Honorary Degrees and President’s Medallion

Emma Atchley

Honorary Doctorate

Emma Atchley is an Idaho native originally from Boise, where she attended and graduated from Borah High School. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Idaho in 1968 and an M.A. from Claremont Graduate School in 1970. That year Emma married a farmer, Clen Atchley, from Ashton, Idaho, and has made her home there ever since. Mrs. Atchley and her family operate the Flying A Ranch, a diversified operation including seed potatoes, cattle, hay, wheat and canola, cultivating some 5000 acres of irrigated land and 2500 acres of dry land. The ranch has been recognized by the National Potato Council and the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry for environmental excellence. Mrs. Atchley kept books for the farm for many years and assisted wherever help was needed. In 1990 she developed an early generation seed potato greenhouse, which she continues to operate. She has been a member of Potato Growers of Idaho and Idaho Crop Improvement Association and served on a committee to evaluate and improve Idaho’s post-harvest testing protocols.

Mrs. Atchley has volunteered for a number of other causes, including Girl Scouts of America, University of Idaho Alumni Association and Foundation, the Teton Regional Land Trust, National Potato Promotion Board and the Ashton Rotary Club. She was a Director of the Bank of Idaho for several years. She taught school in and was a trustee of Fremont County Joint School District, and helped establish the North Fremont Education Foundation, serving as president for a number of years. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi and received the University of Idaho President’s Medal and Theophilis Outstanding Senior Award. Her lifelong dedication to promoting and improving education led to her appointment in 2009 to the Idaho State Board of Education. She has served as board secretary and vice president, and president of the board. Emma and Clen are semi-retired, and still help with farm activities. Their daughters Evelyn Atchley, and Laura Pickard are both Vandals, as is son-in-law Clay Pickard. The grandchildren are being actively indoctrinated in best Vandal tradition.

President's Medallion

Teams from the University of Idaho and Gritman Medical Center collaboratively and courageously led the way in combatting COVID-19 in the greater Moscow community. In a testament to an unshakable community spirit, dedicated employees of both organizations often put themselves in harm’s way to allow U of I students access to a transformational, in-person, educational experience throughout the 2020-21 academic year.

Putting the university first, U of I personnel partnered with Gritman early in the summer of 2020 to build a coronavirus testing operation that has been instrumental in managing the pandemic – both on campus and in the community. The U of I /Gritman lab set the standard for others across the state, leading modeling efforts for Idaho while allowing testing of every student ahead of in-person classes. Along with repeated random testing, testing of wastewater and maintenance of isolation spaces, the two institutions proved cooperation leads to successful results for the community as a whole.

Recognizing the effort and sacrifice by countless members of the pandemic response teams at both organizations, the University of Idaho awards its 2021 President’s Medallion to certain faculty and staff at U of I and Gritman Medical Center key personnel. The medallion will be conferred upon:

• Dan New, IBEST Lab Supervisor, and Kane Francetich, CIO, for their foundational efforts upon which our pandemic response was built;
• Kara Besst, President and CEO, on behalf of the Gritman response staff;
• Toni Broyles, Special Assistant to the President, Strategy, on behalf of the U of I response staff;
• Barrie Robison, Professor, on behalf of the U of I response faculty.

A commemorative medallion memento will be given to the other members of the response teams. This honor symbolizes the dedication of several hundred employees at both institutions who demonstrated their profound commitment to putting people’s well-being and their organizations’ missions first.

With deep respect to both institutions, the University of Idaho bestows the President’s Medallion honor to the University of Idaho and Gritman Medical Center pandemic response teams as part of the Spring 2021 Commencement Ceremonies.

In spring 2021, the President’s Medallion was redesigned by student Megan Biggs to showcase the clock tower and grand architecture that overlook the main entrance of the administration building. This iconic, historic building not only houses the Office of the President but is a symbol of our community’s brave and bold history. Biggs is a junior studying art and design with a minor in professional writing. She was supported on the project by Riley Merithew, a senior studying virtual technology and design with minors in computer science and art. The students were advised by Professor Delphine Keim with the Art and Design Program in the College of Art and Architecture.

Honorary Doctorate

Rod Gramer is president and CEO of Idaho Business for Education, a group of nearly 250 Idaho business leaders working to help transform the Idaho education system into one of the best in the country. A system that sets our students up for success in school, work and life and creates the highly educated and skilled workforce Idaho’s economy needs for the 21st Century.

