Alumni honored by UW-Stevens Point
9/29/2015
 

​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.

 

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