Dean's Quadrangle Award

Susan Morisato
BS, ’75, mathematics and education; MS, '77 mathematics

Tom Remec
BS, ’74, chemistry; MS '83, metallurgical engineering

Susan Morisato and Tom Remec have found many avenues to give back to the College of LAS and university since graduating. Susan Morisato retired as the president of the Medicare Supplement Business for United Healthcare and AARP, and Tom retired as the president of Beta Instruments and Display Process Consulting. They have served on advisory boards and leadership councils for various departments around campus and provide funding for the Susan C. Morisato Mathematics Scholarship and the Thomas Remec and Susan Morisato Fund for Data Science in the Chemical Sciences.

George Reveliotis
BA, ’96, history

George Reveliotis is founder and managing partner of Reveliotis Law, P.C. Through his work, Reveliotis “ensures fairness within the legal system,” for property owners paying taxes. A strong supporter of the Department of the Classics, Reveliotis, in addition to previous gifts that funded teaching assistant and lecturer positions, recently pledged $1.5 million to set up the The George N. Reveliotis Family Hellenic Studies Endowment. It will support a lecturer, scholarships, professorships, and graduate fellowships. Watch a video interview of Reveliotis.

Peixin He and Xiaoming Chen
PhD, ’85, chemistry

Peixin He and his wife, Xiaoming Chen, recently provided a gift to endow the Larry R. Faulkner Endowed Chair in Chemistry. Peixin He studied and worked with Faulkner and authored seven journal articles with him in electrochemistry, and Xiaoming Chen served as a visiting research scientist under Faulkner. In 1994 the couple founded CH Instruments, a successful company based in Texas and specializes in electrochemical instrumentation. Read more about Peixin He and Xiaoming Chen.

John Witt and Margaret Witt
PhD, ’61, chemistry

John (PhD, ’61, chemistry) and Margaret Witt set up a fellowship program for U of I chemistry graduate students in the late 1990s, and in 2013 they established the Witt Endowed Professorship in Chemistry. Recently, the Witts created an endowment for undergraduates. Witt also served on chemistry’s alumni advisory board to help ensure that chemistry remains at the top in the country. As he said, “Chemistry at Illinois is in really good hands.” Read more about the Witts.

Wayne Koonce
BA,'71, geography

Wayne Koonce has been involved in over $8 billion worth of real estate deals, and he credits the U of I for launching him on a path that has taken him from a family farm in Illiopolis, Illinois, to cities all around the world. In 2009, he and his wife, Harriet Hentges, announced a $10 million deferred gift to establish the Wayne Koonce Endowment for Liberal Arts and Sciences at Illinois, to promote academic excellence. Read more about Wayne.

Deborah Paul
MS, '79, biology

Deborah Paul is a pioneer in detecting HIV in the blood and developing ways to treat it. In her brother's memory, she established the Deb and Tim Paul Endowment Fund to support University of Illinois work in infectious disease and immunology. For her commitment to her brother, her work, and the U of I, Paul is the winner of the 2016 LAS Dean's Quadrangle Award. Read more about Deborah.

Audrey and Theodore Brown

Audrey (BA, '89, religious studies) and Theodore Brown have continually been committed to the University of Illinois. Ted, a professor emeritus of chemistry, served as Illinois' Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technlogy's first director from 1987 to 1993, after working closely with donors Arnold and Mabel Beckman, whose gift created the first interdisciplinary lab on campus. The Browns also believe in giving: Throughout the 1960s, they were both active with the Urban League and Ted was involved with the Opportunities Industrialization Center, which provided training to people with disadvantaged backgrounds. The Browns also established two different endowments on campus—one to support undergraduates from all LAS departments and the other to help chemistry undergrads specifically. Read more about Ted and Audrey.

Allan C. Campbell
BS, '65, zoology

Allan C. Campbell has always been fascinated by archaeology and history, and he even explored a ship from the late Bronze Age. He used his knowledge in these subjects to become deeply involved in U of I's Spurlock Museum. Campbell and his wife donated funds for the Greek and Roman gallery and other parts of the museum and was past president of the museum board. Read more about Allan.

Alan C. Parsons
BA, '71, history

Alan C. Parsons honed his leadership skills at Illinois, where he was president of his dorm and was named one of the 100 most active seniors. This lawyer and former Army Ranger has also been a leader among Illinois alumni, serving on the Board of Directors for the Alumni Association, as well as the U of I Friends of the Library Board and the Louisville Illini Club. Read more about Alan.

