91̽��

2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

John Davies ‘70, ‘75

John Davies is the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award, recognizing his decades of service to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Fairbanks community and the state of Alaska. Davies began his affiliation with 91̽�� in 1967 at the Geophysical Institute and earned both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in geology and geophysics, with a focus on seismology.

His career has spanned science, public service and higher education leadership. Davies served as Alaska’s state seismologist, was a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and represented Interior Alaska for a decade in the Alaska House of Representatives, where he was a strong advocate for the university. He later served as research director for the 91̽�� Cold Climate Housing Research Center and as a member of the University of Alaska Board of Regents from 2014–2022.

Davies has also been deeply involved with the 91̽�� Alumni Association and numerous community and energy-focused organizations. His lifetime of leadership and volunteer service has made a lasting impact on 91̽�� and Alaska.

2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Alan Straub ‘66

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Alumni Association has named its 2025 award recipients. Civil engineer Alan Straub has been honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated meritorious service on behalf of 91̽��, distinguished accomplishments in business and professional life, or outstanding contributions to community affairs.

Straub, a 1966 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, oversaw major steel construction projects nationwide, including Aloha Stadium in Honolulu and seismic retrofits for the Golden Gate Bridge. He is now retired.

In 1965, Straub spearheaded a project with classmates and faculty to construct an ice arch showcasing their engineering skills. That project became a beloved tradition carried on by the 91̽�� Department of Civil Engineering.

Straub has established scholarships to support hands-on learning experiences for 91̽�� students.

2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Ryan Muspratt ‘08

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Alumni Association has named its 2024 award recipients. Petro Star Inc., executive Ryan Muspratt will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award are selected based on meritorious service on behalf of 91̽��, distinguished accomplishments in business and professional life, or distinguished human service in community affairs.

Muspratt ‘08 received bachelor’s degrees from 91̽�� in accounting and management and organizations. He played for the Alaska Nanooks hockey team throughout his academic career and helped establish a scholarship that supports student-athletes in need of financial assistance at 91̽��.

Muspratt is the senior vice president and chief financial and marketing officer at Petro Star Inc. Muspratt stays connected to 91̽�� by serving on the 91̽�� College of Business and Security Management Business Advisory Council.

Nominators praised Muspratt’s role as a mentor.

In addition to his professional work, Muspratt is a board member for the Special Olympics of Alaska and a supporter of Junior Achievement of Alaska and the Boys & Girls Club. He was named to the Top 40 Under 40 list by the Alaska Journal of Commerce in 2021.

2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Brianna "Bri" Gray ’11, ’12

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Alumni Association has named its 2023 award recipients. Educator Brianna Gray will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award are selected based on meritorious service on behalf of 91̽��, distinguished accomplishments in business and professional life, or distinguished human service in community affairs.

Gray ’11, ’12 is a school administrator who has dedicated her life to serving others. She grew up in King Cove on the Alaska Peninsula and received her bachelor’s degree in rural development and an associate degree in applied business from 91̽��.

Gray, who is Black and Alaska Native, is working toward a doctorate in Indigenous studies. She said her advocacy for education goes beyond subjects learned in school.

“We should identify common skill sets that you actually need to be successful in a leadership position,” she said.

In addition to her academic and professional work, Gray participates in several community boards, focusing on Indigenous organizations and groups that work with people who are experiencing homelessness or food insecurity.

2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Dr. Allison Kelliher ’01

Dr. Allison Kelliher ’01, a pioneer in integrative medicine, is the first medical doctor designated as a tribal doctor having worked as a traditional healer in a clinical setting. Kelliher, originally from Nome, is Koyukon Athabascan. 

"My studies in traditional medicine began when I was a child of four," she said. "My mother’s family had experience in healing. My great-grandmother is a medicine person. I was able to nurture my skills by walking on their backs."

In addition to her practice as a board-certified family and integrative medicine doctor, Dr. Kelliher directs the American Indian Collaborative Research Network and serves as the director at large for the Association of American Indian Physicians.

She received her bachelor’s degree in Indigenous medicine from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 2005 and completed the Alaska Family Medicine Residency in 2009. “Dr. Kelliher is an essential bridge between traditional medicine and Alaska Native communities’ approach to well-being,” said Kelly Drew, director of the Center for Transformative Research in Metabolism at the 91̽�� Institute of Arctic Biology.

