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Contact:  Tracey Krepel, Alumni Association
(815) 753-1449

 

April 9, 2002

NIU Alumni Association names
Year 2002 Alumni Award recipients

Distinguished Alumni Award presented to actress Joan Allen

 

DEKALB--The Northern Illinois University Alumni Association named 10 outstanding graduates as recipients of its Alumni Awards for the Year 2002. 

 

This year, NIU will present its most prestigious honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, to acclaimed actress Joan Allen, who earned a theatre arts degree in 1989. A founding member of Chicago’s infamous Steppenwolf Theatre, Allen is a three-time Oscar nominee for her performances in The Contender, Nixon, and The Crucible. She also won a Tony Award for Best Actress for her role opposite John Malkovich in Burn This. Allen continues to support her alma mater, having served as the guest of honor at a gala to benefit the “SummerNITE program” for NIU student actors. She also hosted NIU’s Centennial Convocation in 1995.

 

Developer Thomas Rosenow will receive the F.R. Geigle Service Award, which is presented to an alumnus or friend of NIU who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the university. Rosenow, who graduated from NIU in 1968 with a business education degree, is hailed as an “unsung hero” of the university. His services as a problem solver and construction planner have made significant impacts on the university’s growth. It is estimated that his behind-the-scenes contributions to NIU exceed $5,000,000.

 

Christine J. Sobek is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Alumni Award, which is given to an alumnus, regardless of college affiliation, who has graduated from NIU within the past 10 years. Last July, Sobek was installed as president of Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Ill. She is active within her profession and community, and in 1998 received the LUCI award for outstanding contributions to public service and outstanding leadership among Kane County businesswomen.

 

The Alumni Association also presents Outstanding Alumni Awards to graduates from each of the university’s seven colleges. Those recipients are: Joseph Locke, ’68 Management, College of Business; Connie R. Curran, ’74 Educational Psychology, College of Education; Ashish Kumar, ’95 Engineering Techonology, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology; Diane Hillard-Sembell, ’82 Physical Therapy, College of Health and Human Sciences; Hon. John Wasilewski, ’78 Law, College of Law; Tim Bennett, ’71 Journalism, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Gary T. Chiappetta, ’86 Studio Art, College of Visual and Performing Arts.

 

Winners will be honored at an Awards Luncheon at Noon, Wednesday, April 10 at the Kishwaukee Country Club in DeKalb.

 

"NIU alumni have gone on to distinguish themselves and Northern in countless ways," explained Lee McCauley, assistant vice president for alumni relations. "Our Alumni Awards Program seeks to recognize some of these outstanding individuals who have gone out into the world and achieved great success in their personal and professional lives." 

 

Here is a closer look at the 2002 Alumni Association Award recipients:

 

Distinguished Alumni Award:
Joan M. Allen, B.A. ’89, Theatre Arts
Hometown: Rochelle, Ill.; New York City

Actress and NIU alumna Joan Allen has captivated audiences worldwide both on-stage and on the big screen. She was among the founding members of Chicago’s famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and gained notoriety as an actress when she won a Tony Award for her performance in Burn This. Allen also is a three-time Oscar nominee for her roles in Nixon, The Crucible, and The Contender. Despite the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood scene, Allen has remained true to her Chicago and NIU roots. She has returned to her alma mater as a guest of honor at a gala to benefit the “SummerNITE Program,” and hosted NIU’s Centennial Convocation in 1995.

 

F.R. Geigle Service Award:
Thomas Rosenow, B.S. ’68, Business Education

Hometown: DeKalb, Ill.

Hailed by the campus community an unsung hero, Thomas Rosenow has made significant behind-the-scenes contributions to NIU. He has been a problem-solver, planner, facilitator, and contractor of numerous campus construction projects. Among those are facilities for the School of Nursing, the Center for Black Studies, the Human Resources Building, and most recently, Barsema Hall. In each case, Rosenow was able to complete each project on time and below cost. As Eddie Williams, NIU executive vice president and chief of operations, pointed out, Rosenow’s silent contributions to NIU exceed more than $5,000,000.

 

Outstanding Alumni Award:
Christine J. Sobek, ’96 Ed.D., Adult Continuing Education
Hometown: Geneva, Ill.

Christine Sobek has enjoyed a prolific career since earning her doctoral degree from NIU in 1996. With almost 25 years of community college administrative experience under her belt, Sobek rose to the ranks as president of Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois. She has held the gamut of administrative positions, from dean of student development, to executive vice president for education affairs, and finally as provost before being installed as president in November 2001. Sobek is very active within her profession, as well as her community. Sobek currently serves on the board of directors of the Geneva Lions Club and is co-chair of the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee. In 1998, she received the LUCI award for outstanding contributions to public service and outstanding leadership among Kane County businesswomen.

