Alumni Brand Champions

Cliff Christl ‘70

As an award-winning sports journalist, Cliff Christl changed the way Wisconsin reporters covered the Green Bay Packers — less rah-rah and more substance. He credits a good start to his three-decade-long career to his education in journalism at UW Oshkosh. He is proud that he set high standards for integrity and fairness in his reporting.

“The most important thing about UW Oshkosh was that it gave me an opportunity to mature, grow a little bit. When I left, I was prepared, and I’ll be forever grateful to the University for that.”

Howard Spearman ’98, MSE ‘03

Through his professional career and his ministry, Howard Spearman inspires people to transform their lives. He has turned his education from UW Oshkosh in human services and counselor education into a career as a senior adviser for UW-Milwaukee’s Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business. He recently earned a doctorate from Cardinal Stritch University of Milwaukee. Spearman also lives a life of service through numerous church and community activities.

“It was definitely something that was worth it for me to learn how to draw inspiration from so many different areas of my life. Whether it was a good time or the bad time, UW Oshkosh has supported me through it all — through my college life, through my professional life and even my family life. “

Jessica King ‘98

Oshkosh lawyer Jessica King takes community service seriously. As a student at UW Oshkosh, she served a term as president of the Oshkosh Student Association. Today, as an established legal professional, King finds time to serve on the Oshkosh Common Council, the Grand Opera House Foundation Board, the Legal Action Wisconsin Board of Directors and the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Wisconsin. 

“I would say the most dramatic change from when I attended school here is truly the physical nature of the infrastructure on campus. It’s very impressive to see development of the footprint that really serves students.”

Joseph McGrath ‘78

Endless curiosity about the earth and commitment to serving his country define petroleum geologist Joseph McGrath’s life. At UW Oshkosh, he earned a degree in geology and completed the ROTC program, which led to extensive civilian and military careers, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in various staff, command and chief of staff positions.

“Following 9/11, I have been deployed twice with service in Nicaragua and again in Afghanistan.  I have always met the challenge to serve as long as I had the talent, expertise and physical capability to continue to safeguard our nation’s freedoms.”

William Weber ‘71

William Weber is an internationally recognized leader in the area of defects and radiation effects in ceramics. During his undergraduate start in physics at UW Oshkosh, Weber worked as a summer research intern at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he conducted his first experiment on radiation effects. He continued his education with a master’s and doctorate in nuclear engineering at UW-Madison. He has worked at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory ever since.

“UW Oshkosh has played a very important role in my life and has set the foundation for my career. I enjoyed my time at the University. It’s a great place to be for an undergraduate.”

V.J.  “Brad” Zibung ‘99

With a quick sense of humor and a solid education in journalism from UW Oshkosh, Brad Zibung founded “The Heckler,” a satirical tabloid for long-suffering Chicago Cubs fans. He loves to write the short, punchy articles that resonate with fans. He also manages a regional office for StubHub, the online marketplace for tickets to sporting and other events. In his spare time, he serves as a board member of the Off the Street Club, Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club.

“I’m a pretty ordinary person but I’ve tried to have a lot of experiences in life that are beyond ordinary, and I think I learned that at Oshkosh.”

Timothy Ward ‘70

The more than 5 million veterans seeking medical care rely on Timothy Ward’s skilled leadership as the highest-ranking dental program official with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He developed and implemented a two-year fellowship in war-related illnesses and injuries and a program to provide dental care to homeless veterans. Ward also serves as a staff oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the Washington VA Medical Center.

“The thing that I took away from Oshkosh was an intellectual curiosity that stayed with me the rest of my life, and this is where I developed it.”