Paul W. Boltz
MS, '71, PhD, '74, economics

Paul W. Boltz was "fiercely loyal to the University of Illinois" for getting him off to a great start in his career, which included a position with the Federal Reserve Board. He went on to become a top economist in the private sector and established a fellowship fund for Illinois graduate students in economics. He was also a member of the U of I Foundation. Read more about Paul.

Richard L. Wasson
BS, '53, chemistry

Richard L. Wasson served on the LAS Alumni Association board of directors from 2003 to 2007. He retired in 1989 as a director of research and development at Monsanto Company after 33 years in chemical research, product development, and technical management activities. He was named an Outstanding Scientist of the 20th Century by IBC. After retirement, Wasson remained active as a scientific consultant, specializing in biotechnology-based pharmaceutical development and as a naturalist for the Missouri Department of Conservation. The award was given posthumously. Read more about Richard.

Jane Phillips Donaldson
BA, '65, teaching of English; MS, '67, journalism

Jane Phillips Donaldson became the first woman to serve as dean of undergraduate admissions at Yale University. She co-founded a prominent recruitment company for nonprofits, and co-chaired Brilliant Futures, the most successful fundraising campaign in Illinois history. She has served on the U of I Foundation board, including as chairwoman. Read more about Jane.

Roscoe G. Jackson II
MS, '73, PhD, '75, geology

Roscoe G. Jackson II has remained a strong supporter of graduate students in geology, as well as the School of Earth, Society, and Environment. His generosity enabled Illinois to purchase equipment that simulates the study of river systems, and he created an endowment that has enabled graduate students to attend conferences, conduct field studies, and cover equipment costs.

Roxanne J. Decyk
BA, '73, English

Roxanne J. Decyk retired in 2010 from the position of executivevice president, Global Government Relations for Royal Dutch Shell.Previously, she was a member of the executive committee of RoyalDutch Shell Plc and served as corporate affairs and sustainabledevelopment director, chief of staff for Shell Oil Company, and headof strategy for Royal Dutch Shell. Active in a number of international industry and communityorganizations, and international corporate and philanthropicboards, Decyk is is a Ford Scholar at the Ford Center for GlobalCitizenship at Northwestern University.In 2013, she was appointed to the Defense Business Board and has servedon the Subcommittee for Capacity Building and Skills Training of theInternational Council on Women's Business Leadership for the U.S.State Department.

Carolyn and Robert Springborn

Carolyn and Robert (BS, '51, chemistry) Springborn wanted to give back to Illinois since Robert completed his degree with help from a scholarship. In the years since, they've made gifts for graduate fellowships, undergraduate scholarships, and post-doctoral fellowships. After leaving the University of Illinois, Robert went on to receive a PhD in organic chemistry from Cornell University. He worked for Monsanto, Borg-Warner Chemical, and W.R. Grace before founding the Springborn Group and Springborn Laboratories, an international and highly successful contract research organization serving industry and consumer product companies. Read more about Carolyn and Robert.

Ronald H. Filler
BA, '70, political science

Ronald H. Filler is an expert in the area of financial services law. He joined the faculty of New York Law School in 2008 as a professor of law and the director of the Financial Services Law Institute. He's also worked as managing director in the Capital Markets Prime Services Department at Lehman Brothers, where he had principal responsibilities over a variety of business and regulatory matters. He served Illinois in various capacities, including membership on the University of Illinois President's Council and the creation of Ronald Filler Endowed Scholarship Fund, which supports students in political science and the Program in Jewish Culture and Society.

Jack C. Threet
BS, '51, geology

Jack C. Threet retired from Shell in 1987 as vice president and head of exploration after a long and successful career. He served on special committees for the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Threet also served on the board of trustees of the American Geological Institute Foundation, where he chaired a multi-million-dollar effort to enhance K-12 education in earth science. At Illinois, he became a key member of the GeoThrust Committee advising the Department of Geology and with his brother created the Jack C. Threet and Richard L. Threet Endowed Professorship in Sedimentary Geology.

Arlys Conrad
AB, '44, education

Arlys Conrad attend the University of Illinois with help from a four-year scholarship. When she graduated, she worked several jobs, including at the University of Illinois Airport and Illinois Alumni Association. She established the E. Veda and Arlys Streitmatter Conrad Scholarship, which is given to a student planning to teach high-school English. Upon her death, she left $12 million to the University of Illinois, half of which is used to fund scholarships and the Conrad Professorial Fund. The award was given posthumously.