Dr. Kelliher began her career in the field of neuroscience by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid samples and assisting with field work surgeries of Arctic ground squirrels. This helped to lay the groundwork to develop a pharmaceutical for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events. During medical school, she identified the need to promote vaccine awareness in rural Idaho and then held a series of community events.

"Although I have a background in neuroscience, I am most honored to have studied with practitioners of ethnomedicines, including Alaska Native, Native American, First Nations, Native Hawaiian, Ayurvedic, Thai traditional medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western herbalism."

Currently based in North Dakota, Dr. Kelliher is an instructor at both the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Washington, where this year she will be lecturing on the concept of decolonizing medicine. She regularly visits Alaska, including the village of Nulato where she was honored to be welcomed the last time she was there as a member of the tribe. The opportunity to learn from her people and have access to Indigenous ways of knowing is what brought her to 91̽�� in the first place.

"91̽�� gave me the opportunity to work on my bachelors degree in chemistry through an interdisciplinary approach that included behavioral psychology," she said. "The connections through my teachers and mentors and their enthusiasm involving traditional values allowed me to succeed. I learned that traditional Alaska Native views and perspectives are valuable and can benefit us all."

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2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

DeLys Cooks ’06, ’07

DeLys Cooks ’06, ’07 has always known her purpose -- caring for others. Her family arrived at Ft. Wainwright when she was three. She credits her parents' love and their decision to stay in the community of Fairbanks for allowing her to flourish in the medical field. Now she is empowered to give back to the community.

"I was drawn to medicine at a young age and always knew I wanted to be a nurse." 

Her journey began as an intern at Bassett Army Community Hospital, where she worked with military doctors in internal medicine and procedures. She later attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and certificates in medical assisting and medical/dental reception. While waiting for entry into the nursing program at UAA, Cooks worked for the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and became a certified nurse assistant in 2005. 

Cooks worked at Denali Center and later transitioned to the emergency department, working as an emergency room technician.

Darryl Lewis ‘88 first met Cooks when she was in high school. She was soft spoken and willing to work behind the scenes where she would make her presence known. “In that capacity, she’s the very same person now. I am honored to recommend her for the 91̽��AA distinguished alumna award as she is everything it represents.”

In 2016, Cooks completed her bachelor’s in nursing, and last year she completed a master's program to become an advanced practitioner as a certified nurse midwife. All said, she has worked as a nurse in the Fairbanks area for more than 15 years, working through the pandemic to provide care for mothers and babies.

“The last two years have not been easy,” she said. “Staff shortages, politics, separation of family and casualties of exposure to the COVID virus are just a few challenges that have affected the community.”

Cooks has mentored high school students in the medical explorer program. She is a new member of the NAACP health committee, where she plans to represent and help educate minorities and normalize health care.

 

2021 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Kyle Hopkins '00

Kyle Hopkins is the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

As an investigative reporter and special projects editor for the Anchorage Daily News, Hopkins has traveled to dozens of Alaska villages to cover crime, politics and rural affairs. He recently worked with the news nonprofit ProPublica on a two-year investigation into sexual violence and the Alaska criminal justice system, a project that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

Born in Sitka, Hopkins grew up in Kake, Juneau and Skagway, with some time in California as well. He earned a journalism degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2000. Hopkins previously worked for NBC affiliate KTUU-Channel 2 in Anchorage, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, the Vallejo (California) Times-Herald and the St. Cloud (Minnesota) Times. He lives in Anchorage with his wife, 91̽�� alumna Rebecca Palsha ’04, and their two daughters.

2020 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Caroline Tritt-Frank '90, '01

For this year’s 91̽�� Distinguished Alumnus, Caroline Tritt-Frank ‘90, ‘01, the challenges faced while earning her degrees were extreme by any measure. She wore a headlamp to complete her correspondence courses because her family’s Arctic Village cabin didn’t have electricity at the time. 

Online classes weren’t an option, so each of her professors mailed her lessons and assignments. Handing in homework meant either walking a mile each way to the post office or sending a fax one page at a time.

When Tritt-Frank walked across the stage at her commencement in 1990, she didn’t know she was starting a movement. Her example inspires those around her to realize that they could make their dreams of a college education a reality. Her husband, daughters and best friend, as well as more than a dozen of her former students, have followed in her footsteps by earning degrees from 91̽��.

