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Lou Liay Spirit Award for Extraordinary Alumni Service

Each year, the University of Illinois Alumni Association bestows the Lou Liay Spirit Award upon UI alumni who have consistently demonstrated extraordinary loyalty, commitment, dedication and service to the Alumni Association and related groups. The award, established in 1997, is named after Lou Liay, edm ’62, executive director of the UIAA from 1983 to 1998.

2012 Recipient

Fredric G. Nearing Fredric G. Nearing ’43 eng has worked to maintain the excellence of a University of Illinois engineering education since his graduation nearly 70 years ago. Retired from a distinguished career at Western Electric and Hewlett-Packard and having founded his own company, Nearing has been a significant supporter of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois, serving on alumni and advisory boards, establishing the Fredric G. and Elizabeth H. Nearing Endowed Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and gifting to the department major support for its new building.