Alumni Achievement Award

2011 Recipients

Rhoda P. Erhardt ’54 ahs
Consultant, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Erhardt Developmental Products

After working with children that have cerebral palsy and learning disabilities for decades, Rhoda P. Erhardt launched her own pediatric occupational therapy consulting business and line of videos, books and manuals. Erhardt Developmental Products’ materials and online courses are widely used for instruction by universities and health clinics.

Helping children improve their motor and perception skills is Erhardt’s passion. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Excellence in Public Access TV Award, the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Certificate of Appreciation for Distinguished Service to the Profession and the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine’s Sage Award.

Richard I. Morimoto ’72 las, ms ’74 pharm
Director, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research; Dean of Graduate School; John Evans Professor of Biology, Northwestern University

Treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are changing, thanks to Richard I. Morimoto’s research on protein folding in the brain. A leader in the field, Morimoto serves as director of the Rice Institute for Biomedical Research and runs the Morimoto Laboratory at Northwestern University, where he has been a faculty member since 1982.

The researcher has also founded his own biotechnology company, Proteostasis Therapeutics, based in Cambridge, Mass. It is the first company dedicated to the discovery of new therapeutics based on understanding the body’s natural proteostasis network, creating new opportunities for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Erma Tranter, mupp ’78
President, Friends of the Parks

An avid runner and cyclist, Friends of the Parks President Erma Tranter understands first-hand the importance of protecting open spaces for city residents and visitors. For nearly 30 years, Tranter has worked to fulfill the nonprofit organization’s mission to protect, improve and promote the use of Chicago parks, forest preserves and recreational areas for the benefit of all neighborhoods and citizens.

Thanks to her efforts, the organization has saved hundreds of acres of lakefront parkland and empowered citizens to protect their parks via a network of local park advisory councils. Some of her biggest accomplishments include the Adopt-a-Park and Adopt-a-Beach programs and the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.

Previous Recipients

2010
Alaa Al Aswany, ms ’85 dent
Author

Shoujie Fu, mba ’00
General Manager, Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co.

Peter Harvey Hackett, md ‘73
Doctor

2009
Jean E. Bogner, MS ’73 LAS
President, Landfills + Inc.

Michael R. Bristow, MD ’70, PHD ’71 COM
Leader in the field of cardiovascular disease research

Carlos Tortolero ’75 LAS
Led the expansion of Museum of Mexican Art and teacher, counselor and administrator in Chicago public schools

2008
Dr. W. Dudley Johnson ’53 MEDIA, MD ’55
Leader in field of cardiac care and research

Roger Shiffman ’75 CBA
One of the toy industry’s most innovative minds

Sandra M. Webb-Booker, BSN ’76, MS ’80 NURS
First nurse to serve as commander of 801st Combat Support Hospital

2007
Stephen R. Heminover ’79 LAS
Dr. Barbara Schaal ’69 LAS  

2006
Sherry Eagle ’70 ED
Superintendent, Aurora West School District

Daniel Laskin, MS ’52 DENT
Scholar, researcher, author and clinician

2005
Dushanka V. Kleinman, DDS '73
Chief Dental Officer, U.S. Public Health Service

Charles S. Hirsch '58 UIUC, MD '62
Chief Medical Examiner, New York City

2004
Joseph Hartnett '78 CBA
CEO, U.S. Robotics

Bernard G. Sarnat MS '40 DENT, DDS '40
Groundbreaking dental surgeon

2003
Ellis N. Cose '72 LAS
Author, columnis and contributing editor, Newsweek magazine

James J. McNulty '73 LAS
President & CEO, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings, Inc.
and Chicago Mercantile Exchange

2002
Jane Hurd '68 AHS
Medical Multimedia Innovator
Founder and President, Hurd Studios

Rocco V. Lobraico Jr., MD '41
Laser Surgery Pioneer
Retired Obstetrician/Gynecologist

2001
Michael Arrington '93 LAS
President and CEO, Recon Manangement Services
President, Arrington Foundation

Gery Chico '79 LAS
Former President, Chicago Board of Education
Partner, Altheimer and Gray

2000
Mary S. Nelums, MSW '75, PhD '88 JACSW
Founder, Professional Developmental Association
Associate Professor of Social Work, Jackson State University

Emil J Freireich, MD '49
Director, Adult Leukemia Research Program
Internist and Professor of Medicine, University of Texas

1999
Janet Deatrick, PhD '82 LAS
Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

1998
Christine M. Johnson '71 LAS, MUPP '76, PhD '78
Director, Field Services-Midwest, U.S. Department of Transportation

Glenn S. Kraiss '56 PHARM
Retired Senior Vice President, Walgreens Co.

1997
Dr. Derald E. Brackmann, MD '62

Dr. Leo M. Henikoff MD '63
President Emeritus, CEO, Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center
Pediatric Cardiologist

1996
Dr. Jerry D. Gardner, DDS '64
Retired Assistant Surgeon General for Dental Services, U.S. Air Force

Dr. Olga Jonasson, MD '58
Professor and Chair, OSU Department of Surgery
Surgeon

1995
Dr. Daniel T. Cloud MD '48
Former President, American Medical Association
Retired Pediatric Surgeon

Adrian D. Smith '69 BARCH
Partner, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill

1994
Dr. William P. Murphy, Jr., MD '47
Founder, Hyperion Inc., and Cordis Corporation
Biomedical technology pioneer

1993
Patrick F. Daly '72 BARCH
Chairman and CEO, The Daly Group

1988
Dr. Charlotte Kerr, MD '48
Retired physician
Diplomate, American Board of OB/GYN

1985
Alfred B. Swanson, MD '47
Retired orthopedic and reconstructive surgeon

1982
Dr. Rowine Hayes Brown-Truitt, MD '39
Former Medical Director and Chief of Staff, Cook County Hospital

Helen Dickens, MD '34
Former Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Julius B. Richmond, MD '40
Professor Emertius, Harvard Medical School

1974
Walter P. Blount '21 LAS, '23 MED
Former President, Blount Orthopedic Clinic Ltd.

1962
Dr. Karl A. Meyer, MD '08