UW-Madison: Forward under 40 awards honor outstanding UW-Madison alumni

CONTACT: Mary DeNiro, 608-262-7545, mdeniro@waastaff.com

MADISON – They range from a leading magazine publisher and engineers at the forefront of innovation to dedicated international volunteers and grassroots leaders, and they’re all under age 40.

In recognition of their remarkable work, the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) is honoring 12 University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates with Forward under 40 Awards.

These young Badgers are among the world’s best and brightest innovators and citizens,” says Paula Bonner, WAA president and CEO. “They represent a wide variety of professional callings, but they have one thing in common: They have quickly used what they learned at UW-Madison to make broad, positive contributions for people and communities here in Wisconsin and around the world.”

The award recipients are living the Wisconsin Idea – the 105-year-old guiding philosophy of UW-Madison outreach efforts to touch the lives of people in Wisconsin and throughout the world.

Honorees are featured in Forward under 40, a publication distributed this month to 80,000 UW-Madison alumni and WAA members. Interactive profiles of the award winners are available at http://forwardunder40.com.

The 2009 award recipients are:

– Andrew Adams III JD’06, Spooner, Wis., general counsel of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin and member of the Wisconsin Legislature’s Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations.

– Jodi Brooks ’93, Denver, CBS4 Denver news reporter and founder of A Secret Safe Place for Newborns, a program designed to save the lives of unwanted babies whose mothers are unable to care for them.

– Abigail David ’96, MS’98, Madison, Wis., co-founder and director of the Helping Hands Center, a nonprofit organization providing support to children with special needs.

– Ayman EL-Refaie MS’02, PhD’05, Niskayuna, N.Y., lead engineer at General Electric Global Research Center, working on a new project to develop smaller, lower-cost and higher-performing motors.

– Clayt Freed ’97, Brooklyn, N.Y., founder and director of Progressive Voter Network, a volunteer organization that provides support to political, social and environmental groups.

– Matthew Geck ’92, MD’96, Austin, Texas, medical director at Spine Austin Comprehensive Spine Center and founder of SpineHope, a nonprofit aimed at improving spine care in Colombia and around the globe.

– Amanda Harrington ’07, Madison, Wis., research assistant to Cory Mason (D-Racine) and advocate for women’s rights and health issues.

– Dennis Hong ’94, Blacksburg, Va., associate professor at Virginia Tech and founder of Virginia Tech’s Robotics and Mechanisms Lab.

– Kimberly Anderson Kelleher ’93, New York, N.Y., vice president and publisher of SELF magazine.

– Genella Taylor Stubrud ’96, PhD’07, River Falls, Wis., assistant professor and director of STEM and Diversity Initiatives at UW-River Falls.

– Zoe Timms ’97, New York, N.Y., director of the Women’s Education Project, a program designed to help underprivileged women in India succeed in college and careers.

– Neil Willenson ’92, Grafton, Wis., CEO and founder of One Heartland, an internationally recognized program for children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Founded in 1861, the Wisconsin Alumni Association offers UW-Madison alumni and friends a wide variety of services, including the award-winning On Wisconsin magazine, Badger Insider magazine, career services, student scholarships, international travel opportunities and lifelong learning events.

Participation and membership in WAA and its chapters are open to all graduates, students and friends of UW-Madison. Learn more at http://uwalumni.com.