Each year, the Oakland University Alumni Association hosts its Alumni Awards Banquet to honor distinguished OU graduates and other university community members for noteworthy achievements in business, community service, volunteerism and more.
This year's event – set for Saturday, Nov. 5, in the Oakland Center banquet rooms on the campus of Oakland University – will be no different. Hundreds of alumni, family members and other Oakland supporters will gather to celebrate the laudable work of nine award recipients. They include:
Michael K. Stamper, SHS '83 – Senior Manager for Occupational Safety and Ergonomic Processes at Chrysler, LLC
• Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Service Award, Oakland's highest alumni honor, which recognizes peerless volunteer leadership in service to the university or its alumni association.
Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., CAS '77 – Larkin Professor of Chemistry at State University of New York - Buffalo
• Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, which recognizes outstanding professional achievement or contribution to the community
Michelle Franzen Martin, CAS '99 – Senior Information Officer for Alumni Communications and editor of Wayne State Magazine
• Recipient of the Odyssey Award, which honors alumni whose lives exemplify Oakland University's motto to "seek virtue and knowledge."
Brent Vasicek, SEHS '04 – Teacher, Chippewa Valley School District
• Recipient of the Odyssey Award
Jason Ryska, SECS '95, '97 – Plant Manager for the Warren Truck Chrysler Group
• Recipient of the Spirit Award, which recognizes exemplary volunteer service to the university.
Stefen Welch, CAS '05 – Operations Manager for Adult Well Being Services
• Recipient of the Alumni Community Service Award, which recognizes distinctive service of a humanitarian nature or citizenship through community, public or OU service activities.
Adam Kochenderfer, CAS '02 – Attorney, Wolfson Bolton PLLC
• Recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the worth of their education through their post-college achievements.
Timothy F. Healy – President and COO, TK Holdings, Inc., TAKATA
• Recipient of the Honorary Alumni Award, given to individuals who have not graduated from OU, but who have given outstanding service to the university.
Moon Jae Pak – Doctor of Internal Medicine at Oakwood Medical Center
• Recipient of the Honorary Alumni Award.
The emcee for this year's event will be OU alumnus and Michigan Radio Political Commentator Jack Lessenberry, CAS '76. For more information on the event or to place an early table reservation, contact Christina Simon at (248) 364-6134 or
casmion2@oakland.edu. For more information about the OUAA,
view the website.