David R. Lincicome
BS, MS ’37, zoology

David R. Lincicome had a prolific career as a scholar and teacher. He held professorships at the universities of Kentucky and Wisconsin, as well as research appointments at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the DuPont Corporation, and the Naval Medical Research Institute. He is widely recognized as the founder of two seminal academic journals: Experimental Parasitology and Virology. Lincicome spent the bulk of his academic career as a professor of zoology at Howard University, where he taught from 1955 until his retirement in 1970. He and his second wife, Margaret, endowed a professorship in memory of Harley Jones Van Cleave, who led Illinois' Department of Zoology from 1911 to 1953. Van Cleave was also the father of Lincicome's first wife, Dorothy.

Jerry J. Nerad
BA, '64, history

Jerry J. Nerad began working at his father's business, TimeMed Systems, immediately after graduating. The company develops and provides pharmaceutical labeling products and services. Nerad became president in 1982. He has loyally served Illinois, especially the Department of History on the History Centenary Campaign committee. He's also served as a national advocate for the University of Illinois Foundation. He and his wife, Ann, have provided support for the Cline Center for Democracy.

Margaret W. Lewis
BA, '47, French, Spanish, and English

Margaret W. Lewis is one among the growing ranks of lawyers who specialize in elder law. She also happens to be an elder herself. Lewis, a third-generation Illini, is proof that it is never too late to venture off in a completely new direction, whatever one's age. She didn't enter law school until she was in her 50s, after her children were out of the house. Read more about Margaret.

Jesse C. Delia

Jesse C. Delia has served as professor and head of the Department of Communication, dean of the College of LAS, interim provost, and an international ambassador for the university. He earned a reputation for excellence in all roles. From 1978 to 1994, Delia served as head of the Department of Speech Communication (now called Communication) and helped it become one of the country's top programs. He served as dean of the College of LAS from 1994 to 2004, during which time he oversaw $170 million in renovation and construction projects (including Spurlock Museum), secured $200 million in private support and commitments for endowed chairs and professorships, and strengthened a wide array of programs. Delia went on to serve as interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs from 2004 to 2007, and then as executive director of international research relations.

Richard C. Romano
BS, '54, chemical engineering

Richard C. Romano started his career at Monsanto Chemical Co. and co-founded Romana Associates with his brother. The company later became Romano Brothers & Co., and Richard described it as a start-up investment management venture. Even after retiring as president, Richard continued to serve as chairman and helps manages $400 million in client assets. He and his wife endowed the Richard and Margaret Romano Professorial Scholar Fund, which allows LAS to recognize its best faculty members for scholarship and teaching.

Ralph Tyler III
BA, '69, history

Ralph Tyler III has worked as an attorney and a faculty member at Cleveland State University. Later, Tyler joined the office of the Maryland Attorney General. There he served as assistant attorney general chief of litigation, and deputy attorney general. In 1996, he joined the law firm of Hogan & Hartson, one of Baltimore's largest law firms, as a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. In 2004, Tyler was appointed as city solicitor of the City of Baltimore. After studying abroad in Tokyo, he has been contributing to the Tyler Asian Studies Fund for decades, and it supports undergraduate awards, graduate fellowships, and important discretionary funding in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies.

Lynn M. Martin
BA, '60, teaching of English

After representing the 16th District of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 years, Lynn Morley Martin was appointed by President George H.W. Bush as the 21st U.S. secretary of labor. Martin also served on the Deloitte & Touche Council on the Advancement of Women and on the Coca-Cola Company's International Advisory board. She led a task force to reshape the U.S. operations of the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, with a specific focus on workplace practices. She also served as a professor at Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.In 1995, she endowed the Lynn M. Martin Award for Distinguished Women Teachers Fund in Illinois' College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Each year, the award honors highly effective women teachers from among the faculty and graduate teaching assistants. The college presented her the Quadrangle Award in spring 2005.

James L. Foght
MS, '60, PhD '63, chemistry

James L. Foght devoted 23 years to the Du Pont Corporation, spending half of his career in research and research management. He became managing director of Du Pont U.K. in 1979, and in 1981 he began planning and implementing pharmaceutical interests for Du Pont in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He also has worked in finance and co-founded Vector Securities, which became the largest investment banking firm dedicated to serving clients in the healthcare industry. Foght joined Prudential Securities in 1999 and became managing director in the Investment Banking division of Prudential Vector Healthcare Group. He served as chairman of the board of Pharma-In and on the boards of Acrux Limited, Medezrin Limited, and Prescient Medical, Inc. On campus, he's served as chairman of Illinois Ventures and as a member of the Leadership Council for the School of Chemical Sciences. The award was presented in fall 2005.

