2015 Honored Alumni
To better capture our honorees’ unique accomplishments and contributions to the UNC community, the alumni association has produced a series of touching tribute videos which you can explore at uncalumni.org/ha15
The University of Northern Colorado boasts outstanding alumni and dedicated friends from all walks of life. Each year it is the great privilege of the University of Northern Colorado Alumni Association to recognize a group of distinguished graduates and friends as Honored Alumni, the highest commendation our organization can bestow.
Publicly recognized at the Honored Alumni Award Ceremony on March 28, this year’s class of honorees includes political leaders, philanthropists, tireless volunteers and life-changing educators. We are proud to introduce you to the UNCAA’s 2015 Honored Alumni.
BRAD INHULSEN (BS-12)
ALUMNI SPIRIT AWARD
WHO HE IS:
A young professional excelling in the northern Colorado real estate industry, an active volunteer and a professional mentor.
WHAT HE’S ACCOMPLISHED:
Within a year of graduation from UNC’s Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business, Inhulsen established himself as a licensed real estate broker and earned accolades from local media outlets and professional associations. Within three years, he had become a co-owner and governing board member at Sears Real Estate.
In the midst of this well-earned rise to professional prominence, Inhulsen has never stopped serving as an advocate and leader for the UNC community. A founding member of UNC’s Young Alumni Council, Inhulsen has shared his professional expertise with current students as a guest lecturer at the business college and as a moderator of the alumni association’s professional development event series, Success Looks Like ME.
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
“I love to spend time with the students at UNC. That’s why I joined the Young Alumni Council to be on the Professional and Career Development Committee. There are so many ways to contribute, whether that’s sitting in on a class and telling [students] about my experiences in the real estate world or talking to them about career services, [which] helped me to get the job I have today.”
MIKE AND MARILYNN LOUSTALET
DISTINGUISHED HONORARY ALUMNI OF THE YEAR AWARD
WHO THEY ARE:
Prominent members of the UNC community and decades-long supporters of the university’s athletic programs and academic mission.
WHAT THEY’VE ACCOMPLISHED:
The Loustalets have provided opportunities for UNC students to succeed — a family tradition. A generation ago, the Loustalet family furnished room and board to UNC students in exchange for basic housework. Today, Mike and Marilynn’s tireless devotion to the development of our student-athletes can be seen through their football scholarship, the state-of-the-art locker room facilities that bear their names and their public tribute featured in the UNC Athletics Hall of Fame area.
What began as a deep sense of appreciation for the university and its surrounding community matured into a lifelong relationship as Mike and Marilynn built their respective careers in Weld County public office and legal and medical administration. Their consistent presence at practices and home games has provided student-athletes with a lasting reminder of the individuals who are deeply invested in their success.
IN THE WORDS OF UNC HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, EARNEST COLLINS (BA-96):
“They’ve shown that kind of support, [that can only come through a personal connection.] They’re actually faces you can see around our community and our players get to know them.”
DENNIS MORIMOTO (BA-65, MA-66)
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
WHO HE IS:
A beloved UNC photography professor whose emphasis on craft and professionalism inspired countless students over the course of his 47-year career.
WHAT HE’S ACCOMPLISHED:
As a leader, Dr. Dennis Morimoto helped develop an academic culture known for its quality and rigor, directly contributing to the School of Art & Design’s national accreditation. As an artist, he served as a model of professional excellence, with his photography and prints consistently featured in juried exhibitions throughout the region. As a professor, he worked tirelessly on behalf of his students, instilling a sense of dedication that helped launch scores of professionals into the fields of photography, journalism and arts education.
Though Dr. Morimoto played many roles in advancing UNC’s educational mission, in retirement his legacy is perhaps best summed up by the authentic, personal commitment he displayed toward the advancement of every member of the university community. The piece of advice he most often repeated to his students and colleagues was, “It doesn’t matter what you choose to be, but work to be the best you can.”
IN THE WORDS OF ’07 HONORED ALUMNA, CYNTHIA EVANS (BA-73):
“He set an example. He kept up his professional production at the same time he taught his students [a] craft that was going to be so important to them whether or not they took [the arts] up as their career.”
JONG SHYONG SHYU (MA-84, PHD-88)
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
WHO HE IS:
A successful scholar, legislator and political advocate for individuals with special needs in his home country of Taiwan.
WHAT HE’S ACCOMPLISHED:
As a six-term senator to Taiwan’s National Assembly, deputy mayor of Taichung City and deputy secretary general of the Executive Yuan, Dr. Jong Shyong Shyu is a widely known and respected public figure throughout eastern Asia. Having grappled with partial paralysis in his legs from a young age, Dr. Shyu has devoted his political career to empowering and protecting the rights of individuals with special needs through legislative action and public advocacy.
Dr. Shyu has played an active role in forging collaborative relationships between UNC and several Taiwanese educational institutions including cooperative research, student exchange and faculty development. He and his wife Hsiu Yueh Chiu (MS-88) have also helped to develop the university’s largest and longest-running international alumni group in Taiwan.
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
“I try to help people realize that no matter what they do in their professional life, they have an obligation as human beings to be compassionate and to improve humanity in their own way.”
DICK MONFORT (BS-76)
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD
WHO HE IS:
Owner of the Colorado Rockies baseball team and a well-known businessman who’s used his position in the public eye to advocate for and advance the mission of his alma mater.
WHAT HE’S ACCOMPLISHED:
Anyone familiar with the exceptional reputation of UNC’s college of business knows something of the Monfort family’s legacy of supporting academic rigor and success at the university. What is perhaps less broadly known is the personal leadership role Monfort has played in guiding UNC’s sustainable development in his 15-plus years of service on UNC’s board of trustees. Deeply valuing the high-quality learning and teaching environment he experienced as a student, his volunteer and advocacy efforts have focused on upholding that level of quality for generations to come.
Monfort and his family have strategically supported numerous area non-profits and education-based initiatives, but no institution has benefitted more from his time, leadership and advocacy than his alma mater. As both a prominent member of Colorado’s business community and a leader of a premier institution of higher education, Monfort has continually asserted that an investment in UNC students will pay great dividends for society as a whole.
IN THE WORDS OF UNC PRESIDENT KAY NORTON:
“Wherever Dick Monfort goes, if there’s any opportunity to mention higher education he’s going to bring up UNC and he’s going to talk about our experiences, our value and what it’s meant to him.” NV