 

College Outstanding Alumni Awards

College of Business:
Joseph J. Locke, B.S. ’68, Management
Hometown: Oak Park, Ill.
Joseph Locke oversees his own investment advisory business, Joseph J. Locke & Company, Ltd., based out of Forest Park, Ill. Locke has honed his skills in numerous business functions, ranging from strategic planning and development to marketing and sales. Among his successes was building a start-up division from scratch to more than $13 million in sales within three years. Locke is devoted to volunteerism and giving back to his community and alma mater. Recently, he helped refurnish a business classroom at NIU to provide a more professional atmosphere for students.

 

College of Education:
Connie R. Curran, Ed.D. ’74, Educational Psychology
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Connie Curran is recognized as one of the most prolific educators and consultants in the healthcare industry. She was the founder, president and chief executive officer of CurranCare, LLC, a healthcare management and consulting services organization, which was later acquired by Cardinal Health Consulting Services. Curran oversaw this organization as its president until this year, and she continues to provide management and consulting services through her new company, Your Virtual Executive. She also has held a variety of positions in academia and healthcare organizations, including as a vice president of the American Hospital Association, and as Dean at the Medical College of Wisconsin. As an industry scholar, Curran has published more than 200 publications and has several research programs to her credit. She also is an avid speaker, presenting more than 100 speeches annually. She also has served as the editor of Nursing Economic$ for the past 10 years.

 

College of Engineering:
Ashish Kumar, B.S. ’95, Technology
Hometown: Pembroke Pines, Fla.
In just a few years since graduating from NIU in 1995 with a degree in technology, Ashish Kumar has quickly established his expertise with Accenture, one of the world’s leading management and technology services organizations. From the entry-level position as an analyst, Kumar has been twice promoted and now serves as a manager. Specializing in information technology technical architecture and infrastructure, Kumar implements cutting-edge solutions to improve business productivity for such companies as Federal Express, Motorola, and Sprint PCS. He has worked on several U.S. and European projects, which included assisting companies with Y2K transformations, creating Internet banking capabilities, and establishing a customized package tracking system.

 

College of Health and Human Sciences:
Diane Hillard-Sembell, B.S. ’82, Physical Therapy
Hometown: Springfield, Ill.
A member of NIU’s physical therapy inaugural class in 1982, Diane Hillard-Sembell, M.D., has married her love of sports and human science as an orthopedic surgeon in Springfield, Ill. Hillard-Sembell also helps operate AthletiCare, a sports-medicine clinic for at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. In 2000, Springfield Magazine named Hillard-Sembell the area’s Top Orthopedic Surgeon. When she’s not repairing a torn knee ligament or sitting on the sidelines of a school athletic event, Hillard-Sembell dedicates additional time as an educator. She is a clinical associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Southern Illinois University and recently contributed to a medical textbook in her field.

 

College of Law:
Hon. John Wasilewski, J.D. ’78, Law
Hometown: Palos Heights, Ill.
After earning his law degree from NIU in 1978, John Wasilewski began his career with the Cook County, Illinois, State’s Attorney’s Office, where he served as the deputy supervisor for Chicago and felony trial assistant. He currently serves as an associate judge in the Criminal Division of the Chicago Felony Trial Courts, Bridgeview Branch. Wasilewski is active within the Chicago Bar Association, as well as the Illinois State Bar Association, where he serves as an assembly representative and as a member of the Criminal Justice Section Council. He also has been commentator for the ISBA on criminal law for various television programs and is a speaker for the Criminal Law Update Programs.

 

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences:
Tim Bennett, B.S. ’71, Journalism
Hometown: Lake Forest, Ill.
When Tim Bennett graduated from NIU in 1971 with a journalism degree, he was not certain where his career path would lead him. He became involved with the television industry, where as a program director, he came across a then-unknown Oprah Winfrey. When Winfrey departed from the station to begin her own studio, she called upon Bennett for business guidance. As president of Oprah’s media enterprise, Harpo Productions, Inc., Bennett oversees the daily business operations of her television/film studios, O magazine, and oprah.com.

 

College of Visual and Performing Arts:
Gary T. Chiappetta, B.F.A. ’86, Studio Art
Hometown: Hindsdale, Ill.
Gary Chiappetta has taken the art of brand marketing and design to entirely new levels. With a couple of years since earning a degree in studio art in 1986, Chiappetta transformed his passion for design into a business venture. Recognizing a need for product design implementation and prototypes, Chiappetta began providing such services to the brand packaging industry. He later merged his company with a similar agency called Kaleidoscope, which he today oversees as its president and CEO. Kaleidoscope recently expanded its services to include Brandscope, creating a full-service product development and design agency. The business provides integrated brand marketing services from product conception through completion, including prototyping, package design, and brand identity. With offices in Chicago and New York, Kaliedoscope/Brandscope is at the forefront of the industry, and has worked with such clients as Radio Flyer, McDonald’s, Pepsi, and Maybeline.

 

Photographs of the award recipients are available upon request. For more information regarding the Alumni Association Awards Program and the 2002 winners, contact the NIU Alumni Association at alums@niu.edu or call (815) 753-1452.

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