Recipients of the 2000 President's Award for Outstanding Service.
Donald Asp
Donald Asp is a faculty member in the Department of Family Practice and Community Health. In his 24 years of commitment to Family Practice Resident Education, he has touched the lives of many physicians and individuals in the community both directly and indirectly as a faculty member and as Director of the Bethesda/St. Joseph's Family Practice Residency Program of the University of Minnesota (1971-95). He has demonstrated his commitment to excellence in education through service on numerous committees and societies. He is known to spend much of his vacation time in Central America where he leads a medical team of local physicians and students who provide free health care to hundreds of people a day. He has publications both nationally and internationally and has appeared on National Educational Television. Dr. Asp has been an exemplary faculty member of the University of Minnesota Medical School and a role model to countless residents, medical students, and practicing physicians.
Bonnie Brysky
Bonnie Brysky has served the University of Minnesota at the Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC) for 30 years. She currently is the Coordinator of Mental Health and Social Services at Community University Care Center/Variety Children's Clinic (CUHCC/VCC), an off-campus University clinic serving primarily low income families; she is also the interim Chief Operating Officer of the clinic. Ms. Byrsky is known for her dedication to providing access to mental health services for persons who are from diverse cultures and nationality. Some of the efforts she has led include: working with the Native American community, establishing one of the largest Southeast Asian Refugee Mental Health Programs in the United States with specialty programs for Asian battered women, Asian drug abuse and gambling addictions, a growing Hispanic program, and, recently, a program for Somali refugees suffering from PTSD and depression as a result of their Civil War.
Margaret Sughrue Carlson
Margaret Sughrue Carlson joined the Alumni Association in 1985 as Executive Director. Under her leadership, the 40,000 member Alumni Association has become a vital and respected advocate on behalf of the University. Over the past 10 years she has worked diligently to ensure the establishment of the McNamara Alumni Center, University of Minnesota Gateway, a first-ever welcoming center to greet returning alumni, prospective students, staff, and visitors. Because of her vision, leadership, and tireless efforts the alumni's dream of more than forty years became a reality. A colleague wrote the following about Margaret. "To many, she is synonymous with the University of Minnesota since there is no other person who works so hard to promote the maroon and gold. Margaret's enthusiasm toward the University's mission is evident whether it is in a one-on-one conversation or when she stands before a crowd of thousands. There are few who can better articulate the past, present, and future of the University of Minnesota. She is an outstanding spokesperson."
Ellen Dahl
Ellen Dahl is the Administrative Director for the newly merged Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development. For more than 23 years, she has provided exemplary service and advice to faculty on grant budgeting, served as liaison with Facilities Management, and handled personnel matters with members of the bargaining units and scientific staff. Her dedication and commitment to the University of Minnesota was evident by the extraordinary efforts she demonstrated during the merging of the Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy, and parts of the Institute for Human Genetics. During this very difficult process, she proved her leadership capabilities. In addition, she has served on numerous University-wide committees as well as organizing community charitable events and volunteering at a women's shelter.
Tom Feiro
Tom Feiro began his employment career at the University of Minnesota, Crookston on November 11, 1977. He currently is a Senior Laboratory Technician and Senior Environmental Health and Safety Technician. One of his responsibilities is to coordinate maintenance at the Red River Valley Natural History Area. He expanded that responsibility to become the naturalist and program director for the area, devoting all of his own time, simply because of his commitment to service. For more than 15 years he has served on the Northwest Regional Environmental Education Board and then as the state chair of the Minnesota Environmental Education Board. He was very effective in this statewide role and represented the campus and the University of Minnesota very well in responding to the environmental education needs of present and future Minnesota youth. He has worked tirelessly in staging the Northwest Minnesota Urban Forestry Workshop as well as the annual departmental tree planting expedition. In addition, he is a volunteer fireman and serves as school board chair. Tom Feiro's exceptional contributions have an impact on the University as well as the broader community throughout the region.