Gramer spent 38 years working as a reporter, newspaper editor and television news executive. He worked for The Idaho Statesman for 14 years, serving as political editor and editorial page editor and columnist. He spent 10 years as executive news director at KTVB-TV, the NBC affiliate in Boise, including moderating the “Viewpoint” public affairs program. For 13 years he served as executive news director at the NBC station in Portland, Ore., turning KGWTV into the No. 1 source of broadcast news for the Portland metropolitan area. He finished his journalism career as vice president and general manager Rodney Eugene Gramer of Bay News 9, a 24-hour news station in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Gramer is the author of three books: “Fighting the Odds: The Life of Senator Frank Church,” which he coauthored with historian LeRoy Ashby. This definitive biography of Idaho’s longtime U.S. senator won the Evans Biography Prize from Utah State University in 1994. Rod is also the author of a novel, “The Good Assassin.” A third book, “Lucky, The Wit and Wisdom of Governor Phil Batt,” will be published this spring by Caxton Printers of Caldwell. Rod has written articles and commentaries for numerous publications, including The New Republic, USA Today, Changes magazine, and several newspapers throughout Idaho.

Gramer serves on numerous community boards, including the University of Idaho Foundation Board of Directors. He also serves on the advisory board for the School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho and as chair of the advisory board for the University of Idaho’s WWAMI Medical Education Program, which is in partnership with the University of Washington School of Medicine. He also serves on the Frank Church Institute Board at Boise State University and on the board of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights. He was a founding board member of the City Club of Boise and served two terms as president of the Idaho Press Club.

In 2016, Gov. Butch Otter appointed Gramer to the Education Commission of the States where he still represents Idaho.

Gramer is an Idaho native. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1975 with a degree in both journalism and history. His wife, Julie, is a third-generation Idaho native, and is also a U of I graduate. Rod and Julie have been married for 44 years. Julie is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Boise. They have two children. Their daughter, Jennifer, recently received her doctorate in history from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she lives with her husband, Lukas Wilhelmi. Their son, Robbie, is a reporter for Foreign Policy in Washington, D.C., where he covers diplomacy and national security issues.

In recognition of his contributions to Idaho, journalism, and education, U of I is proud to bestow on him the Doctor of Humane Letters with all of its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

Honorary Doctorate

Jerry Kramer overcame a series of childhood injuries to become an excellent football ball player at the University of Idaho. The guard was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (39th player overall) of the 1958 NFL Draft. He starred for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1968 playing most of his 11-season career under the direction of Hall of Fame Coach Vince Lombardi.

Upon his entry into the NFL, he soon was hailed as one of the best blockers in the game and earned his first All-NFL acclaim in 1960, the same year the Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL championship game. That game ended up as Kramer’s only career postseason loss.

He continued his high level of play all while overcoming several debilitating injuries. In 1961, he missed several games due to a broken ankle that required a permanent pin to heal. Then, in 1964, he missed most of the season due to intestinal infections from wood splinters in his abdomen that required eight Jerry Kramer surgeries to rectify. In each instance, he returned to All-NFL form.

Kramer played 130 games as the Packers guard and served as the team’s placekicker for several seasons. His leadership and talents helped the franchise capture five NFL championships and victories in Super Bowls I and II. At the time of his retirement in 1968, he held the NFL Championship Game record for most field goal attempts in a single game (five against the New York Giants in 1962) and the Packers’ team record for most PATs in a season (43 in 1963).

He earned All-NFL acclaim five times (1960, 1962-63, 1966-67) and was voted to three Pro Bowls. Kramer was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s, the NFL’s 50th Anniversary Team in 1969 and the Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team.

Kramer collaborated with Dick Schaap on his first book, the best-selling Instant Replay, a diary of the season which chronicled the life of a professional football offensive lineman. He wrote a second book, Farewell to Football. After retiring as a player in May 1969, Kramer briefly worked as a color commentator on CBS’ NFL telecasts. Following Lombardi’s death from cancer in 1970, Kramer edited Lombardi: Winning Is the Only Thing, a collection of reminiscences from coaches, players, friends, and family of Lombardi whom Kramer interviewed for the book. In 1985, Kramer wrote Distant Replay, which updated the whereabouts of the members of the Packers’ Super Bowl I championship team. In October 2005, he released Inside the Locker Room, a CD set that includes Lombardi’s final locker room address as the head coach of the Packers in January 1968, immediately after Super Bowl II. In September 2006, Kramer re-released his 1968 best seller, Instant Replay.