A decade later, Frank-Tritt crossed the stage again, this time to receive her master’s degree in education. Her daughter Crystal Frank, who nominated her for the 91̽��AA Distinguished Alumnus award, says her earliest memories are of her mother working on her college studies.

“Whenever I felt discouraged in school, I thought of my mom,” Frank said. “My mother always thinks of others before herself. She's a hard worker, very studious. I think that she deserves the space to be celebrated. I want her to know that it's okay to stop and be celebrated once in a while.”

Tritt-Frank graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in 1972. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education in 1991 and a Masters of Education degree in 2000, both from the University of Alaska Fairbanks including her teaching certificate.

The first Gwich’in woman from Arctic Village to receive a graduate degree, Tritt Frank has spent the past forty years translating and transcribing, often teaching bilingual education in the Gwich’in language. She’s known for her work in immersion curriculum development. She’s taught in Arctic Village, Venetie, Circle, Fairbanks and Scammon Bay and has also served as principal. 

“I became a teacher because I don’t want to lose my language,” said Tritt-Frank, who was a member of the Gwich'in panel formed by the state Division of Elections that translated voting and election materials from English into Alaska Native languages.

Tritt-Frank has spent her entire career in rural Alaska. She is originally from Arctic Village, Alaska. The eldest daughter of the late Rev. Isaac Tritt Sr., and the late Naomi (Peter) Tritt of Arctic Village, she’s married to Kenneth Frank 96’ (cert.) and has two daughters Crystal Frank 11’ (M.A.) and Tisheena Frank 15’ (B.A.) and her late adopted son Isaac Ray Tritt.

She values higher education and language. Some of her studies include language immersion in the classroom, curriculum development and writing children stories in the Gwich’in language. She has been a role model for many others in higher education and language learning.  

Tritt-Frank is also a member of the Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government and is currently working as a lead teacher for the Fairbanks Native Association. She resides in Fairbanks with her husband. They recently celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary.

2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Neal Fried ’78

Neal Fried took the long way to a career in economics in Alaska. He was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Vienna, Austria. He is one of six boys and moved with his family overseas when his father took a job with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1960. The Fried boys attended the American International School and became bilingual in German and English.

Fried moved to Alaska to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he earned degrees in both economics and history. Today, Fried is the supervisor of the Anchorage office of the Alaska Department of Labor. He has worked as an economist in Alaska for more than 40 years, an exciting time to observe the field as the state’s economy changed dramatically with the discovery of oil and other innovations.

Fried’s role has been as a producer of objective economic and demographic measures and analysis. He has not been a political advocate or policymaker.

“His signature bow ties and ability to relate to Alaskans across the economic and cultural spectrums set Neal apart,” wrote Robert Coghill Jr., a 91̽�� classmate and lifelong Alaskan, in nominating Fried. “In addition to generating succinct and readable reports of the state, Neal has addressed chambers of commerce, Rotary clubs, Alaska Native organizations and a host of other organizations.”

Some of the topics Fried has analyzed include the cost of living in the state; annual forecasts for Anchorage, Fairbanks and Alaska’s economy; construction; income and wage trends; the military; the health care industry; transportation; oil industry issues; labor needs; rural economic trends; the economic impact of the 1989 Prince William Sound oil spill; and Alaska's largest employers.

Fried met his wife Mary Hilcoske ’76 (B.A.) at 91̽��. They were married in 1982 in Anchorage and have two grown children, Ruby and Evan.

2018 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Eric Toskey `86, `90

Eric’s story shows that a 91̽�� degree can take you anywhere. Eric is a 1982 graduate of Lathrop High School in Fairbanks, and earned his bachelor of science in petroleum engineering in 1986 and his master’s degree in petroleum engineering in 1990. During his 20 years with Schlumberger, Eric visited or lived in 40 different countries around the globe, including in the former USSR.

In 2009, Eric and his family decided to come back to the states where he went to work at Letton Hall Group in Houston, an engineering firm that specializes in oil and gas flow. At Letton Hall Group there are at least three 91̽�� alumni that Eric has hired. In addition to running the company, Eric continues to focus on technical innovation.

Eric has contributed much to the global oil and gas industry having been involved in logging and testing oil and gas wells, production systems research, running jack-up rig operations offshore, and connecting field operations to global information databases. He’s led production systems research and development, and multiphase flow measurement.

