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Homecoming 2002 Alumni Recognition Awards

Distinguished Alumnus Award

For his outstanding work as a professor and author in the field of chemistry, Dr. H. Eugene LeMay Jr. '62 receives the 2002-2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

After receiving a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from PLU in 1962, LeMay received a master of science degree in 1964 from the University of Illinois and Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry in 1966.

LeMay has served as a chemistry professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, since 1966. His numerous teaching awards include the 2000 Carnegie Foundation/CASE Nevada Professor of the Year, the 2000 Senior Scholar Mentor Award for the College of Arts and Sciences and the 1997 Nevada Regents Teaching Award.

He co-authored "Chemistry: The Central Science," the most widely used chemistry textbook in the country, "Quantitative Inorganic Analysis" and "Chemistry: The Study of Matter."

Dr. LeMay is the faculty adviser to InterVarsity Campus ministry. He and his wife, Carla (Hansen) '64, are also active in their church, where he serves as chairman of the board. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Outstanding Alumnus Awards

Neal Arntson '58 receives a 2002-2003 Outstanding Alumnus Award for achievements in business and his community.

Arntson received a bachelor of business administration degree in 1958 and is the president and CEO of Albina Fuel Company in Portland, Ore. He served as president of the Oregon Petroleum Marketer's Association and president of the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association. He is a board member of the International Bitumen Emulsion Federation and the Foundation for Pavement Rehabilitation and Maintenance Research.

Neal and his wife, Joyce, serve their community as supporters of the "I Have a Dream" program in Portland. This program helps students from low-income areas receive a college education. In addition to their financial commitment, they also serve as mentors. Neal and Joyce are also members and leaders at St. James Lutheran Church.

Arntson has been a member of the PLU Board of Regents since 1996 and past member of the Q Club Advisory Board. Neal and Joyce have seven children. Daughter Anne and her husband, Bill, serve as chairs of the PLU Parents Council.

For his work in Lutheran higher education and administration, Duane H. Larson '75 receives a 2002-2003 Outstanding Alumnus Award.

After graduating from PLU with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1975, Larson received a master's of divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California.

Larson serves as president of Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and professor of systematic theology. Previously, he was assistant professor and associate professor of systematic theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa., and has served as a pastor.

He also serves as the Lutheran co-chair on the Lutheran-Episcopal Coordinating Committee, which oversees implementation of the agreements made by the two churches in "Called to Common Mission."

His many published works include the books "Times of the Trinity" and "From Word and Sacrament: Renewed Vision for a Diaconal Ministry" and collaboration on "The Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism."

Larson and his wife, Kathy, live in Dubuque, Iowa.

Outstanding Recent Alumnus Awards

Julia Rehwinkel '98 receives a 2002-2003 Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award for her work with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a project manager for the HIV/AIDS awareness program.

Rehwinkel joined the Peace Corps in February 1999. When USAID began its HIV/AIDS prevention program in British Guyana, it asked the Peace Corps to send a volunteer to help - the Corps chose Rehwinkel. She served 11 months as the HIV/AIDS Youth Project coordinator.

After the Peace Corps, she stayed with USAID in Guyana and is now the HIV/AIDS project manager, credited for the success of the program. She immerses herself in the Guyanese culture, traveling throughout Guyana and representing the USAID program at Guyanese meetings and events.

Rehwinkel has been able to fulfill a sense of adventure as well as professional goals. She has lived in rustic conditions, suffered from several of the endemic health problems as natives and been stifled by post-election strife, but she continues to treasure her experiences in Guyana.

She will attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall to pursue a master's degree in international health policy and management, with emphasis on infectious diseases.

Connor Trineer '92 receives an Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award for his work in the theater and entertainment industry.

Trineer received a Bachelor of fine arts degree in theater from PLU in 1992 and a master of fine arts degree in acting and directing from the University of Missouri in Kansas City.

Trineer has appeared in popular television shows including "One Life to Live," "Touched by an Angel," and "ER." This past year, Trineer achieved national name recognition for his starring role as Charles "Trip" Tucker III in the new Star Trek series, "Enterprise." He has also performed on stage in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Trineer lives in the Los Angeles area, where he is active in the Circle X Theater Company.