Paul M. Lisnek
BA, '80, MA, '80, PhD, '86, speech communication; JD, '83, law

Paul M. Lisnek was NBC's jury expert during the O.J. Simpson trial and has provided expert jury analysis on NBC Nightly News, CNBC, and MSNBC. He led Lisnek and Associates, a trial consulting and legal training company and co-founded Decision Analysis, a national trial consulting firm. He held a number of academic positions, including visiting professor at the Pepperdine University School of Law, and an assistant deanship of the Loyola University School of Law. He's spoken frequently to both LAS and law students on the Illinois campus, and created the Paul M. Lisnek Communication and Law Fund. It provides support for teaching and scholarship related to publication communications and advocacy, and specifically the area of communication and the law. The award was presented in fall 2005.

Gail V. Kellogg
BS, '65, teaching of mathematics

Gail V. Kellogg spent 20 years working at Hewitt Associates, where she became a partner in 1980 and was Hewitt's Practice Leader of Defined Contribution Plan Services. In 2002, she served as Hewitt's project manager and administration consultant for a six-month consultancy in China's Liaoning Province, and then as a senior consultant in Hewitt's Shanghai office and member of the company's China Leadership Team. At Illinois, she served as a member of the board of directors of the U of I Alumni Association, the U of I's President's Council, and the LAS Dean's Council and Bronze Circle. In 1999, with a goal of providing opportunities for students and teachers and of enhancing scholarship in the liberal arts and sciences, she established the Gail V. and Brooks L. Kellogg Endowed Fund in the College of LAS. The award was presented in spring 2004.

Meredith Mallory Jr.
AB, '40, arts and sciences

Meredith Mallory went on to earn his medical degree from Tulane University in 1944 and was commissioned as an officer in the Army Medical Corps. He completed a specialized course to help the army monitor the safety of servicemen exposed to radiation from the Pacific bomb tests. He ultimately was appointed Division Surgeon in Korea. In 1954, Mallory entered the family's independent oil and gas production business and became president of Meredith Mallory Jr. Investments. He served as a member of the U of I President's Council, a member of the U of I Foundation, and a life-time member of the U of I Alumni Association. He was also a member of the LAS Dean's Council and Bronze Circle, and endowed the Murchison-Mallory Chair in Chemistry. The award was presented in spring 2004.

J. William Soderman
MS, '60, PhD, 62, geology

J. William Soderman first worked at Texaco, beginning as a junior geologist looking for oil in southern Oklahoma. He was promoted to supervise geologic research in Bellaire, Texas, then later moved to Houston, where he worked as Assistant Division Geologist. He later worked for Monsanto Oil Company, then as vice president for British Gas. He incorporated Bluestem Enterprises LC, a geological survey and consulting company, which he operated until 2001, and volunteered with a Houston environmental group studying geologic impacts on the Texas shoreline. He began serving Illinois on the GeoThrust advisory committee, and endowed the Bluestem Fellowship Fund that will provide income each year in perpetuity to support outstanding graduate students. The award was presented in fall 2004.

Edith Stotler
BA, '68, history

Edith Stotler entered the banking business immediately following her college days. From 1969 to 1982 she served The Harris Bank in Chicago as assistant vice president of commercial banking. From there she went to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, also in Chicago, as vice president of their public utilities group. Following more than eight years with Canadian Imperial, Stotler was appointed president of S & I Grain Company (formerly Homer Grain Co.), where she remained for 10 years. She became a member of the University of Illinois' President's Council in 1978, attaining Laureate Circle status in 2002, and has been a member of the University of Illinois Foundation since 1988. She also served as a director of the Friends of the University of Illinois Library and, since 1998, has been a member of the Dean's Business Council at our College of Business. Stotler was an Illini Comeback Honoree in 1986 and received the Illini Loyalty Award in 1993.The Quadrangle Award was presented in fall 2004.

Steve Miller
BS, '67, chemical engineering

Steve Miller began his career with Shell Oil Company at the company's Deer Park refinery near Houston. After various field, head office and overseas assignments in manufacturing and marketing, he was named vice president of refining and marketing in 1988. In 1992, Miller joined the management team of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies in London, and in 1996 was named a managing director of Royal Dutch Petroleum Company. In 1999, he returned to the U.S. as chairman, president, and CEO of Shell Oil Company. He remained in the company's top position until his retirement in September 2002.

Gail F. McClain
BS, '55, psychology

Gail F. McClain was nominated to a seat on the LAS Alumni Association Board of Directors in 1995, and in 2002, began serving on the University Alumni Association's Constituent Management Committee, where she served as chairwoman. In 2001, she won the UIAA Constituent Leadership Award, and was cited for her outstanding leadership and her devoted service to the LAS Alumni Association. McClain's style throughout her career, as well as during her tenure of service to LAS, has been described as "caring leadership." As the LAS Alumni Board's president, she encouraged fellow board members to think strategically and to establish long-term goals. She was always careful to allow all board members who so desired to be empowered, to lead, and to seek new directions for board activities.

