The achievements and service of nine individuals were celebrated at the UNO Alumni Honors Brunch on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Milo Bail Student Center in Omaha, Neb. Presented by the UNO Alumni Association and Omaha Athletics, the tenth annual awards event includes the induction of members of the Omaha Athletics Hall of Fame. The following awards were presented at the special awards ceremony with guests and past alumni award recipients.
- Jim Leslie Outstanding Service Awards: David Brisson and Julie L. Masters, Ph.D.
- Public Service Award: Mayor John W. Ewing
- Young Alumni Achievement Award: David A. Lopez
- Omaha Athletics Hall of Fame: Diane Ninemire; Taiwo Onatolu; Rose Shires; Sami Spenner Richardson; Dhafir (Roy) Washington
Established in 1974, the Jim Leslie Outstanding Service Awards honor faculty, staff, alumni or friends who have shown long, outstanding service to the alumni association and/or university. With this year’s honorees, the list of recipients grows to 125 individuals. The award is named in honor of Jim Leslie, CEO and president of the Alumni Association from 1973–2006.
David Brisson
David Brisson was the 99th alum to chair the board, from 2021 to 2023. Brisson joined the board in 2014 and completed his service in 2025 as past chair. He is an executive director of fixed income sales with Wells Fargo Securities. He had a standout career in the UNO hockey program from 1999 to 2003, and he ranks third all-time in UNO history, with 144 career points and 65 career goals. He was the first hockey player inducted into the Omaha Athletics Hall of Fame. Brisson also served as a volunteer assistant coach for UNO hockey during the 2017-18 season. Brisson earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His wife, Jacquelyn, also graduated from UNO, and they have two daughters, Elyse and Chloe.
Julie L. Masters, Ph.D.
Julie L. Masters, Ph.D., serves UNO as the Terry Haney Chair of Gerontology and as a professor in the Department of Gerontology. She teaches on the Lincoln campus and mentors both honors and doctoral students, particularly those focused on end-of-life issues. She has taught courses such as Death and Dying, Psychology of Adult Development and Aging and Introduction to Gerontology. Her research centers on aging and community, with a focus on caregiving, healthy aging and the experiences of older adult volunteers. Her work often bridges academic research with community engagement. Masters chairs the advisory council for the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and serves on several statewide boards, including the Office of Public Guardian Advisory Council, the Elder Rights Coalition and the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia Advisory Council. She is also a board member for Physicians Mutual and a contributor to Age-Friendly Lincoln initiatives. She earned her doctorate in community and human resources with a specialization in gerontology and counseling from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Through her teaching, research and service, Masters has worked to elevate the field of gerontology and improve the lives of older adults across Nebraska and beyond.
PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
The Public Service Award recognizes UNO alumni who have a record of outstanding public service benefiting the advancement of the university and higher education in general.
Mayor John W. Ewing, Jr.
John W. Ewing, Jr. is a proud son of Omaha, born and raised on the city’s north side. He knows firsthand the impact affordable housing can have — when he was 15, his parents purchased their first home, where his initials remain etched in the cement. His parents still live there today. He is the oldest of three children, the husband of Dr. Viv Ewing, the father of two daughters and the grandfather of one grandson. Ewing is a graduate of Northwest High School and UNO, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and business and a Master of Science in urban studies. He served the Omaha Police Department for 25 years, retiring in 2006 at the rank of deputy chief. He is also an associate minister at Salem Baptist Church. In 2006, Ewing was elected to the Douglas County Treasurer’s Office and served for 18 years, having been elected five times. On June 9, 2025, he became the 52nd mayor of Omaha. He is a passionate advocate for the city and is committed to advancing initiatives that improve the lives of all Omaha residents.
YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Established in 2014, the Young Alumni Achievement Awards recognize outstanding career achievement, active community involvement or exceptional service to the university by graduates 40 or younger.
David A. Lopez
David Lopez currently serves as chief of staff for the State of Nebraska, a position held since January 2023. Previously, Lopez was a partner at Husch Blackwell from 2019 to January 2023 and held multiple roles within the State of Nebraska’s Office of the Attorney General, including deputy solicitor general and assistant attorney general, from 2012 to 2019. Additional experience includes a legal internship with the U.S. House of Representatives focused on telecommunications and financial services policy, a summer associate position at Krooth & Altman LLP, and as an asset manager at AmeriSphere Multifamily Finance, managing a commercial mortgage portfolio. Lopez holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and a Bachelor of Science in real estate and land use economics from the University of Nebraska at Omaha
OMAHA ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
A joint venture of the UNO Alumni Association and UNO Athletics, the Omaha Athletics Hall of Fame began in 1975 to recognize former athletes, coaches, administrators and others who have made lasting contributions to Maverick sports.
