Lucia R. Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award
Nathan M. Pusey Young Alumni Achievement Award
George B. Walter '36 Service to Society Award
Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M-D'18 Outstanding Service to Lawrence Award
Marshall B. Hulbert C'28 Young Alumni Outstanding Service to Lawrence Award
James B. Sinclair '51
Lucia R. Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award
James Sinclair is arguably the best plant pathologist in the world. As founder of the
National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana,
he forged an international reputation based on sound and persistent research, top-flight
teaching and mentoring, and a collaborative style that enabled him to establish working
partnerships with scientists in over 40 countries.
After graduating from Lawrence in 1951 with a degree in biology, he earned the doctorate in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His first academic appointment was in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Louisiana, where, over the years, he moved up the ranks to full professor. In 1968 he accepted a position in international plant pathology at the University of Illinois, to which he added the role of director of the National Soybean Research Lab in 1984. In 1996 he retired with the rank of professor emeritus.
At Louisiana his research specialty was cotton; at Illinois he became a leading authority on soybeans. His research spanned such areas as latent infections, bacterial control of pathogens, host-parasite relationships, epidemiology, mycology, and disease control. He is the author of 16 books, 57 chapters in books, 67 bulletins and technical reports, 182 peer-reviewed articles, and over 600 other papers, some in Chinese and Spanish.
Perhaps his greatest legacy is the more than 50 graduate students he mentored, who, as a colleague has said, "are now leaders in their own professions and will multiply Dr. Sinclair's legacy for generations."
His accomplishments are known and respected around the world; the Brazilian government has called him their "Father of Plant Pathology," and other prestigious recognitions have come from the University of Illinois, the American Soybean Association, the state of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Academy of Sciences in India.
Jane Tibbetts Schulenburg '65
Lucia R. Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award
Jane Tibbetts Schulenburg is a medieval historian whose research speciality is women's
history and whose scholarly reputation is of the highest order. It has been said that, if
you teach a course in medieval history and you include anything about women, it would be
impossible to do so without including something from Professor Schulenburg. Her
contributions to the study of women's history, gender, and religion are widely regarded as
important steps to an informed, interdisciplinary understanding of those disciplines.
Currently professor of history in the Department of Liberal Studies and the Arts of the Division of Continuing Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she followed her Lawrence B.A. in history with M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from UW-Madison, majoring in medieval history with a minor in medieval art history. She taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1970-72 and has been on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1972, teaching continuing education courses in medieval history, women's history, medieval art and architecture, and medieval religion. Over the years, she has led 23 seminar/pilgrimages to sites in France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, and Germany.
Her 1998 book, Forgetful of Their Sex: Female Sanctity and Society, Ca. 500-1100, an exploration of women's status and experiences in early medieval society and in its religious institutions, is based on her study of over 2,000 female and male saints and has been called "a tremendous piece of scholarship."
A parallel interest in medieval embroidery as one aspect of the lives of women led her to acquire self-taught skills in the stitches, techniques, and themes of the period, producing a body of work that has been the subject of several public addresses and exhibitions, including most recently a fall 2000 showing at the UW Gallery of Design entitled "Opus Anglicanum: Embroideries of Medieval Women."
During Lawrence University's sesquicentennial observance in 1996-97, she presented a invited lecture on "Women and Sacred Space in Medieval Society" on the Appleton campus.
Stephen J. Edwards C'85
Nathan M. Pusey Young Alumni Achievement Award
From the Outstanding Classical Pianist Award of Downbeat magazine to his work as a
film and television composer to his recent composition of an original Latin Mass, Stephen
Edward's musical credentials are extensive, diverse, and distinctive.
A graduate of the Lawrence Conservatory with a major in piano performance in the studio of Professor Theodore Rehl, he also studied at the Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan, and the Dick Grove School of Music. Chosen in 1985 to hold the piano chair in the All-American College Orchestra at Epcot Center, he soon entered the world of movie music, working with film composer Johnny Green and moving to California in 1986 to perform as a keyboard artist for TV composer Mike Post on the series LA Law.
Over the years he has written songs and scores for some 40 films, as well as television series and movies, documentaries, commercials, and the stage. Highly regarded both as a composer and as a person, those familiar with his life and work commend his human and humane approach to working relationships and his willingness to mentor and support young composers. One close colleague of many years notes that "Steve embodies the character, integrity, and morality that make him a most worthy nominee for this award."