Dr. Shirish Patil, a professor of petroleum engineering, wrote in his nomination letter: “Eric Toskey has made outstanding contributions to the oil and gas industry through research and &<development, administration, and support of University of Alaska Fairbanks students. In all these, he has exhibited tremendous originality, creativity, dedication and leadership. In my view, he represents the best characteristics of a true leader.

2017 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner

Virginia Farmier `84

The Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna award is based on specific meritorious service on behalf of 91̽��, distinguished accomplishments in business and professional life, or distinguished human service in community affairs. Our 2017 Distinguished Alumna, Virginia Farmier, fits all these categories and more. Virginia moved to Fairbanks from Alabama in May 1972. She attended Lathrop High School and went to work for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in her junior year.   She earned her Bachelor’s Degree at 91̽�� in Business Administration in 1984, with a focus on accounting. After graduating, Virginia moved into the position of controller at the News-Miner and shortly after started serving on the board of directors as treasurer of the corporation. She worked for C. W. "Bill" Snedden, the newspaper’s publisher, from November 1974 until he passed away in July 1989. She continued working with his wife, Helen Snedden, for more than 20 years after that. While working with Helen, Virginia was able to create an endowed chair of journalism at 91̽�� in 2003 in memory of Bill. Since then, 91̽�� has been able to bring high-caliber journalists to the university each year, providing many students with the opportunity to learn the craft of journalism. When Helen passed away in May 2012, her estate created two foundations: the Helen E. Snedden Foundation and the Snedden Family Foundation.  The Helen E. Snedden Foundation purchased the News-Miner in January 2016, Serving as the sole trustee and executive director of the two foundations, Virginia facilitated the purchase of the newspaper, among many other projects around the community. She currently serves as a committee member of the Snedden Chair of Journalism at 91̽�� and is involved in many other community organizations in Fairbanks. With all of her community involvement, Virginia still manages to run her own accounting practice, True North Business Services. She has a son, Chris Farmier, and is the proud grandma to  Andrew and Mercedes. She is a Lifetime member of the Alumni Association. While Virginia is the type of alum who seems to attend everything and be everywhere, she’s never been one to seek the center of attention or demand or expect recognition. The Alumni Association is honored to present the 2017 Distinguished Alumna award to Virginia Farmier.  

Chantal R. Walsh `85

Since earning her bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from 91̽�� in 1985, Chantal Walsh has worked to resolve critical technical challenges to improve recovery of Alaska’s oil and gas. During a span of more than 30 years, she has held positions with BP, Arco, Chevron and Petrotechnical Resources Alaska.

Chantal also has remained a steadfast advocate for 91̽�� and engineering education. In all her jobs, Chantal has mentored young engineers and interns. When Arco honored Chantal with its Outstanding Technical Achievement Award in 1999, she contributed part of the award to 91̽��. She serves as vice chair of the College of Engineering and Mines’ advisory council and was a member of the Department of Petroleum Engineering’s advisory board. She has championed completion of the new 91̽�� engineering building with regents, legislators and oil and gas industry leaders.

Born in Cordova, Chantal spent several years in her mother’s native France before moving to Anchorage with her parents, three brothers and two sisters. Her father, Tom Tunley, also graduated from 91̽��’s engineering program before receiving a master’s degree in mining engineering from Stanford University.

Chantal lives in Anchorage with her husband, Tom, and her three children, Sophie, Alexander and Marshall.

Chantal’s volunteer activities are extensive. She has served as a judge for the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ prestigious Petrobowl competition for students representing universities around the world. She has led sessions and committees at several SPE regional meetings. Chantal commits her time, talents and financial resources to the United Way of Anchorage, Habitat for Humanity, her local PTA (even though her children are now grown) and a variety of other local nonprofits.

2015 Distinguished Alumnus award

Sherry Simpson ’86, ’95

Sherry Simpson’s most recent book is “Dominion of Bears: Living with Wildlife in Alaska.” The book won the 2015 John Burroughs Medal, putting her in the company of John McPhee, Peter Matthiessen, Aldo Leopold, Barry Lopez, Richard Nelson and many other internationally known natural history writers.

Sherry grew up in Juneau after her family moved there when she was 7 years old. At 91̽��, she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in creative writing.

Sherry worked for many years as a staff reporter and freelance writer for newspapers and other media outlets in Alaska. She was a contributing editor to Alaska magazine.

In addition to “Dominion of Bears” and several travel books, Sherry has published two essay collections, “The Accidental Explorer: Wayfinding in Alaska” and “The Way Winter Comes,” the winner of the inaugural Chinook Literary Prize. Her writing has appeared in numerous journals, magazines and anthologies.