Kramer was inducted into the University of Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 and is being awarded a University of Idaho Alumni Association, Distinguished Idahoan Award, their highest award, in 2021. After retirement from the NFL, Kramer lived on a ranch near Parma in southwestern Idaho. He now resides in Boise.
In recognition of his contributions to the University of Idaho, athletics and literary works, the university is proud to bestow on him the Doctor of Humane Letters with all its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

Honorary Doctorate

Colonel William H. “Billy” Shaw III dedicated his years of service to enhancing the quality of life for citizens around the world through the stewardship of refugee camps and the military communities he led around the world.

He earned a degree in criminal justice at North Georgia College in Dahlonega, where he was a member of Scabbard and Blade, Order of Colombo and Sigma Nu fraternity. He received a Distinguished Military Award and a regular Army commission as a second lieutenant in 1984.

During his distinguished military career, he was awarded numerous commendations from the U.S. Army, including two Bronze Stars. His assignments included professor of military science at Auburn University; assistant to the commandant at his alma mater; missions to establish refugee camps for our Kurdish allies in the Gulf War; commander of Charlie Co. Europe based in Stuttgart, Germany; commander of Special Forces in Djibouti, Horn of Africa; and Camp Morehead/Camp Commando, the mountain training base for Afghan special forces. His last assignment was in Stuttgart as liaison between U.S. special operations and our European embassies. He was a Ranger, Pathfinder and Green Beret who loved skydiving and counted hundreds of jumps.

He brought his leadership experience in special warfare and emergency services training to community-based research focusing on adaptation and vulnerability issues. Additionally, he supported transformational leadership development for ROTC candidates and university administrators.

Billy became an affiliate with the University of Idaho’s Center for Resilient Communities in 2016 and championed collaborative research on adaptivity and vulnerability in special warfare and emergency services training and technology-induced environmental distancing. Billy was pursuing an interdisciplinary doctorate in this field from U of I at the time of his death. He was researching the subject of “Adaptive Transformation: A Transmedia-Based Extension of Special Forces Narrative Operations to Shape Human Terrain in Highly Asymmetric Theaters.”

Billy died in 2019 and is being granted the degree posthumously. Nothing was more important to Billy than his beloved family connections. He leaves behind his mother Nancy Shaw, brother Glenn Shaw, former wife Mary Kay Shaw, and two daughters Bailey Grace Shaw and Shannon Elizabeth Shaw who will accept the honor on his behalf.

Honorary Doctorate

Dennis Alvah Hanson grew up working in the family-owned engineering and manufacturing business (RAHCO) in Palouse, Washington and was mentored by many of the engineers. Hanson attended Washington State University for three years and will receive an honorary engineering degree during the winter commencement Dec. 11, 2021.

Hanson helped grow RAHCO into a world leader in the design and manufacture of specialized construction equipment. He travelled extensively to provide technical support for the operation of RAHCO equipment on construction projects in the U.S., South America and the Middle East.

In 1977, Hanson launched his own entrepreneurial career, managing Dye Seed Ranch Inc. for the Dye Family before purchasing it in 1983. He designed, built and improved much of the machinery used for the processing of the raw grass seed and the packaging of the clean seed.

In 2001, under the authority of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, Dye Seed entered into Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Dye Seed provided Hanson with a reason to fly his own aircraft. He quickly earned his private pilot’s license and instrument rating during his first year at Dye Seed to facilitate his commute from Spokane to Pomeroy and went on to earn his Airplane Multiengine Land Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with Commercial Privileges Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Single Engine Sea, Rotorcraft-Helicopter and Instrument Helicopter ratings. Hanson has over 15,000 flight hours and has had the opportunity to fly notable individuals such as Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Walter Cronkite, Shimon Peres, Benazir Bhutto and Idaho Governor Butch Otter over the years.

Aviation introduced Hanson to his loving wife, Norma Jean (NJ) (U of I ’77 B.S. Bacteriology), whom he married in 1983. They have three sons, all with B.S.M.E. and M.S.M.E. degrees from the U of I, and one daughter with a doctorate in Bioengineering from MIT.

Hanson acquired an ownership interest in Eagle Helicopters Inc, in 1985, a FAA part 135 certificate holder that he continues to be majority owner, Chief Pilot and Check Airman. In 1985, he was instrumental in developing the “HeartFlite” EMS Program for Sacred Heart Medical Center.

In 1989, Hanson acquired a majority interest in Fasteners Inc., a business headquartered in Spokane that distributed industrial fasteners in Washington, Idaho and Montana, which was sold to a national company in 2015.

After Raymond Hanson's passing in 2009, Dennis assumed the family leadership to oversee Hanson Industries Inc. and its continued development of remaining real estate holdings and a platinum mine in Alaska.

Honorary Doctorate

Rick Waitley is president of Association Management Group located in Meridian, Idaho.

