Alumni Association honors top volunteers, groups and programs

The University of Minnesota Alumni Association will honor its outstanding alumni volunteers, groups and programs at a celebratory event to be held at the McNamara Alumni Center on October 8, 2009.

“Many of the University of Minnesota’s 400,000 living graduates support their alma mater in important ways,” said Margaret Sughrue Carlson, chief executive officer of the Alumni Association. “But there are unique individuals and groups that care deeply about the University of Minnesota, and they devote an incredible amount of time and talent as volunteers. Every year during Homecoming we honor them for making significant contributions to the strength and vitality of our University.”

Seven groups and two individuals will receive Alumni Association awards in recognition of outstanding service and programming during the past year. For outstanding overall programming in support of the mission and goals of the Alumni Association and the college or chapter, the College of Science and Engineering Alumni Society will be honored as the Outstanding Alumni Society and the Northern Dakota County Chapter will receive the Outstanding Alumni Chapter Award.

Receiving Program Extraordinaire Awards for outstanding and especially creative, innovative and engaging activities are the College of Biological Sciences Alumni Society; the College of Design Student and Alumni Board; the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences Alumni Society; the School of Nursing Alumni Society; and the School of Dentistry Alumni Society.
Two individuals, a faculty/staff member and a student, will receive Volunteer of the Year Awards. The Faculty Staff Volunteer of the Year award will be presented to Marie Baudek, Association Director, Continuing Dental Education from the School of Dentistry and the Student Volunteer of the Year will be presented to Amanda Lange from the College of Design.

The University of Minnesota Alumni Association is a 60,000-member organization that has advocated for the University’s important work for more than a century. By joining the Alumni Association, alumni become ambassadors for the University.