Sherry is a professor of creative writing in the master’s program at UAA and a faculty mentor in the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. She and her husband, Scott Kiefer, live in Mimbres, New Mexico.

2014 Distinguished Alumnus award

Frank Paskvan, '85

Frank Paskvan, a third-generation Alaskan, followed his father’s footsteps to the 91̽�� College of Engineering and Mines. He received a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering in 1985. Frank has worked for BP and ARCO for 26 years in Alaska and Jakarta, Indonesia, as a reservoir engineer, mentor-coach and team manager. Frank has worked on a wide variety of oil and gas fields from discovery through project approval and operation. Frank led BP’s research into Alaska’s viscous and heavy oil developments and now leads development planning for the Prudhoe Bay area.

Frank is BP’s University of Alaska champion, actively supporting college recruiting, research and development, and continuing education at the UA Process Technology program. Frank serves on the 91̽�� College of Engineering and Mines Advisory and Development Council, the United Way of Anchorage's Board of Directors and the UA Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

It is with great pleasure that the 91̽�� Alumni Association Fairbanks Chapter awards Frank Paskvanl with the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

2013 Distinguished Alumnus award

Gail Phillips, '67

Ramona “Gail” Phillips, former Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives, has been a dedicated leader in Alaska for decades. Born in Juneau and raised near Nome, she is the eldest of seven children. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska in 1967.

Phillips began her public service in the 1980s, serving on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly and the Homer City Council while also chairing the Alaska Municipal League. In 1990, she was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives, where she served five terms. She made history as the second female Speaker of the House, holding the position from 1995-96 and again from 1997-98.

2012 Distinguished Alumnus award

Claus-M. Naske, ’61

Claus-M. Naske was born in Stettin, Pomerania in 1935. During World War II, his family attempted to flee their province in advance of Russian troops; unfortunately they were unsuccessful. Eventually the German population was evicted from the province in July 1945. He and his family walked across Germany and reached Goslar in the Harz Mountains in October where they reunited with his father.
Claus attended school in Goslar, but left in the ninth grade to start an agricultural management apprenticeship that allowed him to emigrate to Palmer, Alaska, in 1954. After only 28 days in Palmer, Naske broke his leg and decided to attend high school. Naske graduated in a year and then went to work for the Alaska Road Commission. In January 1957, he moved to Fairbanks to attend the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. He married Dinah in May 1960 and graduated with two Bachelor of Arts degrees, in political science and history, in 1961. Naske received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1964 and his doctorate from Washington State University in 1970. He became a faculty member at UA in 1969. While maintaining his full load as a professor of history, in 1988, Naske also became director of the University of Alaska Press overseeing the production of scholarly work on the North. He encouraged the research and writing of many authors. Claus retired as an emeritus professor in 2001, but continued at the UA Press until 2004.

Naske has garnered a reputation as one of the state’s most prominent historians. He captured respect and attention on local, state, federal and international levels with his expertise on numerous topics within the realm of Alaska’s history, from its position as a Russian outpost to a U.S. territory and ultimately statehood. He has authored and co-authored numerous books, including Bob Bartlett of Alaska: A Life in Politics, 1979; A History of Alaska Statehood, 1985; and Ernest Gruening: Alaska’s Greatest Governor, 2004. Naske’s book Alaska: A History, is widely considered the gold standard work on this state. In numerous articles, he has recounted the economic and political development of Alaska and the relationship between Alaska and the rest of the U.S. Through his extensive research and published works documenting Alaska’s history and politics Naske has provided a foundation for classroom instruction on Alaska’s history, both within the state and beyond its borders. His latest book Alaska: A History, third edition 2011, provides a full chronological survey of the region’s and state’s history, including the precedent-setting Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1970, which compensated Native Americans for their losses; the effect of the oil industry and the trans-Alaska pipeline on the economy; the Exxon Valdez oil spill; and Alaska politics through the early 2000s.

Naske is married to Dinah and has two children – Natalia-Michelle Nan-geak and Nathaniel-Michael Noah. It is with great pleasure the 91̽�� Alumni Association presents the 2012 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Claus-M. Naske.

