6/14/24 Ripon College Will Honor Notable Alumni
14 June 2024 News
RIPON — Ripon College will honor 11 alumni with special awards Friday, June 21. These awards will be presented during Alumni Weekend at the 1851 Awards Dinner. To learn more about this honor or purchase to attend the awards ceremony on June 21, please call 920-748-8126.
Distinguished Alumni Citation:
- Gary G. Yerkey ’66 is a journalist who has written for TIME-LIFE, ABC News, the International Herald Tribune and The Christian Science Monitor. He also is the author of numerous historical-based books.
He also is a U.S. Air Force veteran.
He received a collective Congressional Gold Medal as one of the “foot soldiers” who participated in the historic Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March in March 1965. This was accomplished while he was a student at Ripon.
At Ripon, Yerkey majored in philosophy and was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.
- George H. Boothby Sr. ’74 is retired from the insurance industry in which he received the Professional American Institute of Marine Underwriters Distinguished Service Award and the Insurance Person of the Year Award.
He was a volunteer with Boy Scouts of America and the New Jersey Klondike Derby for more than three decades, and also dedicated time to Special Olympics, the National Maritime Organization, The Propeller Club, school board and his church.
In Scouting, he is the recipeient of numbeours awards and recognitions, including Scoutmaster Award of Merit, Servant of Youth, Service to Scouting Award, Silver Beaver Award, and a Certificate of Merit for saving a life.
At Ripon, he majored in English and participated in the Phi Delta Theta/Alpha Phi Omega fraternity.
- Elizabeth York Flanigan ’94 is chief of Clinical Operations and an attending neonatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
She received a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; a Doctor of Medicine from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; and a Master of Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
She also served 18 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, including service during Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, and currently is a colonel in the Army Reserves.
In the medical field, she has received the Margret Merino Outstanding Fellow Award, Residency Mentorship and Teaching Award, and Distinguished Clinician Award from Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
In the military, she has received three Commendation Medals, two Meritorious Service Medals; Superior Unit Award; Global War on Terrorism Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal and National Defense Service Medal.
At Ripon, Flanigan majored in psychobiology and participated in swimming, soccer and Alpha Chi Omega. She also studied abroad in the Arts of London and Florence program.
- Todd Keil ’84 is associate managing director at Kroll, Enterprise Security Risk Management, based in Dallas.
In December 2009, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and prior to that he spent 23 years as a supervisory special agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
His positions in the private sector include leadership roles at Magic Leap and Texas Instruments.
At Ripon, Keil majored in criminal justice and politics and government and was a member of Beta Sigma Pi.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award:
- Nicole Zeman Stangl ’17 is an attorney with Ruder Ware law firm in Wausau, Wisconsin, receiving her Doctor of Law from University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Within the community, she volunteers with GiGi’s Playhouse in Wausau, Northern Valley Industries, United Way of Marathon County and Women United
At Ripon, Stangl majored in business management and politics and government; and participated in Beta Sigma Pi, Alpha Delta Pi sorority, the Presidential Leadership Program and Pre-Law Society. She also was a recipient of the S. N. Pickard Award.
As a student-athlete in track and field, she placed eight school records, including three relays; was a three-time conference champion in the Outdoor 400m Hurdles, qualifying for Nationals during her junior season; was a four-time Academic All-Conference performer; and twice earned the Midwest Conference’s Elite 20 Award.
- Ariana Myers ’14 is the director of LGBTQ+ Resource Center as well as a lecturer in history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
She earned her Ph.D. in history from Princeton University where Dayton-Stockton Professor of History Bill Jordan, Ripon College Class of 1969, was her advisor.
At Ripon, Myers majored in history, Spanish and self-designed study in classical languages. She participated in theatre, Tabletop Games Club and Secular Student Alliance.
At Ripon, she earned achievement awards in history and Spanish, the Grace Gertrude Goodrich 1906 Classics Award, and election to Phi Beta Kappa and the Laurel Honor Society. She also has received UW-Milwaukee’s Outstanding Woman of UWM Award.
Athletic Hall of Fame:
- Cory Zimmerman ’13 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is a fire protection fabricator with J.F. Ahern.
At Ripon, he majored in exercise science with a minor in educational studies.
In track and field at Ripon, he was an 11-time Midwest Conference champion, winning titles in the outdoor 800 meters (four times), outdoor 1500 meters (twice), outdoor 4×400 meter relay (once), indoor 800 meters (twice) and indoor sprint medley relay (twice).
He also was a three-time National qualifier in the 800 meters (twice outdoor and once indoor), and Midwest Conference Performer of the Meet at the 2013 MWC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
In cross country, Zimmerman was a two-time All-Midwest Conference runner, taking 14th at 2011 MWC Championships and 16th in 2012; a three-time All-State runner, earning spots on the first, second and third teams; and one of just 11 runners in program history to finish with a time of 26:11 or better in the 8K.
- Jennifer Mueller Wachtel ’07 of Sobieski, Wisconsin, is a project manager with Advance Sign Group. She earned a master’s degree in sports science from the United States Sports Academy.
At Ripon, she majored in exercise science with a minor in health, performed with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble; and was a player and coach with Ripon softball.
As a student-athlete, she was a two-time Midwest Conference North Pitcher of the Year and a three-time All-MWC selection. At the time she graduated, she was the school record holder for career strikeouts and the all-time leader in victories in the circle. She continues to hold the school record for single-season earned run average.
As a coach, she was both the 2011 MWC and NFCA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year; and she was the second-winningest coach in school history and 10th all-time in MWC history.
- Mark J. Baladad ’88 works with the Glenview (Illinois) Tennis Club
At Ripon, he majored in business management and participated in Beta Sigma Pi and tennis.
As a student-athlete in tennis at Ripon, he was part of four team Midwest Conference tennis championships, four MWC championships in doubles and two MWC singles championships.
In tennis doubles, he was a conference champion on the second flight (once) and the top flight (three times) with Zsolt Juhasz ’88. In singles, he won conference titles on the third and fifth lines.
He also placed second in school history for doubles wins with a partner, collecting 68 with Juhasz.
- Zsolt T. Juhasz ’88 of Wheaton, Illinois, is vice president and program credit officer for Bank of America.
At Ripon, he majored in business management, participated in Theta Chi fraternity and tennis, and was a resident assistant in Scott and Brockway halls.
As a student-athlete, he was a four-time Midwest Conference team champion, three-time MWC singles champion and was in the only doubles tandem in school history to win four MWC championships. He placed eighth in school history for career singles victories and second in school history for most wins by a doubles team with Mark Baladad ’88
In singles, he was a conference champion on the second, third and fourth lines. In doubles, he won at the number two flight once and the top flight three times – all with Baladad.
- David P. Bienfang ’67 is retired as president and chairman of the board of Premier Bank in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. He is a current board member of Premier Bank.
Within the community, he has served leadership roles in the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce, Bethany Lutheran Church and Fort Atkinson Kiwanis Club
At Ripon, Bienfang majored in economics and participated in Sigma Chi fraternity, baseball and basketball.
In baseball, he was a three-time Midwest Conference champion and a two-time All-Midwest Conference selection as a pitcher. He ranks seventh in program history for single-season earned run averaging.
He received Ripon’s S.N. Pickard Award as student. He also has received the Economic Achievement Award from the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce.
Share |