Chancellor Emeritus John Christensen and his wife, Jan, Anne and Stephen Roberts.
Graduates celebrated at UNO Alumni Night of Honor
The UNO Alumni Association on Oct. 19 hosted what has become one of the annual highlights of UNO Homecoming week — the fourth Alumni Night of Honor at the Thompson Alumni Center.
Sponsored by First Data Resources, Alumni Night of Honor celebrated achievements by members of the worldwide UNO alumni network, now numbering 107,000 living graduates. Among those honored:
•Young Alumni Achievement Award recipients Matthew J. Lee and Tara Stingley
•UNO Athletics Hall of Fame inductees Cody Garcia, Anja Puc and Tanis J. Hastmann Walch
•Outstanding Service Award recipients Emeritus Chancellor John and Jan Christensen and Sarah Waldman.
The night also included a 20th anniversary salute to the 1997-98 UNO hockey team, the first at UNO, and the unveiling of a portraiture of the Christensens by UNO alumnus Stephen Roberts.
“The accomplishments of UNO alumni bring great pride to the Maverick community,” said UNO Alumni President Lee Denker. “It is a special celebration when campus welcomes alumni home to say ‘Well done. We are proud of you.’”
Young Alumni Achievement Award
Established in 2014, Young Alumni Achievement Awards recognize outstanding career achievement, active community involvement or exceptional service to the university by graduates 40 or younger.
Matthew J. Lee
Matthew J. Lee is coordinator for Technology Integration and Digital Content at Westside Community Schools. His specialty is working with teachers to more effectively integrate technology into their classrooms. In 2013, he was selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator, recognizing his efforts as a “pioneer to transform teaching and learning.”
Lee, 2017 president of the Nebraska Educational Technology Association, has presented on various technology integration topics at conferences and workshops throughout the United States, most recently for the International Society for Technology in Education Association. He also has presented at American Evaluation conferences.
Lee also coordinates the evaluation process for Westside’s strategic plan, working with UNO faculty, district personnel and community stakeholder groups. Prior to his current role, he was a teacher and social studies team leader at Westside High School. He taught U.S. history, economics and Future Problem Solving and initiated Westside’s first AP Economics program.
Lee received bachelor’s (2006) and master’s (2010) degrees in secondary education from UNO. He earned a doctorate in educational studies-instructional technology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2014.
Tara Stingley
Tara Stingley is an equity partner at the oldest existing law firm in Nebraska, Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather. She specializes in employment law and litigation and is the chair of Cline Williams’ Labor and Employment Law Section and its recruiting coordinator. She is the youngest lawyer and the first woman to serve on the firm’s governing executive committee.
Stingley is listed in several publications for her work in employment law, including Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA’s Leading Lawyers. Prior to joining Cline Williams, she completed a two-year judicial clerkship with Judge William Jay Riley on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Stingley is active in the community, serving as chair of the board of directors for Food Bank for the Heartland. She also is a member of the University of Nebraska’s Law College Alumni Council and President’s Advisory Council. She is a graduate of Leadership Omaha Class 33.
Stingley received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UNO in 2002, graduating summa cum laude through the university’s honors program. She also was a member of the honor society Mortar Board. She graduated from the Nebraska College of Law in 2005.
Hall of Fame
With the induction of Cody Garcia, Anja Puc and Tanis Hastmann Walch, the UNO Athletics Hall of Fame grows to 117 members. The Hall of Fame was established by the UNO Alumni Association and UNO Athletics in 1975.
Cody Garcia
A four-time All-American and twice a national champion, Cody Garcia wrestled for the Mavericks from 2005-10. He won the national championship at 125 pounds in 2006 and, following a redshirt year, won another championship at 125 in 2008. Moving up to 133 pounds in 2009, he finished third nationally and was the runner-up at that weight as a senior in 2010. A member of three national championship teams, Garcia finished his career fourth in school history with 147 career wins. His 48 wins earned during his senior season rank second all time at UNO for a single season. He earned a degree in secondary education in 2012.