David Hamilton
David Hamilton is a faculty member in the Department of Cell Biology in the Medical School. For the past several years, he has played a key role in the reinvention of the research administration processes, procedures, and structures at the University of Minnesota. Most recently he served as the Director of the Sponsored Programs Management Project while also serving as Vice-Chair of the Faculty Consultative Committee and maintaining a vibrant research program. He played a key role in the successful effort to extricate the University of Minnesota from "exceptional status" as a result of grants management difficulties in the mid-nineties. He is known to have a keen understanding of the Enterprise Systems project and has maintained a vigilant oversight of the project. He also had an important leadership role in the time of the tenure wars. Without his extraordinary efforts and leadership, there might have been a very different outcome.
Harvey B. Keynes
Harvey B. Keynes is the Director of the Institute of Technology's Educational Programs and a Professor of Mathematics. His dedication, innovative perspectives, and exemplary service has enabled others to combine intellectually rigorous approaches into original and successful mathematics programs, which have influenced not only the University community but have had a substantial impact on national and international initiatives. He initiated and created the University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program (UMTYMP), one of the most nationally recognized programs in the mathematics education community. In addition, he developed enrichment and early intervention academic year and summer programs to provide pre-UMTYMP activities for females, students of color, and economically disadvantaged students. Throughout Professor Harvey Keyne's devoted leadership, he never lost sight of its most important outcomes: service to the mathematically-promising students and the instructional teams and providing access so that each student can have his/her talent recognized.
Jane Phillips
Jane Phillips is the Coordinator of Instructional Laboratories for the College of Biological Sciences. She has demonstrated a commitment to teaching and learning at the University of Minnesota that far exceeds the highest standards. She has a long history of working to improve general-purpose classrooms to the benefit of all students and faculty. Included in her service as an "unofficial" outreach coordinator for CBS, she has had a major role in organizing and implementing several outreach programs including workshops for elementary teachers, high school outreach, summer research programs for high school students, and programs in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota. In addition, she has served on numerous college and University-wide committees. Jane Phillips is described as "a woman of exceptional talents who has made countless contributions that make the University a better place to work and learn."
Patrick T. Redig
Patrick T. Redig is an Associate Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Director of the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota. He joined the faculty in 1979 and developed an international reputation in raptor/avian medicine. He is a recognized authority in the area of raptor diseases, avian orthopedics, emergency medicine, and reintroduction/release strategies. His pioneering work on lead poisoning in bald eagles has not only contributed to scientific literature but has influenced public policy. He established the Raptor Center in 1986 and has been the full-time director and chief veterinarian while serving as a full-time faculty member. His only salary, until recent months, was the payment he received as a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and now only accepts payment for a few hours a week. The Gabbert Raptor Center Building, the Center's current home was built under his leadership. This facility has become the pre-eminent one of its kind, attracting visiting scholars and clinical trainees/graduate students from all over the globe. In addition, he started a three-year veterinary residency program, the only such program in the world, and a veterinary externship program; a volunteer program that has a roster of more than 300 people throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Dr. Redig is an outstanding advocate of and for the University of Minnesota.
Shih-Pau Yen
Shih-Pau Yen (fondly referred to by many as Yen) is the Director of Academic and Distributed Computer Services in the Office of Information Technology. He has made extraordinary contributions to the University and the thousands of students, faculty and staff who depend upon its information technology. Because of his leadership and vision, Minnesota was one of the first major universities to have email. Today, new students receive their internet access and email account prior to setting foot on campus with the Welcome Kit on CD-ROM. He was the guiding force behind the University's success in signing a contract with Apple for workstations at extraordinarily deep price discounts. Under his direction, "Gopher" search engine was created as well as internet workflow tools such as Electronic Grants Management and Financial Forms Nirvana. These tools have lead the way to better management of University research grants. Yen is a change agent whose vision and passion is demonstrated by his continuous pursuit of excellence for the University.