2004 Northwestern Alumni Association Awards, Observer Online (05-13-2004), Northwestern University

Northwestern officials, alumni and their guests gathered last month at the InterContinental Chicago to celebrate the 72nd alumni awards presentation.

Nineteen distinguished alumni were honored for their achievements in shaping their respective fields of endeavor from technology and music to health care and show business and for their service and dedication to their alma mater.

After receiving the Alumni medal, Eric Gleacher addresses the crowd, sharing thoughts on his time at Northwestern, his philanthropy, his love of golf and his commitment to Northwestern’s golf programs.

photos by Kevin Weinstein

Motivated by his personal pursuit of excellence, Eric Gleacher has risen to the top of his profession as a preeminent leader in mergers and acquisitions. As a philanthropist and award-winning amateur golfer, he has made momentous commitments to ensuring the long-term success of Northwestern’s golf teams.

Gleacher is chairman of Gleacher Partners LLC, an international investment banking firm that provides strategic advice — principally on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, strategic alliances, and financing — to corporations around the world. With offices in New York, London, Atlanta, and Hong Kong, Gleacher Partners has advised clients on more than $150 billion in merger and acquisition transactions.

To ensure that Northwestern’s golf program remains at the highest possible competitive level, Gleacher provided a $6.1 million gift in 1999 to create a state-of-the-art indoor golf facility and endow the budgets of the men’s and women’s golf teams in perpetuity. The $1.1 million Gleacher Golf Center, built on the site of the University’s old swimming pool in the Patten Gymnasium complex, is considered the finest indoor learning center in collegiate golf.

A member of the John Evans Club since 1984, Gleacher also served on committees for Campaign Northwestern. Noting his longtime generosity to Northwestern athletics, University trustee Richard Dean (EB69) said, “Whether it involved his beloved game of golf, football or basketball, male or female teams, the University has always been able to count on Eric Gleacher for valuable and generous support.”

A Mexico City businessman with an established presence in the international community, Adolfo I. Autrey (MBA, Kellogg School of Management, 1970) has brought his family-owned company into the 21st century and continues to play a prominent role both commercially and philanthropically in Mexico and the United States. Autrey graduated from Kellogg after receiving his BA from the Instituto de Cumbres in 1962 and his JD from the University of Mexico in 1967. He credits Northwestern with shaping his professional career in many ways.

Elisabeth Bumiller’s (BSJ, Medill School of Journalism, 1977) career is the stuff of a journalism student’s dreams. Through a quarter-century with the New York Times and Washington Post as well as three books, she has established herself as a tireless reporter and gifted communicator. Bumiller has been a White House correspondent for the New York Times since 2001.

One of Chicago’s most versatile performing artists, Orbert Davis (MMus, School of Music, 1997) is a jazz musician, composer, and entrepreneur who has created exciting opportunities for many of the city’s children to share his musical passion. A widely respected trumpeter, Davis has released the CDs Priority (2002) and Unfinished Memories (1994) and can be heard on recordings by legendary performers such as Ramsey Lewis and Charles Earland.

A nationally recognized leader in the field of health care law, William Hochkammer (JD, School of Law, 1969) has served his profession — and his alma maters — throughout his distinguished career. Hochkammer’s legal practice initially focused on tax and employee benefits before evolving into a specialization in health care law. Today he is a partner in an extensive health care practice at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP in Detroit with a concentration in corporate insurance practice.

A leading technology consultant, Larry Irving (BA, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, 1976) has made it his mission to increase the access of at-risk populations — including the elderly, low-income and rural communities, and minorities — to electronic resources. As an adviser to President Bill Clinton, Irving coined the popular term for this pressing social issue: “the digital divide.” As a Clinton administration official for nearly seven years, Irving offered his expertise in information technology and telecommunications during a period when Internet popularity skyrocketed.

Over the past 20 years, Lindsey Parker Novak (BPh, School of Continuing Studies, 1978) has worked as an editorial writer, paralegal, and workplace consultant, pausing occasionally to pursue a lifelong interest in acting — all fueled by her passion for communication. Author of the nationally syndicated question-and-answer column “At Work,” Novak also stays busy as a writing instructor at Harold Washington College, the DePaul University School for New Learning, and the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago.

