Recognizing longtime support and commitment to the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the UWSP Foundation honored five individuals and a
local institution as part of the Founders Day celebration on July 17.
The late Dorothy K. Vallier was
inducted into the UW-Stevens Point Hall of Fame. Established in 2011, the Hall
of Fame recognizes distinguished individuals for outstanding contributions to
the university. An active environmentalist throughout her life, Vallier donated
what became Treehaven to UW-Stevens Point. The Tomahawk area field station offers
conservation education to both students and community members. She also created
three scholarships and donated her collection of pressed glass goblets to the
university. Her son, William Kummer, accepted the induction.
Marc and Constance Fang, Stevens
Point, were presented with the William G. Hansen Distinguished Service Award.
It recognizes public service and humanitarian work as demonstrated by Hansen, a
former UW-Stevens Point president. The Fangs served in the International
Student Office for many years and created several programs to assist
international students, including the Host Family Program, English as a second
language program and the International Dinner. They also helped create what is
now the Portage County Cultural Festival.
Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital
and Ministry Health Care was presented with the Milestone Award, which
celebrates longstanding corporate and institutional partnerships. Jeff Martin,
hospital president and Ministry’s regional chief executive officer, accepted
the award. UW-Stevens Point and Ministry have partnered to create learning
opportunities for students for more than 100 years.
Jane Pejsa, Minneapolis, and her
late husband, UW-Stevens Point alumnus Art Pejsa, were given the Dorothy K.
Vallier Philanthropy Award to celebrate their significant donations to the
university. The Pejsas endowed a physics and astronomy scholarship and gave the
university original scientific formulas for Mars missions and Cold War era
missiles, which Art created as an aerospace engineer. The UW-Stevens Point
Observatory is named in his honor.