The firm handles association management, legislative lobbying and event planning for over 40 agriculture groups in Idaho and the Northwest. Waitley has been a registered lobbyist in Idaho since 1978.

Growing up on a family farm in Meridian, Waitley was active in 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA). He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education. After teaching at Kuna High School, Waitley worked for the National FFA before returning to Idaho to begin his lobbying career.

In 1998, he received the Idaho Ag Summit Governor’s Award for Excellence in Agriculture — in “Educational Advocacy.” Waitley serves on numerous community and state boards and committees including the Meridian Cemetery District Board and United Heritage Insurance Company Board. He is the chair of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board.

Waitley is married to his wife Dorita, a retired kindergarten teacher of 35 years.

Honorary Doctorate

Don Burnett is professor emeritus and past dean at the University of Idaho College of Law. He served as interim president of the University of Idaho in 2013-14. His career has encompassed service as an appellate judge, practicing lawyer, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer, state bar president, law professor and dean of two law schools.

Born in 1946 at Pocatello, Burnett received his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in economics from Harvard, his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago and a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia. He also graduated on the “Commandant’s List” from the Command and General Staff College of the U.S. Army. As a reserve officer in the Army JAG Corps, Burnett was a reserve deputy commandant and academic director of The Judge Advocate General’s School. A recipient of the U.S. Armed Forces Legion of Merit award, he retired in 2000 with the rank of colonel.

Burnett’s concurrent civilian career began as a law clerk to the chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court and as an assistant attorney general for the state of Idaho. He entered private practice in Pocatello, became president of the Idaho State Bar, chaired the bar’s professional conduct standards committee, served as a judge of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Court and was executive director of the Idaho Judicial Council. In 1982, he was appointed to the newly formed Idaho Court of Appeals and in 1986 was retained in office by statewide election.

In 1990, Burnett became dean of the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, serving 12 years on the Brandeis faculty, including 10 years as dean. He chaired the Professionalism Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. In 2002, he became dean of the University of Idaho College of Law and served in that capacity for 11 years. As dean, Burnett led initiatives such as the establishing a pro bono service program encompassing all students, expanding legal education in Boise, and embarking with the Idaho Supreme Court on development of the Idaho Law and Justice Learning Center in Boise.

Named interim president in 2013, Burnett worked to broaden participation by staff and faculty in university decision-making, to protect student health and safety, to advance the university’s successful capital campaign and to build pride in U of I’s distinctive heritage. His writings and speeches often described the university as “Idaho’s national land-grant, founding, comprehensive, constitutionally established and, therefore, flagship institution.” He emphasized collaboration with sister institutions in promoting all of higher education in Idaho.

Burnett returned to the faculty of the College of Law in 2014 and was named professor emeritus of law in 2016, continuing to be highly engaged in service. His spouse, Karen Trujillo Burnett, is another Pocatello native. An author, she holds degrees from U of I, the University of Chicago, Idaho State University and Boise State University.

In recognition of his contributions as a leader in the U.S. military, as an exponent of professionalism in American legal education, and in service to the University of Idaho, U of I is proud to bestow on him the Doctor of Laws degree with all its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

President’s Medallion

Doug Gross ’75 is the CEO of Gross Farms Inc., a vertically integrated potato farm near Wilder. He has been an exceptional potato grower and a leader in the development of Idaho agribusiness for more than four decades. Gross is a passionate and engaged alumnus. Earning his bachelor’s degree in agricultural systems management from the University of Idaho in 1975, Gross has a long legacy of service to his alma mater, to the state and to the agricultural industry.

Gross assumed responsibilities on his family’s farm in Wilder as a young boy, driving his first tractor at 5 and first large farm truck at 7. He purchased and began expanding his own operation while still in college. In 1983, he started Gross Seed Co. to support Gross Farms Inc. with potato seed and to distribute to other growers. On the 1,500-acre farm in Wilder he now runs with wife, Mary Hasenoehrl (also a former U of I employee), Gross produces potatoes for processing and the fresh market. He also rotates his potatoes with mint, corn, wheat and seed beans.

Gross has been an active leader in Idaho agriculture in many ways. He served on the Idaho Potato Commission from 1997-2003 and remains involved in outreach and education efforts.

His spirit of service also extends to his alma mater. Gross is a member of the UI Foundation board of directors. In 2017, Gross received a Silver and Gold Award from the U of I Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Relations. The award recognizes his distinguished record of achievement in agribusiness and his service to industry and on behalf of the university.

