The annual Michigan State University Alumni Grand Awards Gala was held Oct. 13 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. Distinguished Alumni Awards, Alumni Service Awards, Young Alumni Awards, Philanthropists of the Year Awards and an Honorary Alumnus Award were shared by 16 exceptional Spartans.
Recipients were selected by the MSU Alumni Association Awards Committee.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize those who have distinguished themselves by obtaining the highest levels of professional accomplishments and who possess the highest standards of integrity and character to positively reflect and enhance the prestige of MSU.
The recipients were:
- Kim de Groh, senior materials research engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
- Reinhold Schmieding, founding president of surgical instrument manufacturing and supply company, Arthrex, Inc., Naples, Florida.
- The Alumni Service Awards are presented to those who have demonstrated continuing outstanding volunteer service to MSU and/or meritorious public service on a local, state, national or international level. Recipients must possess the highest standards of integrity and character to positively reflect and enhance the prestige of MSU.
The recipients were:
- Michael and Kathryn (Gardner) Bosco. He is an attorney and a founding partner at Tiffany and Bosco, a private law firm. She is a retired elementary school teacher. They live in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Cheryl Gilliam, senior packaging engineer at Kellogg Company, Battle Creek. She lives in Portage, Michigan.
- Ingrid Saunders Jones, retired senior vice president of The Coca-Cola Foundation, currently chair of the National Council of Negro Women. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Merritt Lutz, co-creator of the Spartan Marching Band’s signature drum cadence, The Series, and advisory director at Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm in New York City.
- The Young Alumni Awards are presented to graduates 40 years and younger who have distinguished themselves through high levels of professional accomplishment early in their careers. These individuals demonstrate a commitment to MSU through outstanding continuous volunteer service on behalf of the university and/or participation and leadership in meritorious public service on a local, state, national or international level.
The recipients were:
- Richard Bryce, assistant professor of family and community medicine at Wayne State University, and works for the Community Health and Social Services Center in Detroit. He lives in Royal Oak, Michigan.
- Bradley L. Dizik, founding president, Tiberian Advisers LLC, and defense attorney at Dizik PC in New York City.
- Mathew Ishbia, president and CEO, United Shore Financial Services, LLC, a wholesale mortgage lending business based out of Troy. He lives in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
- Ke “CoCo” Zhang-Miske, Global Technology Planning Manager on General Motors’ Buick line, from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- The Philanthropists of the Year Awards are presented to individuals, families, associations, corporations or foundations with proven records of providing major, on-going financial support and leadership to MSU. The candidates will have demonstrated outstanding philanthropic responsibility toward MSU; their generosity encourages others to take leadership roles in philanthropy toward our university.
The recipients were:
- Robert and Georgia (Hedges) Burgess. He is an executive advisor at Wynnchurch Capital, a private equity investment firm. She is an accomplished interior designer. They live in Evergreen, Colorado.
- Craig and Vicki (Huber) Brown. He is president and CEO of Keelers Ridges Associates, LLC, and co-owner of the Greenville Drive baseball team, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. She is president of the Brown Family Foundation. They live in Greenville, South Carolina.
- The Honorary Alumnus Award is presented to those who have demonstrated outstanding continuous volunteer service to our university on a local, state, national or international level.
The recipient was:
- Twesigye “Jackson” Kaguri, former interim senior director of development in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU, and founder and executive director, Nyaka AIDS Orphan Project in Uganda. He lives in Okemos, Michigan.
SOURCE: MSU Today
