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SEPTEMBER 28, 2004
Mesa State College to Honor Distinguished Alumni
Grand Junction, CO - As part of the 2004 Homecoming celebration,
the Mesa State College Alumni Association will honor five of its
most accomplished alumni during the annual Distinguished Alumni
Luncheon at noon on Friday, October 8 in the W.W. Campbell College
Center's Liff Auditorium.
To be chosen for the Distinguished Alumni Award, nominees must
have attended Mesa State College or Mesa (Junior) College, distinguished
themselves in a professional career and in service to their community
or nation and have been recognized by the professional community
for leadership abilities. The five former students chosen to receive
the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award include:
Roger H. Boltz - Associate of Science, 1961
After graduating from Mesa College, Boltz earned a doctor of dental
surgery degree from Northwestern University Dental School in 1965.
He also served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for four and a half
years, plus an additional 26 years with the U.S. Naval Reserve where
he retired as a captain. In his dentistry career, Boltz has received
fellowships from both the American and International College of
Dentists and is a member of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He has
also received awards from the Colorado Dental Association and the
Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners for service to the profession
and the citizens of Colorado. He currently serves on the American
Dental Association Joint Commission on Dental Examinations as chairman
for the Research and Development Committee and as a member of the
Examination Development Committee.
Doralyn Brodak Genova - Associate of Arts, 1976
Genova was elected Mesa County Commissioner in 1988, only the second
woman elected to this position in the county's history. When her
term ends in 2005, she will have served 16 years as a commissioner.
Genova has also served on Club 20's Board of Directors, Colorado's
Medical Services Board, the Governor's Interregional Council on
Smart Growth, the Colorado Emergency Planning Commission, Grand
Valley Regional Transportation Committee and the Mesa County Economic
Development Council. A noted community advocate, she has garnered
numerous awards and recognition over the years. She was "Westpeoples"
Woman of the Year in 1986, Mesa County Democrat of the Year in 1988
and the first recipient of Club 20's Dan Noble Award. Genova has
also received recognition from the University of Colorado, Rocky
Mountain Program/Center for the Improvement of Public Management,
National Emergency Management Institute/Disaster Emergency Preparedness,
Governor's Conference on Library and Information Services and Mesa
County Friends of 4-H.
J. David Mitchell - Associate of Science, 1956
After graduating from Mesa College, Mitchell earned a bachelor's
of science degree in electrical engineering and graduated from the
Executive Development Program at the University of California at
Irvine. He spent 30 years with Rockwell International, where he
was a corporate vice president for 13 years. In addition to his
corporate duties, Mitchell has also served as a board and committee
member for numerous professional organizations, including as the
past international president of the National Conference of Standards
Laboratories International. To compliment his many industry awards,
Mitchell was also named a fellow with the Institute for the Advancement
of Engineering. As a recognized industry expert, he has testified
before the U.S. Congress and has authored over 50 papers and articles
in the fields of quality assurance, metrology, automation, computer
integrated manufacturing and advanced manufacturing technologies.
David P. Svaldi, Ph.D. - Associate of Arts, 1968
After completing his associate's degree at Mesa College, Svaldi
earned his bachelor's of art and master's of art degrees from the
University of Northern Colorado and his doctorate from Northwestern
University. He began his successful career in higher education with
a four-year teaching position at Washburn University before returning
to Northwestern University. As a graduate fellow at Northwestern,
he taught and coached a national championship debate squad and has
since gone on to coach debate at several other institutions. Svaldi
has also published an award-winning book, "Sand Creek and the
Rhetoric of Extermination," and has authored several articles.
He joined Adams State College in 1986 and has been active in faculty
and student governance and has served in several leadership roles,
including faculty trustee of the State Colleges in Colorado. After
participating in a one-year higher education leadership fellowship
with the American Council of Education in 1996, Svaldi returned
to Adams State College and was appointed vice president for academic
affairs. He currently serves as the college's provost.
Diana J. Wilkie, Ph. D., R.N., F.A.A.N. - Bachelor of Science
in Nursing, 1982
After earning her bachelor's of science in nursing degree from Mesa
State College, Wilke received her master's of science degree and
her doctorate degree, both in nursing, from the University of California
in San Francisco. She is currently a professor and the Harriet H.
Werley Endowed Chair for Nursing Research at the University of Illinois
at Chicago. In addition, Wilke has authored 80 publications and
presented more than 250 scientific and professional talks. Her internationally
recognized research on cancer pain and end-of-life care has been
awarded 31 grants worth $8.9 million. In recognition of her ongoing
work, Wilkie has also been presented with the University of Washington's
Outstanding Public Service award, the National Hospice Foundation's
first annual research award and the American Association of Cancer
Education's Rosalynn Davilene Carter Presidential Prize for Best
Paper. She is founding president of the Nursing Pain Association
and the founder and chairman of eNURSING llc, a company that creates,
develops, tests and distributes evidence-based, electronic tools
that support and facilitate patient-centered health care.
The public is invited to attend the Distinguished Alumni Luncheon
and join in honoring these five individuals. Tickets are $12 for
the public, $10 for Alumni Association members or $90 for a table
of eight. To purchase luncheon tickets or for more information,
contact the Mesa State College Alumni Association at 970.248.1525
or visit www.mesastate.edu/alum/04distalum.htm
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