrid, a UW-Stevens Point alumna, have worked
to help many Korean War veterans and their families.
Boyne served the U.S. Air Force
as an instructor and taught high school math. After earning a mechanical
engineering degree, he worked for Kimberly-Clark in Neenah as manager of
quality assurance, New England sales manager and corporate new product manager.
He then held positions of New England sales manager of new product development,
vice president of corporate planning, executive vice president and chief
operating officer and president for Jiffy Packaging. Before retiring, he was a
consultant for a year after the company was sold to the Sealed Air Corporation.