PLU professor of theater, William Becvar, calls Trineer "one of the theatre's 'best and brightest.'" Becvar first encountered Trineer in a film history class when the actor was a freshman. His assessment of Connor's PLU and professional career holds high praise: "He was a pure joy with whom to work and still, after 29 years at PLU, is one of my very favorite actors."

Heritage Award

For 70 years of faithful support and service to his alma mater, Herman (Bud) Anderson '31 receives the 2002-2003 Heritage Award.

Anderson has maintained the tradition of philanthropy established during the Depression years by his father, past PLU Regent H. E. Anderson. Anderson served on the PLU Alumni Board from 1960 to 1963 and on the Board of Regents from 1962 to 1967. He is a member of the Campaign Steering Committee for The Campaign for Pacific Lutheran University. He also serves as a member of the Center for Learning and Technology leadership committee.

Anderson is most associated with the Anderson Clock Tower that stands in front of the University Center. It was dedicated in honor of his parents in 1971 and remains a campus landmark. More recently, he established the H. E. and Vivian Anderson wing in the newly revitalized Xavier Hall.

He and his wife, Vivian, have been partners in their support and enthusiasm for PLU. They live in Tacoma.

Special Recognition Award

Arthur Hansen receives the 2002-2003 Special Recognition Award for his longtime support of Pacific Lutheran University.

Hansen and his beloved late wife, Jennie (Lee) '34, lived in Honolulu, where he started AH Hansen Ltd., a wholesale meat distributing company, in 1952. After the sale of the company and Arthur's retirement, the Hansens moved to Seattle.

They have been strong supporters of PLU since the early 1960s. They actively recruited students on behalf of PLU and opened their home to prospective students and alumni. They established the Jennie Lee Hansen Endowed Scholarship, affirming their belief in an education that promotes Christian values.

In October 1997, Hansen enthusiastically supported the Campus Computer Network upgrade with a gift. In June 1998, the Jennie Lee Hansen Recital Hall in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center was dedicated. Hansen is a member of the Campaign Steering Committee for The Campaign for Pacific Lutheran University and supported PLU through his pace-setting gift to the Center for Learning and Technology. He lives in Seattle.

Alumni Service Award

For her outstanding volunteer service as a pediatrician and member of Northwest Medical Teams, Phyllis (Nybakke) Cavens '61 receives the 2002-2003 Alumni Service Award.

In 1979, Cavens joined the first group that Northwest Medical Teams sent to Thailand to treat Cambodian refugees who were victims of the "killing fields." Since that time, she has been to Ethiopia, Somalia, Mexico, Jamaica, Uzbekistan, and Honduras, where she has served as a pediatrician.

In 1985, Cavens went to Ibnat, Ethiopia, the site of a refugee camp high in the mountains. Cholera, a disease that kills 70 percent of patients, struck the camp a few days after her team arrived. With the medical team on site, the epidemic subsided in a week, after 600 people were treated.

The list of places Cavens has traveled and international crises that she has served in are extensive and can be found in the book, "Being a Pediatrician," written by her husband, Travis Cavens, M.D.

Phyllis and her husband, who have two grown children, live in Longview, Wash.

Brian C. Olson Leadership Award

The Brian C. Olson Leadership Award is presented to a current student who has demonstrated a commitment to the university and the Alumni Association. By recognizing the importance of connecting students and alumni, the recipient has shown potential for lifelong service to the university. Senior Tim Vialpando receives the 2002-2003 Brian C. Olson Leadership Award.

Vialpando is pursuing a double major in secondary English language arts and English writing. Vialpando served as ASPLU President for the 2001-2002 school year and has been a speaker at many campus events including Admissions Open Houses, Convocation, and Family Weekend. He also was president of Foss Hall, a student intern in the Residential Life Office and ASPLU programs director. He has served both the PLU Board of Regents and Alumni Board as a student representative.

Vialpando, from Westminster, Colo., attends PLU on academic and Q Club scholarships. He is one of seven charter members of the Student Alumni Association. The group will be a valuable resource to the Alumni Association in years to come.

This award is named in memory of Brian C. Olson '83, an avid PLU supporter and Alumni Board president who died of cancer in 2000 at age 39.