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Homecoming 2001 Alumni Recognition Awards

Distinguished Alumnus Award
For his work in the field of medical research and his dedication to Pacific Lutheran University, Mark B. Knudson ‘70 receives the 2001-2002 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Knudson received his B.S. in biology from PLU and his Ph.D. in physiology from Washington State University in 1974. He received the National Institute of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship and was a post-doctoral fellow and faculty member at the University of Washington School of Medicine from 1975 to 1979.

In 1983, he founded Arden Medical Systems and served as president and CEO until its 1986 acquisition by Johnson and Johnson, Inc. He was then president of Johnson and Johnson Profes-sional Diagnostics until 1989. Since then, he has been a partner of Medical Innovation Partners, a venture capital firm. Knudson is currently chair and CEO at Venturi Group, and president and CEO of Pi Medical, Inc.

Knudson has numerous U.S. and foreign patents, has published articles and been called to testify before Congress on medical issues.

He is a member of the PLU Board of Regents. He and wife Susan (Voorhees) ’70 are senior fellows in Q Club and members of the Heritage Society. They live in Shoreview, Minn. and have two daughters, Kirstin and Amy.

Outstanding Alumnus Awards
For her achievement in the field of music as a teacher, lecturer, and composer of contemporary music, Cindy McTee ’76 receives a 2001-2002 Outstanding Alumnus Award, an honor that recognizes those who have excelled in a special area of life.

McTee, a native of Eatonville, Wash., received her bachelor of music degree from PLU, followed by a year of study at the Higher School of Music in Cracow, Poland. In 1978, she earned a master’s of music degree from Yale, and in 1981 a doctorate from the University of Iowa. McTee taught at PLU from 1981 to 1984, then went to the University of North Texas, where she continues as a Regents professor of music composition.

Ensembles throughout the United States, Japan and Europe perform her compositions. She has received numerous awards including a Composer’s Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Goddard-Lieberson Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Fulbright-Hayes Senior Lecturer Fellowship.

McTee lives in Denton, Texas.

Maureen (Pearson) Hoban ‘60 receives a 2001- 2002 Outstanding Alumnus Award for her vast work in the field of education for the Tulalip Tribe near Marysville, Wash.

Hoban graduated with a bachelor of education degree in 1960. In 1972, she was hired by Everett Community College to work with low-income and at-risk parents in setting up HeadStart programs in north Snohomish County.

In 1993, she established a branch of Everett Community College on the Tulalip Reservation.

Her 1991 master’s thesis earned her an invitation to participate as an adviser to the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board. It also led to the establishment of the North Snohomish, Island and Skagit Counties Higher Education Consortium. She was recognized as a 1999 “Woman of Achievement,” by the Seattle Chapter of Women in Communication.

Hoban’s current projects include Technology Leap, a collaborative program connecting the Tulalips to the world of technology and the Internet.

Maureen and her husband, Thomas, live in Marysville, Wash., and have three children and 10 grandchildren.

Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award
For excelling in the field of bioanalytical chemistry, Neil Kelleher ‘92, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois, receives the 2001-2002 Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award.

Kelleher received his B.S. in chemistry and B.A. in German from PLU. Upon graduation, Kelleher won a Fulbright Scholarship and went on to conduct organic synthesis research at the University of Cologne. Kelleher earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Cornell in 1997. While at Cornell, Kelleher’s research bridged the realms of analytical chemistry and microbiology.

After earning his Ph.D., Kelleher won a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship to Harvard University Medical School. He then joined the faculty at the University of Illinois. Kelleher has also been honored with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Young Investigators Award, the Searle Scholar Award and the Henry Dreyfus Foundation Award for New Investigators. He has also formed the Kelleher Group, a 15-student team engaged in biological research for organisms with completely sequenced genomes.

He and his wife, Jennifer ‘91, live in Urbana, Ill., with their daughter, Emily.

Heritage Award
For his years of distinguished service to the university and the community, Brian Olson ‘83 posthumously receives the 2001-2002 Heritage Award.

After earning B.A. degrees in economics and mathematics in 1983, Olson served PLU as an admissions counselor before completing his M.B.A. at Southern Oregon State University in 1987. Soon after, he joined Hewlett-Packard in Boise, Idaho, where he worked until November 2000, most recently serving as a marketing manager. Olson made a lasting impact on diversity issues and employee recruitment.

He provided strong leadership to the PLU Alumni Board from 1991-2000, particularly as board president from 1997-99. Olson served as co-chair of the alumni and parent leadership team on the current Campaign for Pacific Lutheran University. He felt strongly about helping students succeed, and in his will, he helped establish the Brian C. Olson Scholarship Fund.

Olson was an active member of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Boise, where he most recently served as congregation president and as a member of the worship band. He died in November 2000, of complications resulting from cancer.

Brian is survived by his sons, Daniel and Benjamin; their mother, Mary (Boyd) Olson ‘81; mother, Clarene (Osterli) Johnson ‘56; father, Robert ‘57; three brothers, Paul, David ‘83 and Knut ‘91; and sister Marianne.

Special Recognition Award
Larry Neeb receives the 2001-2002 Special Recognition Award for his years of leadership and service to the university.

As a PLU Regent, he has been a member of the budget and finance committee since 1995, chair of the budget and finance committee since 1998 and co-chair of the Regents Fund of the campaign steering committee for the Campaign for Pacific Lutheran University: The Next Bold Step. Professionally, Neeb is the founder and president of Creative Communications for The Parish, Inc., an ecumenical publishing company based in St. Louis, Mo.

He contributes to a wide range of organizations including PLU’s Q Club at the President’s Circle level; the Campaign for Pacific Lutheran University: The Next Bold Step; and KPLU.

Neeb received his junior college education at Concordia Lutheran College in Austin, Texas, finishing at Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Ind. He received a master’s of divinity degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 1964; a master’s of sacred theology degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1973; and a doctor of ministry from Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis in 1975.

He is a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Webster Groves, Mo.

Alumni Service Award
Darcy (Berube) Johnson ‘78 receives the 2001- 2002 Alumni Service Award for her volunteer efforts, which have helped to build affordable housing for low-income residents in communities on Lake Washington’s Eastside.

Johnson received her M.B.A. in 1982, and worked as a portfolio manager for a number of years. It was while she was on leave from the investment business, and caring for her children full-time, that she became involved with St. Andrew’s Housing Group. Johnson served five years as president and chair of the housing group, which was founded by members of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church of Bellevue. She led the group through site selection, property negotiations, and fund-raising.

The St. Andrew’s Housing Group’s first project, Andrew’s Arms in Issaquah, Wash., opened its doors in 1992 to low-income residents and senior citizens. The second project, Andrew’s Heights in Factoria, Wash., opened in 1996.

Johnson has been in the investment management business for 21 years. She currently manages assets for endowments, foundation and high net worth individuals at Bank of America. She also serves on the equity strategy committee and is a member of the Seattle Society of the Association for Investment Manager Research.

She and her husband, Dan ‘76, and children, Matt, Sarah, and Joel, live on Mercer Island, Wash.