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Citation for Alumni Achievement Award

The Citation, inaugurated in 1949, is presented at each UNO commencement. The UNO Alumni Association’s highest honor encompasses career achievement, community service, involvement in business and professional associations, and fidelity to the university.

SUBMIT A NOMINATION FOR A CITATION FOR ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Citation for Alumni Achievement Award 2024 Recipients

Debra K. Anderson, Ph.D. 

Debra K. Anderson, Ph.D., MSW, has more than 35 years of experience in child welfare, mental health, and education. She is currently the district mental health liaison for Papillion La Vista Community Schools where she works to ensure that students have access to quality mental health support. She is an adjunct professor and program manager at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Grace Abbott School of Social Work.  

Anderson served as deputy director at Project Harmony Child Advocacy Center and was the founding director of a school-based mental health program and a national child abuse and neglect training institute. She has worked as a consultant and professional associate for Action for Child Protection in Charlotte, North Carolina; technical assistant for the Nebraska Child Abuse Prevention Fund Board; and child protective service supervisor with the Nebraska Department of Social Services.   

Anderson holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Mary, and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Missouri. She earned a doctorate in public administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2000.   

She has shared her expertise at national and international conferences including the National Children’s Alliance Leadership Conference, the National Conference on School Mental Health and the International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment. She has contributed to several books, journals, and other publications on child welfare and social work. 

Anderson currently serves on the Board of Directors for the NExT Foundation and Lift-Up Sarpy County, Community Collaborative; is a member of BRIDGE Advisory Board; a community representative for the Nebraska Methodist College, Institutional Review Board Committee; a member of the Nebraska School Mental Health Conference Steering Committee; and a co-founder and member of the Nebraska School Mental Health Collaborative. She is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee for UNO’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service.

Rolland Thompson

Rolland “RC” Thompson is the founder and CEO of Tactical Air Support (Tactical Air). Founded as a commercial TOPGUN, Tactical Air is redefining government contracting as a non-traditional defense company focused on value-based, innovative, and technology-driven products and services for the U.S. Armed Forces. Tactical Air’s hallmark is their highly upgraded F-5 Advanced Tiger fighter aircraft, where a digital infusion of proprietary capabilities allows a 60s vintage design to replicate today’s most sophisticated threats.   

Prior to founding Tactical Air, Thompson served five years in the U.S. Army and 26 years in the Navy. Some of his many assignments and positions included: “Exec” to the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command; commander of an Operational Carrier Air Wing and Strike Warfare Commander during Operation Enduring Freedom where he led the combat flight operations of three carrier Air Wings; Commanding Officer of TOPGUN; and Director of Training at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC). His aviation experience includes two instructor tours at TOPGUN, over 1,200 carrier landings and 7,600 hours in tactical aircraft. He was designated an Army Aviator at 19 and has completed three combat deployments.   

Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a master’s in national security strategy from the National War College. He earned an Executive MBA from UNO in 2005.   

Thompson is passionate about veteran suicide prevention and has sponsored events supporting the Wounded Warrior Foundation, the Step-Up Foundation, and the Navy SEAL Foundation.   

He enjoys sailing, soaring, motorcycling, and outdoor adventuring of any type. He has three daughters and lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida with his wingman/wife Angela.

Citation for Alumni Achievement Award Recipients

1949: Stanton W. Salisbury

1950: Margueritte Harmon Bro

1951: William L. Shearer

1952: Adolph J. Schneider

1953: W. Robert Jenkins

1954: L. Joe Arenas

1955: Roman L. Hruska

1956: George Pardee

1957: Glenn C. Cunningham

1958: Alfred J. Eggers Jr.

