Steven Robbins, entrepreneur and real estate agent

Steven Robbins enrolled at UW-Eau Claire in the early 1970s and quickly became a student leader as president of the student ski club, then the largest student organization on campus with nearly 1,000 members.

While life and business passions took him elsewhere before completing his degree, Robbins has been a lifelong supporter and champion of all things Blugold.

“In reality, minus a few busy years here and there, UWEC has remained a huge part of my life since the day I moved into Towers Hall in 1973,” Robbins says.

Robbins enjoyed a 16-year career in various ski-related industries (including a television career as a ski stunt double), followed by three decades of success in residential real estate in Phoenix, Arizona.

Throughout the years, Robbins has returned to campus regularly, attended events and fundraisers, and financially supported many campaigns and causes. He also has worked diligently to connect Blugold alumni in the Phoenix area on a regular basis through golf outings, Packers game-day festivities and simple dinner gatherings.

To quote Julia Diggins, vice president of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, “There are so many dedicated Blugolds, but few embody the spirit of UW-Eau Claire as fully as Steven Robbins. Since his time as a student, he has become one of the university’s most steadfast champions, dedicating his life to fostering connections among alumni, students and the broader campus community.”

Advice to graduates: “Stay involved with this campus and the people you’ve met here. Being a Blugold has been the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and it will be a blessing to remain a part of the Blugold nation for years to come.”

John Kinville ’03, bachelor’s in social studies

With the many lives that a high school teacher influences over a career, it can be difficult to quantify the total impact of a life’s work.

For Chippewa Falls Senior High School social studies teacher and UW-Eau Claire graduate John Kinville, the evidence paints a clear picture.

• Voted Teacher of the Year by the student body 15 times.
• Honored four times by Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce as the district’s Most Influential Teacher.
• Honored by Herb Kohl Foundation as an Influential Educator.

Outside of the classroom, Kinville has published two books focused on Chippewa Falls history and founded Flags 4 the Fallen, a nonprofit educational organization to help students identify, research and honor fallen soldiers from the community. He received the 2025 American Red Cross Heroes Award for his work with students and soldiers.

Chippewa Falls High School principal Donna Goodman says Kinville deserves this alumni recognition for being so much more than an excellent teacher.

“John Kinville is not just a teacher — he is a mentor, a guide, an inspiration to everyone around him,” Goodman says. “His unwavering commitment to educational excellence and his innovative approach to teaching make him an invaluable asset to our district.”

Kinville admits to possessing a fortitude that has led to an abundance of passion and success in an ever-changing and challenging field.

“I am most proud of all the times that my students have known they can come to me for help or for someone to listen to them,” Kinville says. “My internal fire for doing this work has yet to waiver.”

Advice to graduates: “The most common road sign in the world is the red octagon stop sign. Don’t be too easily convinced to stop. If you have a good idea, hit the gas and methodically go for it.”

Michael LeMay ’05, bachelor’s in computer science

When Michael LeMay began taking computer science courses at UW-Eau Claire, he was just 15 years old, and the word prodigy was not used lightly by faculty like Dr. Jack Tan.

“Of the thousands of students I’ve worked with in computer science, Michael stands out as second to none,” says Tan, professor emeritus of computer science. “It was clear to me when we met in 2000 that he was indeed a prodigy, and he remains a star at the forefront of cybersecurity.”

Today, LeMay is a senior staff research scientist at Intel Labs in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from UW-Eau Claire as the department’s Outstanding Senior in Computer Science in 2005, he went on to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is a prolific inventor, author and speaker in the world of cybersecurity.

LeMay got his start inventing at UW-Eau Claire, collaborating on research with faculty. He has been granted 92 U.S. patents, the first of which in 2010 came for his student collaboration with Tan. Hardware and software security architectures influenced by his research are deployed in a large proportion of computer systems in use today.

Tan describes LeMay’s success as not only based on supreme talent, but also on his generosity of spirit.

“Michael’s humility and his willingness to help anyone has always earned him the respect of his peers,” Tan says. “His involvement in community initiatives and events showcases his commitment to service, along with his commitment to excellence.”

LeMay says he’s deeply grateful for the early opportunities he had at UW-Eau Claire, from research to conference presentations to peer-reviewed paper submissions.

“The mentoring I received in the computer science department was pivotal in launching my career,” LeMay says. “The opportunities UWEC provided developed my fundamental research skills and the inspiration to pursue a research career.”

Advice to graduates: “Inventing is a mix of observation, collaboration and contemplation. Leave yourself space to think deeply. Be intentional about noticing friction points, turn them over in your mind. Creative solutions can bubble up later in unconscious thoughts.”

Barbara Lohse ’79, bachelor’s in biology

Dr. Barbara Lohse is a professor of health sciences and director of health and well-being management programs of the Wegmans School of Health and Nutrition at Rochester Institute Technology in Rochester, New York.

As a transfer student late in her 1970s college career, Barbara Lohse spent just one year at UW-Eau Claire before completing her biology degree, but she says her time as a Blugold shaped her career trajectory in significant ways.

“The UWEC faculty strongly encouraged me to attend graduate school,” Lohse says. “And because the quality of the teaching in biology was so strong, I felt that I had a jump-start on my grad studies. I still have all my notebooks and when I look through them, I’m amazed at the depth and breadth of lectures and labs.”

Lohse completed a master’s degree in food and nutrition studies at UW-Stout and a doctoral degree in nutritional science and educational psychology at UW-Madison.

Lohse has carried such regard for UWEC faculty that she and her husband, Donald Fischman, created the Lohse-Fischman Faculty Excellence Award for biology faculty who “go above and beyond for their students.”

