Distinguished Alumni Awards

ACHIEVEMENT:

Matthew  Bucksbaum, 49BA

Since he built one of the country’s first shopping malls in 1954, Matthew Bucksbaum has transformed the physical and economic landscape of America. His company, General Growth Properties, now owns more than 220 shopping malls, including West Des Moines’ Jordan Creek Center and Coralville’s Coral Ridge Mall, with reported sales of $3.2 billion in 2005. Also a passionate champion of many community and nonprofit organizations, including his alma mater, Bucksbaum continues to demonstrate the commitment, generosity, and leadership that first distinguished him as a student and outstanding citizen on the UI campus. More >>

William H. DeKock, 60BA, 63DDS, 67MS

In the 35 years that he operated his own full-time orthodontics practice in Cedar Rapids—also sharing his expertise as an adjunct professor in the UI College of Dentistry—William H. DeKock has positively impacted the quality of orthodontics care in the U.S. and abroad. A past president of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), DeKock was instrumental in bringing orthodontists together from all over the world to form the World Federation of Orthodontists in 1995. The UI College of Dentistry’s Dental Alumnus of the Year in 1993, DeKock last year received the James E. Brophy Distinguished Service Award from the AAO. More >>

Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., 78MA, 83PhD

A leading scholar on race in America, Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., is one of those rare political scientists whose sense of community responsibility has driven his academic career. His research has focused on black political participation, evolving into an investigation of how the media portray minorities. Gilliam is associate vice chancellor for community partnerships, professor of political science, associate director of the Center for the Study of American Politics and Policy, and founding director of the Center for Communications and Community at the University of California, Los Angeles. More >>

Ida M. Moore, 73BSN, 78MA

A champion of childhood cancer patients and survivors, Ida M. Moore is internationally known for her distinguished research career in the field of pediatric oncology. Moore has devoted her scholarly studies to understanding the impact of cancer treatments on the central nervous systems of children, resulting in landmark findings that have helped alter therapies so that they remain effective weapons against cancer, but do not harm a child’s neurocognitive development. The recipient of millions of dollars in research funds, Moore serves as professor and director of the nursing practice division at the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing. More >>

Kay Johnson Mussell, 65BA, 70MA, 73PhD

A scholar-teacher who established herself in American literature and the broader field of popular culture, Kay Johnson Mussell has spent her career at American University in Washington, DC, where she has showed courage and creativity in many leadership positions. At American University, she has served as director of the American Studies Program, director of the College Writing Program, chair of the Department of Literature, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, associate dean of Academic Affairs, and—since 1999—dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. More >>

Glenn Schaeffer, 77MFA

Known as a “renaissance executive,” Glenn Schaeffer has left his mark on the business community of Las Vegas and the literary world. After studying fiction writing at the UI, Schaeffer went on to a glittering career as a Vegas resort executive, where he helped develop the Mandalay Mile, the world’s largest integrated resort complex. Driven by a continuing love for the arts, he’s also founded a letterpress, established Las Vegas as the first U.S. “City of Asylum” for refugee writers, funded creative writing fellowships, and made the primary donation for a library and archives at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. More >>

Robert P. Stearns, 60BSCE

Co-founder and retired chairman of SCS Engineers in Long Beach, California, Robert P. Stearns is recognized nationally for his contributions to environmental engineering and solid waste management. A visionary dedicated to the profession of engineering and his SCS employees, Stearns developed innovative engineering designs that helped establish today’s international landfill gas-to-energy industry. He has worked on many assignments around the world, controlling the movement of landfill gas into occupied spaces and reducing the emission of the potent greenhouse gas into our atmosphere. More >>

SERVICE:

Michael J. New (Deceased), 64BA, 67MA

The former president of the UI Foundation, Michael New planned and executed the largest capital campaign in the history of the University of Iowa, raising $1 billion through the Good. Better. Best. Iowa campaign.  An exemplary leader renowned for his warmth, kindness, and integrity, New led the foundation through a period of immense change and inspired its staff to new heights of effort and excellence. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the university for almost 30 years and made a real difference in the life of his beloved alma mater. More >>

M. Samuel Noordhoff, 54MD

Recognized as a world leader in cleft lip and palate surgery, Samuel Noordhoff has literally brought smiles to the faces of countless children throughout Southeast Asia. Through four decades at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital—and thanks to his foundation that supports medical care for indigent children—this medical missionary has operated on more than 10,000 patients with disfiguring birth defects in Taiwan alone. The recipient of many awards and accolades, Noordhoff has also trained hundreds of doctors in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar in craniofacial surgery. More >>

Stephen L. Ummel, 65MA

Regarded as something of a miracle worker in the immensely complicated and always challenging health care industry, Stephen L. Ummel has served his profession in many ways. During the 1970s, he was instrumental in working with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics director John Colloton to plan, fund, and systematically rebuild the university’s clinical care system. Committed to containing costs, improving access to health care, and enhancing services, Ummel has provided guidance to many health organizations and is today director of PriceWaterHouseCoopers Healthcare Advisory Practice in Chicago. More >>

FACULTY:

M. Joe Brennan

From an administrative assistant to an associate dean, Joe Brennan can claim a long and distinguished career at the University of Iowa that spans several departments and 44 years. During his 28 years at the College of Dentistry, where he was eventually responsible for a budget of more than $32 million, he earned a reputation as an astute business professional with remarkable dedication to his colleagues, his college, and his university. Through his service to various professional organizations, Brennan also has contributed enormously to the field of dental education on a national level. More >>

FRIEND:

Ronald W. & Arlene M. Holden

Members of a family of visionaries, Ronald W. and Arlene M. Holden are carrying on a tradition of supporting research breakthroughs that could one day cure cancer. From their home in Williamsburg, the Holdens continue the legacy left by Ronald’s father, Roland, who founded the successful Holden’s Foundation Seeds company and who lost his own battle with cancer in 1995. Since that time, the Holdens have given major philanthropic gifts to support UI cancer research, and the important work under way now at the university’s comprehensive cancer center and research laboratories would not be possible without the generosity of these extraordinary community leaders. More >>