Seven to be honored with Alumni Association awards

Seven alumni and friends of the university will be honored with awards from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Alumni Association on Friday, Dec. 20.

Honorary Alumnus Award

The Honorary Alumnus Award is presented to non-alumni or non-degreed alumni who have demonstrated great love of and service to UW-Eau Claire or the greater community.

Kimera Way, UW-Eau Claire Foundation president emerita

Kimera Way joined the university in 2001 as executive director of development for the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, charged with leading the first capital campaign. Way became president of the Foundation in 2007, CEO in 2022 and retired in summer 2024.

Way oversaw the planning and execution of many fundraising campaigns for projects such as the Flesch Family Welcome Center, Garfield Avenue redevelopment and the Stowe Family Gateway, fountain and outdoor classroom. She also developed the $150 million Sustaining Human Innovation campaign. Way served as executive director of the Blugold Real Estate Foundation and was instrumental in projects such as Pablo Center at the Confluence, Haymarket Landing, the Children’s Nature Academy, Aspenson Mogensen Hall and The Sonnentag complex.

Former University Foundation board chair Eric Wan says he cannot think of a more perfect selection for an honorary alumnus award than Kimera Way, someone he says “bleeds blue and gold.”

“Kim has a unique talent of seeing opportunities, solving tough challenges and bringing people together to get big things done,” Wan says.

Way says she is honored by this award and recognition for the work she feels lucky to have been part of. “I’ve been blessed by the greatest bosses, colleagues and friends at UWEC,” Way says. “Best of all, I’ve been able to change the lives of Blugolds for the better.” 

Way has some advice for the fall 2024 graduates, which includes fostering a drive to remain curious, asking lots of questions and embracing every opportunity.

“A favorite saying of mine is, ‘When opportunity knocks, you can’t just say no one is home.’”

Jason Jon Anderson, president, Wisconsin Independent Venues Association, and production director, Boston Calling Music Festival

Jason Anderson began working at UW-Eau Claire in 2007, after years as a lighting designer and production manager in the music and theater industry.

First hired as a technical operations coordinator for University Centers, he soon became event coordinator and eventually assistant director for Conferences and Event Services from 2014-18.

Anderson’s expertise not only elevated the quality and number of campus events, but greatly expanded student employment opportunities for Blugolds.

“When I joined Event Services, there was a 12-student stage crew,” Anderson says. “I worked to grow the Event Production Crew to over 80 students, becoming the first-ever university student crew to produce an international music festival, Eaux Claires Festival, in 2015-18.”

Anderson’s committee work shaped many key campus and community projects, such as the Schofield Auditorium renovation, campus mall and Garfield Avenue renovations, Phoenix Park, Grand Avenue and Haymarket bridge lighting projects and Pablo Center at the Confluence.

Anderson oversaw the last phases of construction at Pablo and served as executive director through the center’s first seven years of operation. 

“Jason is a talented leader who can see and break down large-sale ideas into manageable pieces, and his willingness to serve our campus and community has made a tremendous impact — we are lucky to have him as a true Blugold,” says Julia Diggins, vice president of development for the UWEC Foundation.

Anderson says he is grateful for all the opportunities and experiences he was provided at UW-Eau Claire and he offers a few words to the newest class of graduates:

“We all get one chance on this incredible blue marble we call home, so truly experience it. And if you agree to do something, give it your all and do it with excellence.” 

Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award

The Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award acknowledges the special achievements and great promise of alumni who are within 15 years of their graduation from UW-Eau Claire.

Dr. Tayo Sanders II ’15, bachelor’s in materials science

During his final semester as an undergraduate at UW-Eau Claire, materials science major Tayo Sanders became the second Blugold ever to be named a Rhodes Scholar, a full scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. at the prestigious Oxford University in England.