Diane Ninemire
Diane Ninemire arrived at UNO at the beginning of her sophomore year and led the Mavericks to three Women’s College World Series appearances during her time there. A member of both the women’s basketball and softball teams, Ninemire played shortstop and left field at UNO. Ninemire led the Mavericks in doubles (five) in 1979 and scored 18 runs that season to go along with a triple and home run. Ninemire went on to become a hall of fame Division I head coach at the University of California, Berkeley, leading the California Golden Bears softball team. Retiring in 2022, Ninemire led Cal to 12 WCWS appearances, including a national crown in 2002. Cal advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of her first 26 years leading the program. Since her first year in the dugout as head coach in 1988, she compiled a record of 1,355-687-1, more wins than any other coach in school history. Ninemire is a two-time National Coach of the Year and four-time conference coach of the year. Ninemire was inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
Taiwo Onatolu
Taiwo Onatolu was a First Team All-American linebacker in 2004 and earned Second and Third Team All-American honors during his time in the black and red. A First Team All-North Central Conference selection in 2003, 2004 and 2005, Onatolu was named NCC Most Valuable Player in 2004 after a season that saw him post 98 tackles and five interceptions, three of which he returned for a single-season school record of three touchdowns. Onatolu also was recognized as the team’s Outstanding Linebacker (2002-04) and earned the Hepburn Trophy for defensive excellence in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Onatolu finished his four-year stint at UNO as the program’s second all-time tackler, with 371 tackles. He also tallied 46.5 tackles-for-loss to rank second in school history and 12.5 sacks in four seasons (top 10 all-time at UNO). Onatolu recorded seven career interceptions at UNO. After playing, the Papillion, Nebraska, native went on to coach at UNO and at the FBS level, currently serving as assistant coach – defensive ends/special teams coordinator at Kansas.
Rose Shires
Rose Shires retired in 2019 after 31 years with the UNO volleyball program, including 29 as head coach. The winningest head coach in UNO volleyball history, Shires recorded 510 career victories, including the 1996 NCAA Division II National Championship. The 1996 AVCA National Coach of the Year, Shires led that squad to a program-best 35-2 record, the fewest losses in program history. The 1996 Omaha Sportscasters Association’s Sportswoman of the Year and the Omaha World-Herald State College Coach of the Year, Shires also earned the Lite 96 Leadership Award and was selected as one of the “Fabulous 50 Women of Nebraska” by the Daughters of Sarah Women’s Auxiliary. Seamlessly leading UNO into the Division I era, Shires was named the 2015 Summit League Coach of the Year. In her final season (2018), Shires’ squad finished with 17 victories, and four Mavericks earned seven All-Summit League plaudits. Shires coached nine players to 27 All-American awards, while 42 of her student-athletes combined for 71 all-conference honors and 18 earned 34 all-region honors. Twenty-two of her teams earned AVCA academic honors for boasting team grade point averages of 3.30 or higher. Away from the court, Shires served in leadership roles on AVCA and NCAA committees, worked as a consultant for USA Volleyball, volunteered with USA Special Olympics and spent 26 years as an instructor in UNO’s School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
Sami Spenner Richardson
Competing as a Maverick from 2010 to 2014, Sami Spenner Richardson ended her time at UNO owning eight program records, with her name appearing in the record books 73 times. Spenner Richardson set the then-All-Class American Collegiate record in the pentathlon in 2014 and before that was an All-American in the heptathlon in 2011. The USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year in 2014 both indoors and outdoors, Spenner Richardson was a three-time Summit League Athlete of the Year and was the Most Outstanding Athlete of the Summit League Championships four times. A recipient of UNO’s Connie Claussen Senior Career Achievement Award, Spenner Richardson was a four-time Summit League Academic All-League honoree. Her Omaha indoor records included 60m hurdles (8.52); long jump (20-9 3/4); and pentathlon (4,498). Outdoors, Spenner Richardson recorded records in the 200m (23.54); 100m (13.91); long jump (20-9); triple jump (41-11 ¾); and heptathlon (6,003). Additionally, Spenner Richardson finished with top five results indoors with the 60m (7.51); 200m (24.24); 800m (2:12.87); and heptathlon (6,003). Outdoors, she recorded top five marks in the 100m (11.65); 400m (23.86); 800m (2:11.93), high jump (5-8 3/4); and discus (120-1 3/4).
Dhafir (Roy) Washington
Dhafir (Roy) Washington was a three-time national champion at UNO, wrestling at 145 and 150 pounds. He claimed titles in three consecutive seasons: 1968, 1969 and 1970. A four-time All-American, Washington was recognized in 2009 as part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s All- Century Wrestling Team. Wrestling from 1967 to 1970, Washington helped lead UNO to the 1970 NAIA National Championship. In 1969, Washington led the charge as the team finished 14-1, its best finish at the time. Washington, his brother Mel and Curlee Alexander guided UNO to a second-place finish at the NAIA national tournament that season. That team was coached by Don Benning, a UNO alum and 1982 hall of fame inductee. He finished his UNO career with a record of 82-6-1 (.927), including two 150-pound NAIA championships, and was proclaimed to be “one of the finest, if not the best wrestler in the 16-year history of the sport at this university” in the 1970 yearbook. Washington passed away in 2003.