In June 2000 he was commissioned by Domino's Pizza founder Thomas S. Monaghan to compose an orchestral Mass in honor of a group of new chapels to be built on the grounds of the Domino's Farms office complex in Michigan. Edwards, who has sung with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, has said that "the beauty of this Mass is that any good church choir in the world -- from Germany to the Philippines -- can perform it with an accompanying organist."
Amy R. Thiel C'85
Nathan M. Pusey Young Alumni Achievement Award
If only two words could be used to describe Amy Thiel, they would have to be
"student-centered." If a few more words were allowed, they might be these from the
principal of Oconto Falls High School, where she teaches. Calling her "one of the finest
vocal music teachers I've ever encountered," he continues: "She has high expectations of
her students, and they respond positively." And, in return, another colleague says, "Amy
gives her all for the love of her kids."
That's only the beginning. In addition to Amy the highly competent and dedicated teacher, there is Amy the organizer and fund-raiser for concert tours in the United States and abroad; Amy the music contest judge and trainer of judges; Amy the initiator of special events, such as the Christmas Cabaret, that have become woven into the fabric of community life in Oconto Falls; and Amy the editor of a newsletter for choral directors, staff member at music camps, and sought-after leader of statewide workshops, and clinics.
When she came to Oconto Falls High in 1987, after two years at Roncalli High School in Manitowoc, the music department at Oconto Falls had seen the arrival and departure of seven choral directors in 11 years. From such a beginning she has built a program that recently has seen her chosen as one of 12 high school choral directors saluted in a new book as "the best in the Midwest." In a typical semester, she works with a men's choir, two women's choirs, and a chamber-singers ensemble -- about 150 students total -- and teaches a music history class. All this is in addition to playing an active role in the Wisconsin School Music Association, editing its nationally recognized newsletter, and completing a master's degree at Marian College.
As the recipient of a Kohl Teacher Fellowship in 1997, Amy was cited as a leader who "has a vision for the future of our schools and the potential of young people that has generated respect and involvement from her peers."
Cecilia Goetz '85
George B. Walter, '36, Service to Society Award
This award is being conferred posthumously on Cecilia (Cecie) Goetz, a program officer with
Minnesota International Health Volunteers, who died under tragic circumstances in Kampala,
Uganda, in July 1998.
A specialist in the nutritional issues affecting mothers and young children, Cecie made several trips a year to Africa to conduct studies and train local volunteers. At the time of her death she was completing a study of the effects of vitamin A deficiency, had been working in rural villages gathering data on child health-care concerns, and was in the capital for a staff conference before leaving for Kenya and Tanzania to conduct similar research. She was found slain in her hotel room a few days after arriving in the city.
In addition to her Lawrence bachelor's degree in government, Cecie held master's degrees in international development and public health from the University of Minnesota and was working on a Ph.D. In 1987, while still in graduate school, she began her association with MIHV, a nonprofit organization that trains volunteers in its host countries to serve in their own villages as community health workers and birth attendants; she became a full-time staff member in 1995.
"She was very close to all her projects and was well-grounded in both the scientific aspect of the work and the altruistic," a colleague noted. In 1997 she was honored for her commitment to social justice by the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights.
A memorial service was held on August 3, 1998, in the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, with over a thousand people in attendance, including many Africans and Ugandans living in Minnesota who may not have known Cecie personally but had heard of her and wanted to pay their respects. Later that year she was named Twin Cities International Citizen of the Year. The Walter Award was accepted in Cecie's name by her sister, Laura, who is pictured above.
Christopher Laing-Martinez '87
George B. Walter '36 Service to Society Award
Christopher Laing-Martinez and his wife, Letzbia, are lay missionaries in the Dominican
Republic, under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. They live in
Ansonia, where their principal work involves a network of small pharmacies
(botiquines), located in people's homes; they also coordinate 13 youth groups.
At Lawrence, Chris was an English major and lettered in tennis and soccer, winning the Charles E. Pond Trophy, awarded for "all-around athletic ability notably supplemented by sportsmanship, school spirit, and scholarship," and the John Allen "Wally" Chambers Memorial Leadership Award, presented to a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity who "best exemplifies the qualities of dedication, generosity, courage, and commitment to the brotherhood."
The path that took him from Lawrence to full-time service in the mission field began when he took part in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Costa Rica program in 1985; after graduation he returned to Costa Rica to work as a reporter and columnist for the political journal Mesoamerica and to teach English at Conversa Language Institute in San Jose.
Moving to Nicaragua, he taught at Central American University in Managua; was part of a "Health Brigade" organized to teach the basics of immunization, first aid, and sanitation; worked in the barrios of Managua with Project Soynica, which taught the preparation of soybean-based foods; and served on an education committee for children in Pantasma. In 1991-92 he participated in the 2,800-mile Quincentennial Interfaith Pilgrimage for Peace and Life.
