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From coaches and teachers to journalists and business professionals, 10 accomplished graduates who make a positive impact on their professions and communities have been chosen to receive top awards from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Alumni Association in 2013.

“The Alumni Association’s awards program highlights the good work of UW Oshkosh’s alumni around the globe,” Alumni Director Christine Gantner said. “We are proud to honor our 2013 award winners during Homecoming weekend in October.”

The Alumni Association’s highest honor—the Distinguished Alumni Award—is given to those who are active in their professional fields and widely recognized for their career and civic accomplishments. The five 2013 recipients include Victor Alatorre ’97 and MBA ’01, Oshkosh; Timothy Greinert ’85, Milwaukee; Jeffrey Griffith ’87, New York, N.Y.; Dennis Moon ’77, Wautoma; and Sandra (Lopas) Nadeau ’76 and MSE ’82, Sauk Rapids, Minn.

The five recipients of the 2013 Outstanding Young Alumni Award—given for professional and civic accomplishments and future promise—include Shane Arman ’10, Chicago; Kathleen Briquelet ’08, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Jeffrey Koga ’04, Oshkosh; Oliver Schinkten ’03, Oshkosh; and Luke Whitburn ’98, Waunakee.

Accomplishments of the Distinguished Alumni Award winners include:

  • With an education and a career at UWO, Alatorre has an extra dose of Titan pride. He has a bachelor’s degree in international business and an MBA both from UWO, as well as 18 years of progressive information technology experience. Since 2001, he has served as the residence life department’s assistant director of information technology and budgets. Alatorre’s dedication and commitment to service and leadership have touched the lives of thousands of students. He has a special interest in mentoring young Latino and Hispanic students on campus. Since completing his term as president of Delta Sigma Phi in 1998, he has continued to serve as the fraternity’s faculty adviser.
  • Greinert knows a little something about achievement. After earning a bachelor’s in business administration from UWO, he completed his master’s in leadership and human resource management at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. Greinert has served more than 27 years with Junior Achievement, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success. He currently impacts more than 150,000 students annually in the state as president of Junior Achievement of Wisconsin.
  • After majoring in journalism at UW Oshkosh in 1987, Griffith quickly rose to success in the advertising industry, earning an Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 1989. He has continued to excel in the field of advertising and creative design. Griffith currently serves as creative director of Men’s Health at Rodale Publishing. In addition, his pro bono efforts on a major project helped prevent construction of a casino on the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield site. In giving back to his alma mater, Griffith frequently serves as a guest speaker for classes and contributes to mock interviews.
  • Moon, a 1977 physical education major and former student-athlete at UW Oshkosh, earned a master’s in physical education at UW-La Crosse. For more than three decades, he served as positive example of character and leadership both in the classroom and on the field at Wautoma High School. There, he served in variety of roles as physical education teacher, head football coach and strength and conditioning director. He currently works as the Midwest director of Bigger Faster Stronger, a company committed to helping athletes succeed by bringing training programs to coaches and athletes nationwide.
  • With two UW Oshkosh degrees—a bachelor’s in sociology and a master’s in education with an emphasis in community and agency counseling from UW Oshkosh Nadeau has built a career as a nonprofit executive and foundation leader. As the executive director of the St. Cloud Symphony since 2001, she has reengineered and focused the struggling organization. She grew the symphony by nurturing the educational program, developing multiple funding sources and expanding programming and reach. In addition, Nadeau is active in the St. Paul community, including serving as a member of the St. Cloud Friends of the Minneapolis Institute of Art and as co-chair of the Arts and Education Committee of St. Cloud Cultural Plan.

 

Accomplishments of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award winners include:

  • As a 2010 journalism major, Arman quickly hit a home run when he was named PRWeek’s 2013 Young Professional of the Year for his work with Burson-Marsteller in Chicago. After two promotions in just three years, he now serves as an associate in consumer and sports marketing with a specialty in fan experience. He has worked with clients, such as Discover and MetLife. Arman’s recent success follows on his remarkable college career, which included serving as president of Reeve Union Board and vice president of UWO’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
  • From early on as a journalism student at UWO, Briquelet knew she wanted to be a reporter at a big-city publication. After graduation in 2008, she moved to New York and earned a master’s in journalism at New York University. She has worked as an intern at City Hall News and as a writer and copy editor for Business Traveler magazine. She then wrote for the The Brooklyn Paper, before reaching her goal of writing for the New York Post in April 2012 as a enterprise reporter for the Sunday edition.
  • With three young children at home, Koga worked hard at UW Oshkosh to graduate in 2004 with three majors in operations management, accounting and management information systems. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and worked in the systems and process assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, before joining Oshkosh Defense in 2006. At Oshkosh, he has risen quickly to his current position as associate vice president of integrated product support.
  • At UWO, Schinkten received bachelor’s degrees in both science and education and human services. He furthered his education with a master’s in education from Lakeland College in 2011. He currently is a driving force in the creation of Communities, a new pilot school within Oshkosh North High School. Before that, he served as a physical, life and earth science teacher at Merrill Middle School, where he earned a reputation for going the extra mile to engage students in real-world science applications.
  • Whitburn exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit early in life, when he started a snow plowing and lawn care business as a high school student. At UWO, he majored in sociology and worked as a teaching assistant in the department. From 2003 to 2007, he worked as a branch manager for Manpower, earning accolades for outstanding performance. He also worked as vice president of operations at Drake & Company Staffing Specialists. In February, he was named to In Business magazine’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2013.

 

The Alumni Awards Dinner will be held beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 in Reeve Memorial Union. Reserve your spot at the event by calling (920) 424-3349 or sending an email to alumni@uwosh.edu. Tickets are $30 per person.