Gross has been highly engaged in connecting U of  I research and students with industry and in promoting Extension work. A member of the President’s Circle, his generosity for many university programs and initiatives includes 30 years of support for the Vandal Scholarship Fund, an endowment for potato education, and an endowment to support the Vandal Marching Band, established in memoriam for his late wife, Judy ’75.

Honorary Doctorate

Jonathan Segal ‘84 is considered one of the most successful and pioneering residential architects in the United States.

His Jonathan Segal FAIA and Development Company has been responsible for the design and development of more than 1,000 medium- to high-density urban residential, mixed-use and live/work units totaling over 300,000 square feet of construction.

A graduate of the University of Idaho Architecture Program, Segal has redefined the role of the traditional architect by designing, developing, constructing and managing his own projects.

Over the past 20 years, he has created and modeled the unique practice of “Architect as Developer,” a prototype in which the architect has the ability to become the owner, therefore eliminating the client and the general contractor from the design and building process. Segal teaches this concept of “Architect as Developer” in an online video course for architects.

A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Segal has been the recipient of numerous accolades including 40 local, state and national AIA awards for residential and urban design, and seven California American Institute of Architects Honor Awards. In 2003, he was named one of four architects in San Diego’s history to make a difference in the history of the city. Residential Architect Magazine offered him both the Leadership Award and the Project of the Year Award and in 2004, named him a “Rising Star” in the nation. Recently, he was selected as one of the top 50 residential architects in the United States. He was previously awarded a University of Idaho Silver and Gold Award in 2016.

His work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Builder Magazine, Dwell Magazine, the San Diego Union-Tribune and San Diego Home and Garden.

In recognition of Segal’s contributions to the field of architecture and his commitment to higher education, the University of Idaho is proud to bestow on him the Doctor of Arts degree with all its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

Honorary Doctorate

David E. Whitehead is chief executive officer at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, where he oversees the company’s global operations, including research and development, quality, sales, marketing and communication, engineering services, manufacturing and business areas.

For more than a decade, Whitehead led the SEL Research and Development Division, an 800-person multidisciplinary team responsible for the research, design, development and testing of systems that manage, monitor and control critical electric infrastructure.

A recognized leader in utility and industrial control system cybersecurity, Whitehead’s inventions have led to breakthroughs in advancing cybersecurity in the energy sector. He has testified before the U.S. Senate and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the importance of innovation and protecting against cyberattacks. He has presented at numerous cybersecurity conferences and authored numerous papers on the topic.

He has been instrumental in growing the company’s Research and Development Division and in leading the development of the steady stream of inventions to come out of SEL. He has been awarded more than 73 patents around the world. After joining SEL in 1994, he served in a variety of roles within the company, including hardware engineer, research engineer, chief engineer of the Government Services Division and vice president of Research and Development.

Whitehead serves on the board of directors of SEL and Veracity Industrial Networks, is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and is the past chair of the IEEE Power and Energy Society Substations C6 committee. He received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Washington State University and a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a registered professional engineer in Washington, New York, Michigan and North Carolina.

In recognition of Whitehead’s contributions to the engineering field and his exemplary commitment to higher education, the University of Idaho is proud to bestow on him the Doctor of Engineering degree with all its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

Honorary Doctorate

Marc Brinkmeyer is owner and chairman of the board of Idaho Forest Group (IFG), one of America’s largest lumber producers. Across Idaho and Montana, IFG owns six sawmills and a finger-joint facility with capacity for over 1 billion board feet per year. Brinkmeyer is an accomplished business leader, a champion of education and innovation, and a longtime philanthropist.

Born and raised in Iowa, Brinkmeyer graduated from Buena Vista University with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1968. He began his career in Portland, Oregon, as a certified public accountant with Arthur Anderson and Company before becoming chief financial officer and a member of the board of directors for the Brand S Corporation forest products company.

In 1981, Brinkmeyer purchased the Laclede sawmill from Brand S and formed Riley Creek Lumber Co. In 2003, Riley Creek purchased two additional mills from Louisiana-Pacific Corp. in Chilco and Moyie Springs, becoming the largest lumber producer in the Intermountain West. In 2008, Riley Creek Lumber merged with Bennett Forest Industries to form Idaho Forest Group.

Based in Coeur d’Alene, IFG grows, harvests, manufactures and distributes lumber and other wood by-products to customers in the United States and abroad. The company emphasizes a talented workforce of more than 1,000 employees and 2,000 partner contractors, as well as state-of-the-art technology in its operations. IFG’s mission is to “enhance the lives and livelihoods of our employees, customers, and partners and the communities in which we operate by providing the Earth’s best renewable building products.”