2011 Distinguished Alumnus award

Sylvester Neal, '78, '83

Sylvester Neal, the son of Willis and Imam Lee Neal, the sixth of nine children, was born and raised in rural Texas near Austin. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1962, which at the time was only recently integrated. After witnessing his house burn down, Sylvester chose firefighting as a career; he joined the Austin Fire Department in 1965. In 1968, Sylvester enlisted in the Army and was sent to Ft. Wainwright. He started working for the Fairbanks Airport Fire and Police upon leaving the service in 1970. The next chapter in Sylvester’s life involved the university: in 1978 he completed an associate degree in police administration and in 1983 he received his bachelor’s degree in Justice.

Sylvester's professional career includes 26 years of service in firefighting, airport security and industrial safety. He served as a fire and police chief at Fairbanks International Airport and was appointed to two terms as the state fire marshal for Alaska. He chaired the Alaska State Fire Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, served on the board of Alaskans for Drug Free Youth and two community college boards. He volunteered with United Way, Special Olympics and was a chairman of the Alaska Fallen Firefighters Memorial fundraising committee. He is an ordained deacon in his church and recipient of the Citizen Volunteer Award from the Anchorage School District.

Kiwanis is the true highlight of Sylvester's career. During his tenure at Kiwanis Club of Fairbanks, Sylvester served as club secretary, club president, lieutenant governor and Alaska Yukon governor. Upon moving to Anchorage, he joined a local club. He currently is a member of Kiwanis Club of the Valley in Auburn, Wash. He served as governor of the Pacific Northwest District for Kiwanis in 2002 - 2003. Sylvester quickly ascended the Kiwanis International ranks, serving as trustee, vice president and president-elect. In June 2010, at the 95th Annual Kiwanis International Convention in Las Vegas, Sylvester was elected president of the 600,000 member Kiwanis International organization.

Before joining the international board, Sylvester served on numerous district and international committees: Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, membership diversity and new-club building and membership growth -- North America. Sylvester held a position as honorary chair for the Pacific Northwest District Kiwanis/SIGN project. SIGN stands for Surgical Implant Generating Network and addresses the need for neglected fracture care in more than 40 developing countries of the world.

Outside of Kiwanis, Sylvester owned a consulting company for two years which specialized in diversity and special events coordination. He loves reading and writing poetry. He is also in the process of writing an autobiography he hopes to complete after his presidential term.

Sylvester Neal is a life member of Kiwanis International and a Diamond-level George F. Hixson Fellow of the Kiwanis International Foundation. His clubs recognized him as Kiwanian of the Year four times.

Sylvester and his wife, Doris, are parents of five children and have seven grandchildren.

2010 Distinguished Alumnus award

Shirish Patil '87, '95, '07

Shirish, the oldest of three children, was born and raised in Pune, India in 1960. Shirish graduated in 1981 from the College of Engineering in Pune. In the same year he moved to the U.S. and received master’s degrees in mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering and engineering management in 1983, '87 and '95 from the University of Pittsburgh and 91̽��. He also received his Ph.D. in 2007 in mineral resource engineering from 91̽��.

Shirish embodies the tripartite mission at 91̽�� for a faculty member: to excel in teaching, research and professional/public service. As an instructor, professor and department chairperson in the Petroleum Engineering department for over 20 years, he has taught 15 different courses from undergraduate fundamentals of petroleum to graduate petroleum evaluation and economic decisions. He has authored over 75 technical papers and reports, edited two proceedings and garnered over $14 million dollars in research grants. On campus he served as the Society of Petroleum Engineers faculty advisor, 91̽�� Faculty Senate president, and as chair of the University of Alaska Faculty Alliance. In the community he was appointed to two Fairbanks North Star Borough commissions, and was appointed to represent the state of Alaska on the Energy Resources Research and Technology Committee of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. He also served on the International Society of Petroleum Engineers Distinguished Lecturer selection committee. Currently he is the program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technologies (ABET), a national engineering accreditation board.

Shirish's abilities have not gone unnoticed. He was recognized by 91̽�� in 2007 as the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Service Award winner. In 2006, he was presented with the Society of Petroleum Engineers Western North America Regional Service Award. In 2005 Shirish not only became 91̽�� Petroleum Engineering faculty of the year, but was also named engineer of the year by two other organizations: Alaska Engineering Societies and the Society of Petroleum Engineers Alaska Section. During 2004-05 he was distinguished as the Outstanding Faculty Senator of the Year. Moreover, Shirish has been recognized by the students in his department seven times for his outstanding service.