Under the leadership of D. Eugene Nugent (BSME, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, 1951), Pentair grew from an entrepre-neurial paper producer to a widely diversified Fortune 500 company. That record of achievement continues to inspire new generations of engineering students at his alma mater. During the Nugent era Pentair diversified by acquiring industrial product manufacturing firms. Trained in dentistry and biomedical engineering, Ronald Louis Sakaguchi (DDS, Dental School, 1980) is an internationally recognized researcher, a creative teacher, and an effective administrator who has shown a deep commitment to advancing the dental profession. Over the past decade, Sakaguchi has taught and conducted research at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Ore. Sakaguchi has published extensively, with articles in journals such as Dental Materials and Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.

A pioneer in the field of endocrinology, Neena B. Schwartz (MS, PhD, Feinberg School of Medicine, 1950, 1953) has dedicated her life to academics, reproductive research, and the advancement of women in science. For more than 50 years Schwartz has been a leading researcher in physiology and reproductive endocrinology. She has made important contributions toward understanding the hormones involved in communication between the brain, pituitary gland, and reproductive organs.

Best known for his role as Ross Geller on the comedy series Friends, David Schwimmer (BS, School of Communication, 1988) is a multitalented actor and director with wide-ranging credits in theater, television, and film. After graduation Schwimmer and seven fellow alumni cofounded Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company, an ensemble of actors, writers, directors, and designers dedicated to creating vibrant new works for the American stage.

A leader in public school reform, Barbara Olin Taylor (MBA, Kellogg School of Management, 1978; PhD, School of Education and Social Policy, 1984) has spent her career applying the practices of effective business management to the learning sciences and bridging gaps between educational practitioners and researchers. Combining her Northwestern studies with her two decades of experience in civic leadership, Taylor and other educational researchers created the Effective Schools Process, a comprehensive approach to school reform.

By using her natural talent for connecting people from all walks of life to make the arts accessible throughout Chicago, Lois Weisberg (BS, School of Com-munication, 1946) has been instrumental in shaping the city’s identity throughout the world. Since 1989 she has served as commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, working to promote the city through its diverse arts and cultural attractions. In this role she revitalized the old Chicago Public Library building as the Chicago Cultural Center, established the Gallery 37 arts education program and boosted tourism through public art exhibits such as Cows on Parade.

Leslie Donavan (JD, School of Law, 1982) is founder and president of Beyond the Pail, Ltd., a company that creates and sells hand-painted metalware, Donavan is also vice president of Mill Equipment Company, an engineering design firm in Burlington, Wis. For Northwestern, Donavan has served as chair of the 2000 Alumni Awards Committee, host of that year’s presentation, as well as vice president and director of the alumni association. For more than a quarter of a century, Sidmel Estes-Sumpter (BS, MS, Medill School of Journalism, 1976, 1977) has demonstrated a deep commitment to the Medill School of Journalism, the journalism profession, and her community. Estes-Sumpter has been active in community service throughout her career. After holding various positions in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, she served as a National Association of Black Journalists regional director and then made history in 1991 when she was elected the national organization’s first female president.

A distinguished trial lawyer and former Illinois attorney general, Tyrone C. Fahner (LLM, School of Law, 1971) has helped mold three decades of law graduates through his continued support of Northwestern’s School of Law. Fahner entered the School of Law’s Criminal Law Program in 1971 on a Ford Foundation Fellowship. “My Northwestern education as a Ford Foundation recipient was the genesis of several personal relationships that in turn have had significant impact on my professional life,” says Fahner.

As an alumna Kathryn Kimura Mlsna (BA, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, 1974; JD, School of Law, 1977) has served the University in a variety of areas, working tirelessly and creatively to strengthen and extend the Northwestern community. Mlsna currently chairs the Council of One Hundred, a group of business and professional alumnae who mentor undergraduate women and fellow alumnae. She has also served as an officer and executive committee member on the alumni association board of directors.

When Miguel Ramírez Barber (MBA, Kellogg School of Manage-ment, 1976) returned to his home in Mexico City after graduating, he brought back more than fond memories and an advanced degree. He also had the desire and dedication to unite other Mexican Kellogg graduates and to build an alumni network in his native land. Returning to Mexico City, Ramírez Barber embarked on a successful business career and eventually established his own consulting firm.

In a career spanning more than three decades, Alexis Sarkisian (BS, School of Communication, 1971) has achieved success as an Emmy-winning television producer, an international marketing executive, an on-camera talent, an educator, a consultant, and an entrepreneur. Today she uses her education and professional experience to help dozens of Illinois library agencies enhance their outreach efforts. Crediting her success to the education and experience she received at Northwestern, Sarkisian remains active in campus programs, clubs, and committees. She is a Northwestern Alumni Association director-at-large and has been instrumental in A Day with Northwestern in Evanston, an annual NAA educational program for alumni and friends.