Richard G. Cline
BA, '57, arts and letters, political science

Richard G. Cline joined Jewel Companies in 1963 and, over the next 20 years, held a variety of executive positions, becoming president and chief operating officer, then chairman, president and CEO. He left Jewel in 1984 when the company was acquired by American Stores, and joined NICOR, a natural gas utility company. He served there as president and chief operating officer and became chairman of the board and CEO in 1986. He retired as CEO in May 1995. Cline became a member of the U of I Foundation in 1982 and has been a member of its board of directors since 1985 and as president from 1989 to 1991. Cline was co-chair and a national advocate for Campaign Illinois. In 1996, he and his wife Carole established the fund that supports the annual Cline Symposium on Values and the Public Interest. The Quadrangle Award was presented to him in October 2003.

Betty Ann Knight
BS, '38, home economics; MA '39, education; MSW '48, social work

Betty Ann Knight graduated from the University of Illinois in 1938 with a degree in home economics. The following year, she received her master's in education and began teaching school in Fairmount, Illinois. After holding teaching posts in Carbondale and Watseka, Illinois, and in California, she earned her master's in social work from Illinois in 1948. From 1948 until her retirement in 1978, she served as a social worker for the Urbana school system.

Charles J. Prizer
BS, '44, chemical engineering

Charles J. Prizer spent most of his career with the Rohm and Haas Company. Following his 1986 retirement, Prizer formed his own company, Prizer & Wilkinson, which provided consulting expertise for universities and corporations in their efforts to transfer technology from the laboratory to commercial practice. He also maintained an extraordinarily strong engagement with our campus, particularly through the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He served as a lecturer in the department and was the director of ChemE 2000, the department's successful effort to raise about $20 million during a capital campaign. Prizer established The Charles J. and Dorothy G. Prizer Endowed Chair in Chemical Engineering to be awarded to a professor who demonstrates expertise and outstanding academic abilities within the field of chemical engineering. The award was presented to him in June 2003.

John Widdowson
BS, '41, chemical engineering

John Widdowson practiced law in Wichita, Kansas, specializing in patent, trademark, copyright, and unfair competition law. He retired from active practice in 1998, and was a member of the University of Illinois Foundation. He and his wife, Melba, provided substantial funding for the James Westwater Professorship fund in Chemical Engineering. They also made a substantial commitment to the future of outstanding faculty in what is now the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

William E. Winter
AB, '42, general curriculum and economics

William E. Winter is chairman emeritus and a consultant for the Seven Up Company. He went to work for Seven Up in April 1946 and his career in the soft-drink industry spanned 55 years. He retired in 1981. Winter has been a director for the First National Bank of St. Louis, the Centerre Bank of St. Louis, the Cardinal Ritter Institute, and the Bank Building and Equipment Corporation. He's also served as a director of the U of I Foundation. In 1990, the foundation established the William E. Winter Award for Outstanding Advocate Leadership in Bill's honor.

Jeanne and Edwin Goldberg

Jeanne (BS, '69, physiology) and Edwin Goldberg have been friends of the life sciences at the University of Illinois for many years. They believe the future of life sciences will be at the forefront of scientific progress and that the University of Illinois will be a leader in that progress. Their support of Illinois' medical students and faculty in integrative biology and molecular and cellular biology are an investment in future brilliant research. Edwin was a clinical associate professor of medicine and Jeanne Goldberg is a radiologist retired from private practice in Decatur.

Mary Kay Peer
AB, '34, general curriculum, AM, '36, English

Mary Kay Peer served the Department of English for 41 years, retiring as an administrative aide, having served under 13 department heads. In addition to her responsibilities for the budget, timetable, and assignment of classes, she oversaw publication of the literary journal Accent and the nationally recognized freshman writing magazine Green Cauldron. She served on the board of directors of the University Library Friends, as a member of World Heritage Museum (now the Spurlock Museum) Guild, and as a charter member of Krannert Art Museum. In 1987, she was appointed to LAS Alumni Association board of directors and served with distinction for six years.

Elisabeth Winter
AB, '41, speech communication

Elisabeth Winter was an interior decorator and former pilot who flew with the Civil Air Patrol in World War II. She worked for Eastern Airlines in the ticketing department after striking up a friendship with Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I ace who founded the company. In 1959, she and her sister-in-law began an interior decorating firm, Lisbon Interiors of Lake Forest. She traveled the world to find items, from fireplaces to knickknacks, for her clients. The award was given posthumously.