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A retired University of Wisconsin Oshkosh professor who continues to inspire despite facing a terminal illness and the co-founder of The Politico.com received the prestigious Chancellor’s Medallion during the University’s midyear commencement at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 13.

An avid advocate for families of children with disabilities, Craig R. Fiedler, a professor in the Department of Special Education, joined the Department of Special Education as an assistant professor in 1987. His expertise and service has focused on special education and advocacy issues.  He has authored four books and numerous scholarly publications regarding special education, parental advocacy, legal and ethical issues in assessment, attitudes toward special needs and other related subjects.

Fiedler retired from the University after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in January 2008. Since his retirement, he has been at work on a book he hopes will inspire people to live life to the fullest.

Just 12 years after graduating from UW Oshkosh in 1994, Jim VandeHei embarked on a new venture that would transform his life and the American political landscape. When he co-founded the Internet-based political news site Politico in 2006, VandeHei helped create a new paradigm for delivering political news. Politico has rapidly become one of the nation’s leading sources of political news and commentary.

During the most recent presidential campaign season, Politico developed an impressive staff of accomplished political reporters and commentators. The coverage they provided was broadly accepted by print-, Internet- and broadcast-based news organizations. Politico is also developing new approaches to placing advertising and generating revenue from other newspapers and organizations and associated Web sites.