Brinkmeyer has decades of involvement in industry organizations. He is a former chair and current member of the executive committee of the Softwood Lumber Association, a past chairman of the Western Wood Products Association and the former board president of the Intermountain Forest Association. He has been a member of the Lakes Commission, a member of the Negotiating Committee for the Coalition for Fair Trade Lumber Imports and a U.S. delegate to the European Softwood Conferences.

Brinkmeyer’s commitment to education has included service as an advisor to the U of I College of Natural Resources’ forest products program (now the renewable materials program) and as a director at Buena Vista University. He contributes generously to U of I academic programs and initiatives, recently supporting a lecture series in the College of Natural Resources. His community and cultural leadership includes sponsorship of the Festival at Sandpoint and the Idaho Humanities Council lecture series. He and his wife, Vicki, live in northern Idaho. He has two sons.

In recognition of Brinkmeyer’s contributions to the forestry and wood products industry, his lifetime of service in support of economic development that impacts Idaho and the United States, and his exemplary commitment to higher education, U of I is proud to bestow on him the Doctor of Natural Resources degree with all its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

Honorary Doctorate

Matthew J. Espe ’80 is a retired executive whose extensive career included top roles in global manufacturing businesses. His experience includes sales, marketing, distribution and management for enterprises across North America, Asia and Europe. His accomplishments as a business leader are matched by his commitment to service as a volunteer and University of Idaho alumnus.

Espe earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from the University of Idaho College of Business and Economics in 1980. He went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from Whittier College. He began his career with GE in 1980 as a technical marketing trainee and rose rapidly through leadership ranks to manage multi-billion dollar revenues as president of GE Plastics, first in Asia and then in Europe. In 1999, Espe became the president and CEO of GE Lighting and senior vice president at GE, with profit and loss leadership for $3 billion in the global GE lighting business and oversight of 35,000 employees and 55 manufacturing plants.

Espe’s leadership took him to the chairman and CEO position at IKON Office Solutions, a $4 billion office equipment distributor and services provider with 24,000 employees. When IKON merged with Ricoh Americas Corporation, Espe was chairman and CEO for the $6 billion Americas division – the highest-ranking non-Japanese member of the company’s senior leadership team. In 2010, Espe became president and CEO of Armstrong World Industries, a global building products company, retiring in 2016. He has also served as president and CEO of Radial, leading the company through a sale to a Belgian company.

Currently residing in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, Espe is a respected and active volunteer, board member and advisor to public companies, private equity firms and nonprofit organizations. He has also stayed involved with U of I, volunteering his time as a speaker in academic programs, serving on the College of Business and Economics Advisory Board and with the college’s Executive MBA program, and contributing in support of faculty scholarship and university initiatives such as the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena project.

In 2006, Espe received the Silver and Gold Award from the U of I Alumni Association (UIAA) and the Office of Alumni Relations. He was inducted into the UIAA Hall of Fame in 2013. His wife, Lori, graduated from U of I in 1981 with a bachelor’s in accounting. The Espes have four children.

In recognition of his decades-long excellence in corporate leadership, his lifetime of service and philanthropy, and his enduring commitment to student success and academic excellence, the University of Idaho is proud to bestow on him the Doctor of Business Administration degree with all its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

President’s Medallion

Kathy Clark faithfully served the University of Idaho and the Department of Athletics for 25½ years from 1974 to her retirement in 1999. In her successful career, Clark served as an educator, coach and administrator. She was also a tireless advocate for women’s athletics, academic success and student-athlete well-being.

Upon arriving at U of I, Clark became the first-ever head of Women’s Athletics and head volleyball coach, head women’s track and field coach, and physical education instructor. The Vandal volleyball team went 22-6 in her first year as coach. Highlights of Clark’s athletic department leadership include her introduction of the first athletic scholarships for women student-athletes, the Vandal women’s basketball 1986 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) Championship, the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national first- and second-place finishes for women’s track and cross country, the reinstitution of women’s golf and the establishment of the women’s soccer program, among many others.

Her long career encompassed many different roles, including two stints as interim athletic director. In addition to competitive success, the welfare of student-athletes was always a principal concern. Clark took leadership in developing the academic support services program for student-athletes. She also developed the athletic compliance program for the athletic department. She helped expand opportunities for female student-athletes with an instrumental role in the birth and development of the Mountain West Women’s Athletic Conference and leadership roles in the Big Sky and Big West conferences, the AIAW and the NCAA.

A committed philanthropist, Clark founded a successful 15-year annual fundraiser for U of I Women’s Athletics called “The Stride for Gold.” During the U of I Centennial, she established the Kathy Clark Endowed Scholarship for women student-athletes. The athletic department established the Kathy Clark Scholar-Athlete Award to annually recognize academic and athletic accomplishment among all student-athletes.

