UNKAA DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS

UNKAA DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS

e 40th Annual University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize alumni for their outstanding professional, civic, cultural, or charitable accomplishments. e recipients will be celebrated during UNK homecoming weekend festivities.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

Phil Gaffney (1972)

Phil is from Evans, Georgia, and is the president of Ganey Management Services LLC. He was a supply chain executive for various companies upon graduation and is now semiretired providing senior executive level business consulting for global manufacturing rms. Phil is an active volunteer and has served on numerous organizational boards.

Mary (Kuk) Rosenthal (1988)

Mary, from Omaha, Nebraska, is the owner of Rosenthal Consulting and is a Realtor with NP Dodge. Mary is a volunteer for the First Responders Foundation, serving as the vice president of the board of directors and liaison to the Omaha Fire Department.

Alan L. Smith, Ph.D. (1964)

Alan resides in Fredericksburg, Texas. He enjoyed a successful career as an environmental consultant and owned his own company, Global Environments Inc., in Houston, Texas, for the last 20 years of his career, retiring in 2007. Alan continues to serve on several professional and community boards and committees.

Robert Whitehouse (1967)

Bob is from Papillion, Nebraska, and enjoyed a 47-year career in the Omaha Public Schools system as a teacher, coach, athletic director and principal. He has served in various roles for professional and community organizations, including the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and is currently the assistant director of the Nebraska School Activities Association Track & Field Championships. Bob is a member of the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame.

Distinguished Young Alumna Award

Brooke McGee (2008, 2011 MA)

Brooke resides in the Washington, D.C., metro area and is an attorney advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Oce for Immigration Review, Arlington Immigration Court. After completing her master’s degree and earning a Juris Doctor degree, Brooke was selected as a judicial law clerk through the Attorney General’s Honors Program.

Distinguished International Alumnus Award Thomas Crowther (1998)

omas is from Frisco, Texas, and is a native of Freeport, the Bahamas. He worked for 20 years in general construction before creating and opening his own general construction rm, e Crowther Group, in 2017. omas is a member of several professional organizations and is a volunteer for many nonprot organizations in the Dallas area.

Jim Rundstrom Distinguished Service Award Lanny Jorgensen (1963) and Panda Vest

Lanny and Panda reside in Oro Valley, Arizona. Lanny is retired after careers in loan appraising, downtown development and aordable housing development. Panda was a real estate broker for 40 years and is now a semiretired Realtor. Lanny and Panda have been longtime volunteers for the UNK Alumni Association, hosting numerous alumni gatherings in their home and with Lanny serving on the association’s board of directors.

College of Education Distinguished Educator of Year Patricia (Morrison) Timm (1969)

Patricia is from Beatrice, Nebraska, and has spent her career in education. She was a teacher at Friend Public Schools, the executive director of the Family Resource Center Coalition of Nebraska in Beatrice and has been involved in many boards and committees. She is retired and currently serves as the president of the Nebraska State Board of Education.

Gary Thomas Distinguished Music Alumna Emily Balcetis, Ph.D. (2001)

Emily resides in New York City, and is an associate professor of psychology at New York University and has authored a book and numerous scientic publications. She also plays saxophone in classical, jazz and popular settings. While at UNK, Emily earned a bachelor's degree with a double major in music performance and psychology.

College of Business and Technology Distinguished Alumnus Terry Peterson (1975)

Terry, from Omaha, Nebraska, is the owner and president of Omaha Track. Terry had a successful 10-year career in the food and beverage industry prior to purchasing the Tie Yard of Omaha in 1983. e small, local business evolved and became Omaha Track Inc., and has facilities in nine states. Terry is an active volunteer, and his family foundation supports philanthropic activities in Nebraska and surrounding states.