To the Patils 91̽�� is a family affair. His wife of 26 years, Anjali, '03, and his children Samir, '07, '10 and Mitali, '08, are also 91̽�� alumni.

It is with great pleasure that the 91̽�� Alumni Association awards the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Shirish Patil.

2009 Distinguished Alumnus award

Richard N. Foster

Representative Richard N. Foster passed away in October 2009 from a previous medical condition. He was honored in September 2009 as the Distinguished Alumnus for the 91̽�� Alumni Association. Our condolences to his family and friends.

Representative Richard N. Foster was born and raised in Nome, Alaska in 1946.  Richard was the second of four children and he graduated from Nome High School in 1964. After graduation from High School, Richard attended the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and graduated with a bachelor of business administration. While at the University he was active in the Army RPTC program.

After graduation Richard went into the Army where he served two tours in Vietnam and finished his career as a Captain.  He was awarded a Bronze Star and two Army Commendation Medals for his extraordinary service and commitment. 

Richard returned to Nome and began working for the people in his area by taking over management of an air taxi service established by his father.  He has held many public service positions in Northwest Alaska. He served on the Sitnasuak Native and Bering Straits Native Corporation board and with the Nome Eskimo Community. Richard’s service eventually led him to local and then state politics.  He served on the Nome Planning and Zoning Commission, Nome City Council and School Board before he was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1988.  As a member of the legislature for the last 21 years, Representative Foster has served on multiple committees including finance, transportation, and the special committee on military and veteran’s affairs.  He also served on the deferred maintenance and the alcohol and drug abuse task force. Representative Foster also held the majority whip position from 2002 through 2008.

Richard has been a member of numerous organizations including the Nome Community Center, Norton Sound Health Corporation, Northwest Community College, Rotary and Lions Club, and Pioneer Igloo #1.

Richard has been married to Cathy Foster for 21 years and he has nine children. Richard is an avid outdoorsman and gun collector.

2008 Distinguished Alumnus award

Jim Sampson

Jim Sampson came to Alaska in 1952. He is the oldest of eight children and the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks in 1973 with an associate degree in police administration. Sampson has held a variety of public service positions in Alaska, beginning with his involvement with Laborers Local 942. He served as Alaska Commissioner of Labor from 1986 to 1990 and was twice elected mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, serving from 1991 to 1997.

In 2003, Jim took the reins of AFL-CIO, Alaska’s largest labor organization. In addition to leading the organization, he has worked to attract support for an Alaska natural gas pipeline, urging Congress to pass a tax incentive package to advance the project. Sampson retired from his position at the AFL-CIO in 2006. This year, he was inducted into the Alaska Business Monthly Junior Achievement Hall of Fame.

It is with great pleasure that the 91̽�� Alumni Association awards the 2008 Distinguished Alumnus award to Jim Sampson.

2007 Distinguished Alumnus award

William "Bill" Stroecker

William "Bill" Stroecker, the son and grandson of pioneering Alaskan families, has made Fairbanks his home for life. He was born in 1920 and graduated from the University of Alaska in 1942 with a business administration degree. Soon after graduation, Bill joined the United States Army and helped send American airplanes to Russia in the Army's lend-lease effort at Ladd Field, now Fort Wainwright. After his enlistment ended in 1947, Bill became a bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Fairbanks where he worked his way to chairman and president in 1967. He served in that capacity until 1977. Today, after 61 years in banking, Bill serves as vice president of public relations at Key Bank. Although Bill is well past the average age of retirement, he shows up for work every day with a smile.

Bill is also very involved in civic endeavors in the community. He has served as the president of the Alaska Goldpanner board for 43 years. He is a founding board member of the Greater Fairbanks Hospital Foundation, a life member of the Salvation Army Advisory board, a long-time board member of the Friends of the University of Alaska Museum, a member of the Fairbanks Rotary Club and a co-trustee for the Marion Stroecker Weeks Foundation that makes annual donations to more than 40 local charities. Bill is also well known for his musical talents. He plays trumpet and can be heard regularly performing with "The Frigid-Aire's Band". In 2006, he endowed a scholarship in journalism to honor his friend and author Helen Van Campen.

Bill received the Fairbanks Historical Person of the Year, the 2001 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America, honors from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the 2007 Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce's Golden Citizen's President’s Award.

It is with great pleasure that the 91̽�� Alumni Association awards the 2007 Distinguished Alumnus Award to William "Bill" Stroecker.

