Several alumni honored for USU’s Founders celebration
The A will glow blue on Old Main March 6, but not because of a big sports win. Instead, the light will commemorate the university’s 121st birthday.
The Founders’ Day Celebration will be that evening in the Evan Stevenson Ballroom in the Taggart Student Center. As part of the celebration, five distinguished alumni will be honored, said Tim Vitale, assistant director of public relations and marketing. These alumni were chosen by the Alumni Association because of achievements in their respective areas, Vitale said, and will be honored with either the Distinguished Alumni Award or the Distinguished Service Award.
Receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award are Saundra S. Buys and John R. Miller, according to a press release from the university.
Vitale said Buys, though not a graduate of Utah State, attended the university for two years before moving to Boston with her husband. She completed her degree at Northeastern University before graduating from Tufts University School of Medicine in 1979, said the release. She then returned to Utah in 1979 for an internship and residency with the University of Utah School of Medicine, the release said. She is now one of the leaders in breast cancer research, Vitale said.
“She is well-respected by her colleagues and patients,” he said.
John R. Miller will also be receiving the award. He graduated from Utah State in 1977, the release states, and went on to work at American Commodities Corporation in Hyrum. In 1979, the release said, he became the CEO of E.A. Miller, Inc., in Hyrum and has since gone on to become the CEO and president of Armour Food Company in Omaha, Neb., the CEO of National Carriers, Inc. and the CEO of National Beef Packing Company in Kansas City, Miss., which is the fourth-largest beef processor in the U.S.
“John Miller is one of the true leading voices in the beef industry in the nation,” Vitale said.
Receiving the Distinguished Service Award are Mike Dmitrich and John and Barbara Wilkerson, the release states.
Dmitrich played football for Utah State in the 1950s but transferred to the College of Eastern Utah after an injury, said the release.
Dmitrich retired from the Utah Legislature in 2008 after serving for 40 continuous years, Vitale said, being well-respected by both political parties. His main quest in politics, Vitale said, was in furthering educational opportunities on every level.
“He was a true champion of education throughout his career,” Vitale said, “on all levels of education.”
John and Barbara Wilkerson have been strong forces in preserving folk art, Vitale said. According to the release, the couple has a personal collection of early artistic works of central and west Australia, which is currently on display at the Johnson Museum at Cornell University.
“Both of them have a strong love of art,” Vitale said.
Vitale said the couple has also been influential at several folk art museums in New York City, where they now reside. John received his bachelor’s in biological sciences from Utah State in 1965 before continuing his education at Cornell, from which he received his master’s and doctorate degrees.
Wally Odd, executive director of the Alumni Association, said in the press release that the selection of alumni to be honored is difficult because so many USU alumni are very successful in their individual fields.
“The task of honoring great Aggies is a most difficult one because we have so many who are indeed great,” Odd said in the press release. “But these Aggie greats have a sincere and generous concern for the good of mankind and are committed to make an appreciable difference wherever they are found. Their efforts bring great credit on Utah State University and our Alumni Association.”
According to the press release, the university was founded in 1888 and was called the Agricultural College of Utah. The state’s land-grant institution, it originally offered five majors or career options, it states, a far cry from today’s 230 majors in 45 departments contained in six colleges.
–lisa.m.christensen@aggiemail.usu.edu