Returning to Wisconsin, Chris taught Spanish and English at Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha from 1992 to 1999; he married Letzbia, a Spanish teacher at St. Bernard's School, in,1993. In 1995 he conducted six weeks of language study in rural Nicaragua, under a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 1997 he led a group of students to Nicaragua to help build homes, under Habitat for Humanity's Global Village Program.
In 1999, Chris took a leave from teaching and spent ten weeks in the Dominican Republic helping with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch. Following that experience, Chris and Letzbia left their teaching posts and volunteered for their current two-year assignment. In 2000 they were part of the U.S. delegation to a World Mission Conference in Rome.
Jane Voss Holroyd '61
Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M-D'18 Outstanding Service Award
Jane Voss Holroyd has been described as "a hard-working, level-headed, outstanding teacher
and coach, deeply committed to Lawrence University," and it is that commitment, and the
years of volunteer service that have sprung from it, that are honored by this award.
A classics major and member of Pi Beta Phi sorority at Lawrence, Jane taught Latin and English, advised the student newspaper, and coached girls' tennis teams in the Racine Public Schools for 22 years.
At the same time, as a devoted Lawrence volunteer, she has organized and hosted alumni gatherings for Racine and Kenosha Lawrentians, worked as a caller on reunion and Lawrence Fund phonathons, served as class secretary for the Class of 1961, and helped to bring her classmates together for the their successive reunions. She has been a consistent volunteer for the Office of Admissions, calling admitted students to answer their questions about the college, and, as a high school Latin teacher, she has recommended many students to Lawrence, especially for the classics department.
From 1996-2000 she was a member of the Lawrence University Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving on its executive and careers committees and chairing the nominations and awards committee. As a director she demonstrated qualities of leadership and commitment that served the Association and the college well and faithfully.
When planning began for the Class of 1961's 40th reunion, Jane volunteered for both the gift committee and steering committee and resumed the role of class secretary. In particular, she coordinated the publication of an Ariel Reprise, undertaking the mammoth task of gathering submissions and photographs from classmates and compiling them into a collection of "what's happened to you in the past 40 years."
Jane's is a Milwaukee-Downer/Lawrence family. Her mother, Claremarie Voss M-D'35 was a leader in Downer and Lawrence alumni activities, and her sister, Susan Voss Pappas '68, will join the LUAA Board of Directors next year. Her brother, Fred Voss '65, is celebrating his 35th reunion this weekend, and her son, Ted Holroyd '85, is celebrating his 15th.
As a volunteer and a leader of volunteers, Jane's service to Lawrence has indeed been outstanding. Time and again, if she knew there was something that needed to be done, she volunteered to do it -- and did it well.
Stephen L. Albrecht '86
Marshall B. Hulbert '26 Young Alumni Outstanding Service Award
After graduating from Lawrence with a degree in government, Steve Albrecht worked for the
college for a year as a head resident and assistant to then-director of alumni relations
Gil Swift '59, who remembers that "Steve assumed any task assigned to him with a spirit
of willingness and followed through to its ultimate conclusion with diligence and good
humor."
Across the intervening years, Steve, who now is director of economic affairs for the Indiana Health Care Association, has continued to serve Lawrence with willingness, diligence, and good humor in an impressive variety of volunteer roles, from the most fundamental to the highest levels of the Alumni Association. He has been a reunion volunteer, a phonathon caller, a class agent since 1991, and an admissions volunteer and coordinator for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Region.
As chair of the Class of 1986's 10th Reunion Gift Committee, he recruited the other members of the committee and led efforts that raised money for the Karen Williams Zaritsky Scholarship in memory of a classmate.
From 1995-99 he was a member of the Lawrence University Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving on the nominations and awards committee and as chair of the newly formed student relations committee. Under his leadership, the committee sought meaningful ways in which alumni could interact with students, an effort that gave birth to the Student Activity Fund grant process by which current students can apply for funds to support activities that enhance their quality of life at Lawrence. The program is underwritten by the Class of 1965's 25th Reunion Gift, and the first grants were made this past academic year. Steve also served as vice-president of the Board of Directors in 1998-99.
Most recently, he has chaired the 15th Reunion Committee, leading planning efforts for this weekend's cluster reunion of the Classes of 1985, 1986, and 1987.
In these and other ways, Steve has given Lawrence a quality of leadership and service that we are sure "Mr. Lawrence," Marshall Hulbert, after whom this award is named, would wholeheartedly approve.