Anja Puc
Anja Puc ran for the Omaha track & field team from 2007-2011, during which time she was a three-time national champion and eight-time All-American. She won the 800 meters indoors and outdoors in 2010 and was part of UNO’s national championship 1,600-meter relay team in 2009. A native of Medvode, Slovenia, Puc also was the MIAA 800-meter champion indoors in 2010 and 2011 and a member of the MIAA champion 1,600-meter relay teams in 2009 and 2010. Outdoors, Puc was MIAA champion in the 800 meters in 2009 and 2010, the 1,500-meter champion in 2010, and a member of the champion 400-meter relay in 2009 and 1,600-meter relay in 2010. She was an All-MIAA performer 11 times, holds four school records and is part of two others. She earned UNO’s Connie Claussen Senior Career Achievement Award in 2012. Puc earned a degree in international studies in 2012.
Tanis Hastmann Walch
UNO’s only All-American in women’s golf, Tanis Hastmann Walch is one of the all-time scoring leaders with a career average of 80.07 during her career from 2001-2005. She was the individual medalist each year at the North Central Conference Championship, leading the Mavericks to two titles and a runner-up finish. She also was a four-time member of the All-NCC team and a member of the Academic All-NCC team in 2003. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Walch owns the school record for best 72-hole score at 314, a mark shot during the 2005 NCAA Division II National Championship when she finished 17th overall. It was one of two career NCAA championship appearances she made. Walch earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2006.
Outstanding Service Award
Night of Honor also included presentation of Outstanding Service Awards to John and Jan Christensen and Sarah Waldman. Established in 1974, Outstanding Service Awards honor faculty, staff, alumni or friends who have shown long, outstanding service to the Alumni Association and/or university. Since then, 114 individuals have received the award.
John and Jan Christensen
John Christensen was UNO chancellor from May 2007 to May 2017. He is the only UNO graduate to have served as chancellor, doing so after service as a professor, department chair, dean and vice chancellor during a UNO career spanning 39 years.
In Christensen’s 10 years leading the university, UNO celebrated its centennial, moved its athletics program to Division I, became classified as a doctoral-research university by the Carnegie Foundation, grew overall enrollment by more than 12 percent, twice was named the No. 1 Military Friendly University in the nation by Military Times, and completed more than $480 million of capital projects, including first-of-their kind facilities Baxter Arena, the Biomechanics Research Building and the Weitz Community Engagement Center.
Christensen also initiated and helped guide the integration of the UNO Alumni Association and University of Nebraska Foundation, completed in January 2016. Christensen, who received the alumni association’s Citation for Alumnus Achievement in 2008, was named chancellor emeritus earlier this year.
Jan, his wife of 45 years, also is a lifelong educator and was integral to UNO’s success, assisting several UNO initiatives and attending numerous university events. Most recently she was honorary president of the UNO Women’s Club.
The Christensens have three sons, all of whom are UNO graduates. They also have six grandchildren.
The couple also will be celebrated at Night of Honor with the unveiling of Stephen Roberts’ painting of the Christensens. The UNO Alumni Association commissioned the painting in honor of the couple’s longtime service to UNO. It has not yet been determined where the painting will be displayed.
Roberts, a 1976 UNO graduate, is an award-winning Omaha artist with numerous credits to his name, including eight murals in the Nebraska State Capitol’s 14th floor Memorial Chamber.
Sarah Waldman
Waldman served the UNO Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2009 until 2017. During her tenure, she was secretary from 2011-13, a vice chair for two years, then chairman of the board in 2015-16.
The 92nd graduate to chair the board, Waldman played a key role in the association’s integration with the University of Nebraska Foundation, leading the association board’s strategic planning that preceded the agreement. More recently, Waldman led the foundation’s UNO Advancement Team and association board members in strategic planning sessions aimed at increasing alumni engagement.
A member of Chi Omega during her studies at UNO, Waldman earned a BSBA in 1994. She is executive director of the TeamMates Mentoring program.
Also
Night of Honor also featured recognition of the 20th anniversary of the 1997-98 hockey team, which finished 12-18-3. Former head coach Mike Kemp and many of his players from that team attended the ceremony.
Previous award recipients in attendance and other graduates who have earned special recognition for service or professional accomplishments also were recognized during Night of Honor.
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