Clark concluded her U of I career as senior associate athletic director. She has a legacy as an engaged and committed leader in her profession, holding key positions in conference and national sports organizations, including the presidency of the Northwest College Women’s Sports Association; the Division II vice president of the AIAW; the presidency of the Mountain West Athletic Conference; and various appointments on NCAA national committees throughout her U of I career.

Clark holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology from the University of Massachusetts and a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Oregon State University. In 1981, Clark was made an honorary U of I alumna. She was inducted into the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 and the North Idaho Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

Honorary Doctor of Science

Dayaldas T. Meshri is the founder, president and CEO of Advance Research Chemicals, Inc., a worldwide chemical products company based in Catoosa, Oklahoma, and with facilities in Mexico and India. The company is one of the world’s largest producers of specialty fluorine-based chemical products.

Born in British India, Meshri fled with his family to India during the partition of the country into Pakistan and India in 1947. He received a scholarship from the University of Idaho, studying under the direction of Professor Jean’ne Shreeve, forming a friendship with Professor Malcolm Renfrew and graduating with a doctoral degree in chemistry in 1968. While at U of I, Meshri married his fiancée, Indurani, who worked as a geology researcher in Moscow. In 1981 Indurani earned a doctorate in geosciences at the University of Tulsa.

In 1987, Meshri established Advance Research Chemicals, Inc. The company has expanded from a 3,000 square-foot single production facility to multiple facilities occupying more than 250,000 square feet, with an international production footprint and more than 140 employees. The company is recognized for its size and scope, as well as its innovation and integrity.

Meshri has remained highly involved at U of I for over 50 years. He has supported work in the sciences, funding faculty and scholarship endowments. He established the Dr. Indu Dayal Meshri Memorial Scholarship in Geological Sciences at U of I in honor of his late wife, Indurani. He was a member of the Inspiring Futures campaign cabinet, the U of I Foundation Board of Directors and the U of I Foundation Finance Committee. He supported the development and construction of the Integrated Research and Innovation Center (IRIC) and the University House project. Meshri received the Alumni Hall of Fame Award in 2008 and the College of Science Academy of Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010.

Meshri is passionate about involvement and excellence in many areas. Philanthropy in memory of Indurani supports education in India; science, engineering and health-related giving in his home state of Oklahoma; and contributions in support of parks in Tulsa. He is the founder and president of the Global Sindhi Foundation, which has built 230 toilets and bathrooms in India for people living in barracks without access to such facilities. He serves on the board of directors for the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology; is a director of the Tulsa Global Alliance, which presented him the Global Vision Award in 2013; and was a member of Space Research Advisory Board at Princeton University. Other awards and honors include induction into the Tulsa Hall of Fame and the Ambassador Edwin G. Corr Global Citizenship Award from the United Nations Association of Eastern Oklahoma in 2017.

In recognition of his legacy of innovation and development in the chemical products field, his lifetime of service and philanthropy, and his enduring commitment to student success and research excellence, U of I is proud to bestow on him the degree of Doctor of Science with all its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

Honorary Doctor of Administrative Science

Maj. Gen. Erik C. Peterson assumed command of Division West of the 1st U.S. Army June 26, 2017. Prior to this command, Peterson served as the director of Army Aviation on the Army staff at the Pentagon. Peterson received his Army commission in 1986 as a distinguished military graduate of the University of Idaho’s Chrisman Battalion, U.S. Army ROTC.

His first assignment was as a platoon leader with the 271st Combat Aviation Company, Republic of Korea. He then served 14 years with the 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in positions ranging from platoon leader to battalion commander. Other assignments include senior special operations aviation observer controller, Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana; director, Flight Concepts Division, Fort Eustis, Virginia; brigade commander, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and chief of staff, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York; deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Cadet Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky; deputy commanding general for support, 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea; and commanding general of U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Peterson has commanded and held key staff positions in numerous overseas combat and contingency operations, ranging from Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to post 9/11 operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Peterson earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Geography and Cartography from U of I’s College of Mines and Earth Resources, and has also earned master’s degrees in Business Administration and in National Security Strategy. He has also participated in multiple postgraduate executive training and certificate programs.