Sanders completed that doctoral program in biomedical engineering in 2019 and currently serves as the co-founder and managing partner of Arrowpoint Labs, a pioneering venture creation and advisory firm dedicated to supporting the growth of regional innovation ecosystems across the U.S. He also serves as chief business officer at Singular Immune, a Dallas, Texas-based biotechnology company focused on developing effective and accessible personalized cell therapies.

Prior to these current roles, Sanders spent several years launching and managing Birmingham, Alabama’s biotechnology commercialization hub. For nearly a decade he has advised biotechnology startups and venture capital firms, directing investments in breakthrough biomedical and industrial technologies. Sanders was an early investor in two companies developing Nobel Prize-winning technology while at Anzu Partners and supported the deployment of over $130 million across Anzu’s portfolio.

Sanders returned to UW-Eau Claire in 2023 as the keynote speaker for the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research, an event that hosted 3,600 student researchers and their faculty mentors from across the U.S. His message focused on the impact of research experiences and student-faculty mentor relationships, both of which he said have the power to “shape lives and careers.”

“UW-Eau Claire gave me the space to practice failing,” Sanders says. “My research was largely about learning to be OK not being the best, not doing things correctly, making mistakes and learning how to draw insight and grow from it. That’s an invaluable skill.”

In advice to graduates, Sanders says, “Don’t feel like you need everything figured out. Continue to be guided by problems that inspire you and places that invest in you.”

President’s Award

The President’s Award recognizes outstanding professional and personal achievements and service to UW-Eau Claire.

Jeffrey Kowieski ’93, bachelor’s in accounting

Jeff Kowieski is a partner and general counsel for Wipfli LLP, one of the largest accounting firms in the U.S., with with more than 3,200 employees located throughout the country and around the world. 

After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in accounting, Kowieski went on to the University of Wisconsin Law School and completed a law degree in 1996. Prior to joining Wipfli in Eau Claire, he practiced law for seven years at Ruder, Ware & Michler in Wausau. 

“Along with my wife, Sue Ellen, also a Blugold, we made the decision to return to the town where we met and I joined Wipfli LLP, then a regional Wisconsin firm,” he says. “It’s been a wonderful place to live and raise our daughters, Emma and Caroline.” 

Kowieski’s primary responsibilities at Wipfli include legal and risk management functions. He previously also served as chief operations officer at Wipfli and a member of the board of directors.

“My education at UW-Eau Claire set a strong foundation for my career and afforded me opportunities and experiences I never would have imagined possible when I enrolled here as a freshman in 1989.” 

Kowieski focused on core values in advice to the graduates of fall 2024. 

“I’d tell them to maintain curiosity — listen, absorb and read as much as possible to develop an understanding of the world and how it works. And ‘The Five P’s’ are an excellent rule: Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.”  

Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award

The Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, to be presented to two Blugold alumni in December, recognizes distinguished service to the community, state or nation in a manner that brings credit upon the award recipient and UW-Eau Claire.

Heather Hoytink ’99, bachelor’s in marketing 

In 2022, Heather Hoytink became the first woman ever named division president at PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA).

PBNA is one of the largest beverage companies in North America today, with nearly 60,000 associates and $27 billion in net revenue in 2023. Hoytink leads a team of thousands of employees across the 13-state southern territory.   

Hoytink has been recognized for her leadership, recently being honored as a “Woman Who Means Business” by the Orlando Business Journal and as one of Florida’s 500 most influential business leaders in the state by Florida Trend magazine. 

“I’m very passionate about taking a people-first leadership approach and I’m a big believer in the power of mentorship,” Hoytink says about her career.   

One people-first initiative she helped to establish is the PBNA South Division’s Returnship Program, an effort in partnership with nonprofit Path Forward aimed at helping professionals return to the workforce after taking time off for caregiving. 

Hoytink says that without the mentorship she received as a Blugold, she would not be where she is today at PepsiCo. 

