The four alumni award winners in 2011 share local and regional proximity, with two of them coming from the Champaign-Urbana area and the other two hailing from the Great Lakes region. But all of them have made ripples well beyond their hometowns, making their mark on the national and even international stage.
The three alumni achievement award winners include one of the top physicians in the world, a president of the nation’s leading historically black university, and a researcher who has changed the course of Alzheimer’s research. In addition, this year’s humanitarian award goes to a local hero who has changed the lives of some of the poorest women in the world.
Julie Freischlag, a biology alum, reached the top of the medical world as the first female chief of surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, rated as the number one hospital in the country. Freischlag specializes in vascular surgery and is one of the few surgeons in the country that can perform thoracic outlet surgery. Read more about Julie Freischlag.
Grant Krafft, a graduate in chemistry, has a knack for going against the grain. His maverick attitude led to the surprising discovery of ADDLs—small, globular proteins that are believed to be the culprit behind Alzheimer’s disease. Krafft went on to form his own company to market innovative solutions to the Alzheimer’s mystery. Read more about Grant Krafft.
Sidney Ribeau left a legacy of success as president of Bowling Green University before taking the post of president at Howard University, the leading institution among historically black colleges and universities. At both Bowling Green and Howard, this communication grad has built a reputation for creating a sense of community and purpose on campus. Read more about Sidney Ribeau.
A. Mark Neuman, the humanitarian award winner, is committed to “creating good” for poor women in Africa. Thanks to his efforts, women farmers in Burkina Faso doubled their income in one year. This economics alum has also played a major role in expanding African exports to the United States in the apparel industry, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in Africa. Read more about A. Mark Neuman.