1959: Helen F. Hansen

1960: William H. Thompson

1961: Thresa Clark

1963: N. Murray Longworth

1967: William D. Brodbeck, Joe Hanna, Lawrence B. Rohde, Gordon Severa

1968: Jay L. Beecroft, Oldham Paisley, Milton Wolsky

1969: Jerome F. Kutak, Frank Mansell, Carl Palmquist

1970: J. Donald Butler, Oliver W. Hasselblad, J. Westbrook McPherson

1971: Margaret Fischer, Howard Sorensen, Norman Sorensen

1972: Einar Viren

1973: Richard T. Burress, Robert W. Turner

1974: Robert Brown, James P. Duff, J.J. Exon, Ruth King Soloman

1975: Gary Penisten, Don D. Pittmann, Eugene L. Step

1976: John W. Madden Jr., Sharon Gidley Marvin, Stan L. McClellan

1977: Robert G. Cunningham, Bryce Poe II, Herbert Sklenar

1978: Robert W. Bell, Edward C. Binder, Elmer Rhoden, Ralph Shaw

1979: Jerry R. Curry, John Estabrook, Patricia J. Matson

1980: Joann “Jody” Fike, Frank Menolascino, James P. Mullins, Raymond R. Nelson

1981: John S. Holland, John R. Maenner, Thomas M. Ryan

1982: D. Nick Caporale, Mary Caritas, Samuel Leftwich

1983: A. Mort Crim, Harvey L. Hayes, Robert L. Matthews

1984: John C. Gaffney, C. Mickey Skinner

1985: Robert M. Spire, F. Thomas Starkweather, Wanda M. Wollert

1986: Daniel L. Dienstbier, Barbara Evans Markuson

1987: R. Craig Hoenshell, Ruth Randall, John Schuchart

1988: George F. Haddix, R. Michael Moran, Kenneth L. Peek Jr.

1989: Chuck Hagel, Mary Dean Hunt Harvey, Sheila Anne Ryan

1990: Donald O. Aldridge, Ronald J. Burns, Lynn L. Phares, James N. Skinner

1991: Charles D. Platt, Ree Schonlau, Alfred G. Thomsen

1992: Lawrence Comine Jr., Bernice Stephens Dodd, David Sokol

1993: Fred Petersen, Charles Schmid

1994: Robert Hemenway, Margaret Lehning, Stephen Wild

1995: Margaret Robinson, Joe Edmonson, Nancy L. O’Brien, Rod Rhoden

1996: Clifford H. Hollestelle, Michael Kudlacz, Fran Flairty Marshall

1997: Tal Anderson, Connie Claussen, Mike Hill, Stephen Roberts

1998: Kenneth M. Bird, Howard Hawks, Michael McLarney, Carol Schrader, Johnnie Wilson

1999: Richard E. Collins, Kathleen Dodge, Jack Koraleski

2000: Russell C. Davis, Lawrence D. King, Patricia A. Lamberty, John E. Nahas

2002: James Zadina, Rodrigo Lopez, Karrin Allyson Schoonover, John Hancock

2003: Leonard de Barros, Steve Martin, EvaJon Sperling, Daniel K. O’Neill

2004: Guinter Kahn, Richard H. Christie, Robert C. Dahlquist

2005: Thomas H. Warren Sr., Winnie L. Callahan, James R. Young

2006: Michael D. Jones, Mike Denney, Magdalena A. García 

2007: Timothy D. Hart, Robert L. Whitehouse, Richard D. Holland 

2008: John E. Christensen, Sally Ganem, John A. Jeter

2009: Lloyd E. Roitstein, Dennis J. Duffy, Lori L. Hogan

2010: J. Terrence Haney, Robert Batt

2011: Katherine L. English, Laurie S. Fulton, Mark E. Grieb, Paul G. Smith

2012: Robert P. Houston, James W. Freeman, Penny Parker

2013: Gail DeBoer, Gary Johnson, Ron Withem

2014: Penny Sackett, Viv & John Ewing, Kevin Munro

2015: Pete Festersen, LaVonne Kopecky Plambeck

2016: Mary Lou Chapek, John L. Morgan, Barbara Weitz

2017: Todd Schmaderer, Steve Seline, Carey Hamilton

2018: Paul Critchlow, Ivan Gilreath, Janice Gilmore

2019: Anne Branigan, Ed Pechar, Mark Martinez

2020: Thomas Hagel

2021: Sandy Friedman, Travis Deyle

2022: Susan Brennan, Tony Kiehn 

2023: Praveen Neppalli Naga, Lou Anne Rinn, Mark Steele

2024: Debra K. Anderson, Ph.D., Rolland “RC” Thompson