2006 Distinguished Alumnus award

Jyotsna "Jo" Heckman

Jyotsna "Jo" Heckman was born and raised in India. She came to Fairbanks in 1975 to attend school, but with hard work and dedication has become a pioneer in the Alaska banking industry. Jo graduated from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and received her master's of business degree in 1985. In 2002, she also received a master's degree from the Stonier Graduate School in Banking at Georgetown University.

Jo was instrumental in successfully chartering and opening Denali State Bank 20 years ago. During that time she has held multiple positions in the bank, including in operations, marketing, information systems, human resources and as executive vice president. She has held responsibilities for retail, financial, lending and administrative areas of the bank. In April 2003, Jo became the first woman in Alaska's history to hold the position of bank president and chief executive officer. As bank president Jo oversees a staff of over 90 employees with five branches in Interior Alaska. In 2003 Jo was named one of the 25 women to watch in banking by U.S. Banker.

Jo is also very involved in civic endeavors in the community. She is past president and board member of Junior Achievement, president of Financial Women International, former board member of the 91̽�� Alumni Association, member of the 91̽�� College of Fellows, Quota International, Rotary, executive committee for the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Club of the Tanana Valley and in 2004 she was selected to co-chair the United Way of the Tanana Valley campaign.

Jo received the William Cashen Service Award from the Alumni Association in 1999 and was honored in 2004 by the Farthest North Chapter of the Girls Scouts Council as one of their Women of Distinction.

It is with great pleasure that the 91̽�� Alumni Association awards the 2006 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Jyotsna Heckman.

2005 Distinguished Alumnus award

Dr. William Benitz

Dr. William Benitz has blazed an amazing trail from his beginnings in the small town of Petersburg, Alaska. Benitz graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks summa cum laude in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He earned an MD at the Stanford School of Medicine in 1978. Benitz served at the Stanford School of Medicine as a resident in pediatrics from 1978-1981, then chief resident from 1981-1982 and later a postdoctoral fellow in the division of neonatal and developmental medicine.

Benitz joined the faculty at the medical school in 1985 and became a full professor in 1999. He is renowned for his work in neonatology where his area of expertise is infections in newborn children. Benitz also heads the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Nursery System and is the associate chief of the Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine at Stanford's School of Medicine. His research has resulted in 52 published papers, 23 books or chapters in books, many abstracts and editorials and two patents. Benitz has been recognized multiple times as one of the best doctors in California. He was also recognized in 1997 and 2003-2004 as one of the best doctors in America and in 2002-2003 as one of America's top pediatricians. In 2003 he was awarded the first Philip Sunshine MD, Professor of Neonatology endowed chair at Stanford.

Although Benitz has had an extraordinary career he has never forgotten about his alma mater. He established a memorial scholarship fund in honor of Jack Distad, his mentor and one of his favorite mathematics professors at UA, and he supports the 91̽�� mathematics department.

It is with great pleasure that the 91̽�� Alumni Association awards the 2005 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Dr. William Benitz, a man who has made healing children his number one priority.

2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award 

Joe Hayes ’66

Joe Hayes graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1966 with a master’s degree in engineering management. Hayes is an entrepreneur, accomplished politician, policy shaper, civil leader, private pilot, sports fisherman, husband and father. Mike Doogan, formerly of the Anchorage Daily News, wrote in 2002 that Hayes is known in Juneau as a person who “speaks softly and carries a big agenda.”

Hayes was an associate and partner with the engineering consulting firm of Tryck, Nyman & Hayes from 1959-1974. He later became vice president of Borough-City Development Inc. in Anchorage. He co-owned Hayes-Aim Investments and was chairman of Pacific Rim Title Insurance Agency from 1987-1998. He also supported many civic activities in Anchorage, as a trustee at Alaska Pacific University (1985-1999) and member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Commonwealth North and the Cook Inlet Housing Development Corp. 

His political career began with a seat on the Anchorage Platting Board from 1959-1964. He later served in the Alaska Legislature from 1977-1985, where he was selected as a minority leader from 1979-1980 and speaker from 1981-1985. Hayes left the legislature to run as a Republican candidate for Alaska Governor in 1986. Since 1989, Hayes has been the president of Legislative Consultants Inc., one of the most prominent government relations firms in Alaska. His firm has more than 18 clients representing issues that run from natural resource development to tourism.