“During my time at UWEC, I went through a huge transition from a nursing major to pursuing a marketing degree,” Hoytink says. “I owe the courage it took to make that change to the late Dr. Chuck Tomkovick; he believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my interests in business.” 

As a result of his mentorship and the other strong relationships she built at UW-Eau Claire, Hoytink says she now aims to embody servant leadership with empathy and inclusivity, helping her team to reach their true potential.  

Hoytink’s words of advice for the newest class of Blugold graduates is all about perspective. 

“Graduation brings pressure to quickly build a professional career. I would encourage them to enjoy the journey and this phase of life when the opportunities are endless. Also, keep the mindset of being a student throughout your career and strive to be a continuous learner.” 

Lifetime Excellence Award

The Lifetime Excellence Award is presented to alumni who have demonstrated longtime and successful commitment to their careers and communities. These individuals have made a positive and dramatic impact through their enthusiastic dedication to service and living their lives as a testimony to UW-Eau Claire’s motto, “Excellence.”

Leiv Erik Lundberg ’84, bachelor’s in business administration

Leiv Erik Lundberg came to UW-Eau Claire in 1981 as an international student from Norway, a decision that changed his life’s trajectory. He recounts “eyes opened up to a world that was much larger and more interesting” than the one he left.

“This is where I learned about American culture and civilization and made many friends, some in my life to this day,” Lundberg says.

It is also where he discovered his interest and aptitude for finance and met his life partner, Kathy, and where they started their journey together.

Lundberg’s Blugold finance degree and subsequent MBA laid the foundation for a professional career that took him to his current role as chief investment officer at the University of Michigan. He is responsible for directing the university’s $20 billion long-term investment portfolio, which includes the university’s endowment. Under his 25 years of management, the endowment has grown from $2.5 billion to over $19 billion in value, now one of the top 10 largest funds in the country.

Lundberg has earned multiple industry awards for his outstanding achievements, including Public Endowment CIO of the Decade in 2015 and 2024 Endowment CIO of the Year from the Institutional Investor Allocator’s Choice awards.

Lundberg brings his expertise to his philanthropic efforts, serving as director of Father Flanagan’s Fund for Needy Children and the investment committee of the Skillman Foundation serving children in Detroit. He has been a long-trusted advisor on numerous other charitable funds and councils, including the UW-Eau Claire Foundation.

He offers the following advice to the fall graduates of 2024:

“Keep plugging away at your challenges and opportunities. There will be ups and downs. It may take longer than you'd like, but you'd be surprised what you will accomplish if you stay focused and keep working at it.”

Dr. Kathleen Hanlon-Lundberg ’83, bachelor’s in biology

After graduating from UW-Eau Claire, Kathleen Hanlon-Lundberg completed a medical degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1987 and a fellowship in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago in 1993.

“I learned my trade providing care for persons from myriad backgrounds in a severely under-resourced setting,” Hanlon-Lundberg says. “It was an immersive experience that profoundly shaped my life, making me acutely aware of the many different worlds within our world.”

Hanlon-Lundberg’s first “real job” after a decade of training was at the University of Wisconsin Medical School Milwaukee campus, where, she says, “each day provided the chance to change the world for the better.”

Hanlon-Lundberg returned to academia, completing a Ph.D. in medical anthropology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where she now is on the faculty. Her teaching and research lives at “the intersection of human social and biological evolution, medicine, technology and public health.”

Hanlon-Lundberg credits UW-Eau Claire with both the foundations of her medical education and career, and the opportunity to meet her partner in life.

“One of the greatest paths that flowed from my time in Eau Claire is the wonderful journey with my life partner, Leiv Erik Lundberg. We have three beautiful children, all adults now,” she says.

The advice Hanlon-Lundberg offers December graduates is to foster resilience in their futures.

“Challenges both anticipated and unforeseen will inevitably arise,” she says. “Be willing to reexamine yourself and adjust your perspectives and actions based on new information, as there is something to be gained in every experience.”