“Donald is a physician, and we share the experience that biology faculty were key to our success,” Lohse says. “We are pleased to offer this fund which provides dedicated faculty the needed resources for research, teaching and dissemination of findings.”

“I’m honored by this Distinguished Achievement Award from the Blugold Alumni Association,” Lohse says. “UW-Eau Claire allowed me to achieve my dream of finishing college when I was unsure it would be possible. The biology faculty was so supportive and will always be a role model for me in how I approach learning, research and teaching.”

John Noltner ’90, bachelor’s in journalismCommencement speaker: ‘Charge to the Class’

John Noltner is a freelance photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For over 25 years, he has traveled across four continents to document images and stories of human courage, grace and resilience for national magazines, Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations.

His images have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, Forbes, Health, Midwest Living, New York Daily News and more.

In 2008, Noltner founded “A Peace of My Mind,” a multimedia arts project that uses portraits and personal narratives to bridge divides and encourage dialogues around important issues in communities.

“This project reflects my belief that art and storytelling can help individuals, organizations and communities articulate their deepest values and reweave our frayed social fabric,” Noltner says.

Noltner has published four books. The most recent, “Lessons on the Road to Peace,” won the 2024 Minnesota Book Awards for general nonfiction, a Budapest International Foto Award Gold Medal and Peacemaker of the Year from the Independent Press.

Richard Mickelson, emeritus staff and professional photographer at UW-Eau Claire, says Noltner is an ideal recipient of a Blugold alumni honor.

“John Noltner is a peacemaker who never sits on the sidelines,” Mickelson says. “He is out there every day asking questions, listening carefully and allowing others to communicate important truths. His communication skills are transferred to his subjects, his co-creators.”

Advice to graduates: “Things happen to us, and some of those things are difficult. Some devastating, some unforgiveable. But that’s not the end of the story. The biggest question we can ask is ‘What’s next?’ How are we going to respond to that thing and how are we going to choose to move forward?”

Jason Plante ’97, bachelor’s in marketing

For Eau Claire native Jason Plante, supporting the community always has gone hand in hand with doing his job. And in his 25 years as vice president of Market & Johnson construction, his job has held a major focus on projects with UW-Eau Claire.

“As a Blugold, it has been especially rewarding to be a part of growth for UW-Eau Claire, through projects like the Priory, Aspenson Mogensen Hall, Haymarket Landing, Pablo Center at the Confluence and, of course, The Sonnentag,” Plante says.

Plante has served on the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents, as well as serving on numerous community boards of directors, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Feed My People Food Bank, Momentum West, Friends of Sacred Heart Foundation, Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp.

In her long tenure with the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, Kimera Way worked closely with Plante and Market & Johnson on all the projects above, and she sees Plante as an ideal recipient of the Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award

“Jason is the best personification of a Blugold,” says Way, Foundation president emerita. “He has provided strong leadership at Market & Johnson throughout his career and has been an active community volunteer. Whenever groups are seeking strong and engaged volunteers, Jason's name is usually mentioned first. I can't think of a more deserving recipient of an alumni award. He wears his Blugold pedigree with pride.”

Plante is grateful for the positive influences on his early career at Spectrum and his time at Market & Johnson, adding that UW-Eau Claire also shaped his path in significant ways.

“My time at UWEC was perhaps some of the most rewarding,” Plante says. “It is where my educational foundation was built, where many friendships developed and the place where I learned to dream big and strive for my goals.”

Advice to graduates: “There are four key attributes that I hope all current and future Blugolds recognize.

• First is the importance of a strong work ethic — my success has always come when our teams have outworked everyone else.
• Second is to take advantage of every single opportunity that comes your way.
• Thirdly, cultivate strong relationships — you’ll never regret having too many good relationships and you never know when you will need one.
• Lastly, give back to your community, whether it is your time, expertise or financial support.”

Milton and Pegeen Snoeyenbos

For many years, Milton and Pegeen Snoeyenbos have made generous annual gifts in support of UW-Eau Claire’s jazz program, becoming the largest single donors in the program’s history.

In addition to their annual gifts, the Snoeyenboses made a significant estate gift plan that has endowed major aspects of the UW-Eau Claire jazz program. The Margaret and Jack O’Farrell Jazz Advancement Fund and the Margaret and Jack O’Farrell Director of Jazz Fund honor Peg's parents, Jack and Margaret O'Farrell, both local musicians who made significant contributions to the Eau Claire jazz scene.

Peg and Milton both attended UW-Eau Claire. Peg completed an English degree in 1966 and worked in the health education unit of the Minneapolis Health Department prior to the couple’s move to Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta, Peg worked as an instructor for an adult literacy program called Literacy Action. She took up writing and has published five children’s books, numerous short stories and pieces of short-form humor.

Milton began his college career at UW-Eau Claire, later completing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Montana and a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Minnesota. He taught at Georgia State University, primarily in organizational ethics and logic, areas in which he has over 100 publications. He now enjoys spending time with his cat, gardening, canoeing and keeping up with Peg, who continues her interest in writing.

Marcia Van Beek, major gift officer emerita at UW-Eau Claire, is proud to recognize Milton and Peg Snoeyenbos with the Lifetime Excellence Award.

“What Milt and Peg have done for music at UW-Eau Claire is transformative,” Van Beek says. “Their generous and humble nature have helped enshrine the jazz legacy of UW-Eau Claire and the O’Farrell family for generations to come.”

Advice to graduates: The big question most graduates have when leaving college is whether they are truly prepared for the future. Keep in mind that you are graduating from one of the finest state universities in the entire Midwest so you can answer that question now, and for the rest of your lives, with a confident “Yes!”