His military awards and decorations include the two Distinguished Service Medals, four Legions of Merit, six Bronze Star Medals, five Meritorious Service Medals, the Air Medal with valor device and numeral 5, the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Master Aviator Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge. His foreign military awards and decorations include the Kuwait Liberation Medal – Government of Kuwait, Kuwait Liberation Medal – Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit – Cheonsu Medal, Australian Parachutist Badge, honorary Republic of Korea Master Aviator Badge and honorary Swedish Parachutist Badge. In 2014, Peterson was the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield’s first recipient of the Award for Meritorious Military Service in Protection of Cultural Property. In 2016, he was inducted into the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Hall of Fame.

In recognition of his contributions as a leader in the U.S. military and his exemplary service in defense of the nation, U of I is proud to bestow on him the degree of Doctor of Administrative Science with all its rights, honors, privileges and responsibilities.

Honorary Doctor of Science

Peter Griffiths is a University of Idaho professor emeritus. He holds a doctorate from Oxford University and joined the faculty at the University of Idaho as a professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry in the College of Science in 1989. He served as chair from 1989-97 and again in 2002. He served as interim associate vice president for research from 2000-01 and retired in 2008.

Griffiths is an internationally renowned figure in the field of analytical chemistry. In his career, he has produced over 300 highly cited research articles, 55 book chapters and edited 11 books. He also served as the major professor to 52 doctoral students. He wrote the text, “Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry,” now in its second edition, and one of the seminal texts in the field of vibrational spectroscopy. Even in retirement, Griffiths continues to publish peer-reviewed articles and his work remains highly read and cited. He has been a driving force in his field for four decades.

He has received honors from countries across the globe, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Austria and New Zealand. Among the many distinguished honors Griffiths has received during his career are the designation of distinguished professor from Ohio University in 1978, the Fritz Pregl Medal of Austrian Society for Analytical Chemistry in 1995 and the U of I Award for Excellence in Research or Creative Activity in 1995. He is also a recipient of the Bomem Michelson Award in Molecular Spectroscopy, the Gerald S. Birth Award for Outstanding Work in Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, the Alexander von Humboldt Senior Research Fellowship and he was named an Erskine Fellow by the University of Canterbury in New Zealand in 2008.

Honorary Doctor of Engineering

Tom Mueller, propulsion chief technology officer at SpaceX, has 30 years of propulsion development experience and is one of the world's foremost rocket engine designers. As one of SpaceX’s founding members, he is responsible for building and managing the company’s propulsion development group, which develops propulsion systems and engines for the Falcon launch vehicles and the Dragon spacecraft.

At SpaceX, Mueller led development of the Merlin rocket engine, the highest-performing U.S.-made hydrocarbon engine. In February 2018, 27 of these remarkable engines powered the Falcon Heavy rocket off the launch pad and put the mannequin “Starman” into orbit around the sun in a Tesla Roadster. Mueller is currently involved in development of new propulsion systems, including the next generation Raptor engine that will eventually enable humans to be a multi-planet species.

In 2017, Mueller was inducted into the Academy of Engineers at the University of Idaho. Other achievements include receiving an honorary doctorate from Loyola Marymount University and the TRW Chairman's Award, TRW’s most prestigious award for technical achievement. He holds several U.S. patents in propulsion technology. Mueller received his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from U of I in 1985 and went on to earn a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Loyola Marymount University in 1992.

Honorary Doctor of Education

Shawn Swanby, president and CEO of Ednetics, believes in the transformative effect that technology can provide schools and universities. He is a leader in applied technology and has become an advocate and positive influence in the industry.

Swanby studied in the University of Idaho’s College of Engineering from 1992-97. As a student, Swanby worked for both Hewlett-Packard and Apple and began consulting on the side. In 1997, he left the university to incorporate his consulting practice, Ednetics.

In the early days of Ednetics, an outside observer might have thought the focus of the company was playing video games and hacky sack. In reality, Swanby had embraced a cultural shift – geeks had become cultural drivers and agents of change. With a focus on people, teams and corporate culture, Swanby recruited many of his closest friends and together they built Ednetics into a thriving company.

Today, Ednetics has offices in Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Arizona. From engineers to interns, the whole team is solving, building and refining. Ednetics has been recognized as both one of the best places to work and most innovative companies in Idaho. Swanby has also been involved in multiple business ventures, including internet and software companies as well as a real estate development group. He serves as chief technology officer for Fatbeam, a fiber-optic provider recently ranked 190 on the Inc. 500’s fastest-growing companies list.

In 2017, the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences awarded Swanby an honorary bachelor’s degree.

Swanby lives in Coeur d’Alene with his wife, Sarah, and two children. He enjoys cycling, skiing, the outdoors and is still tearing things apart to see how they work.

Honorary Doctor of Administrative Service

Kirby A. (Noland) Dyess of Beaverton, Oregon, received her Bachelor of Science in physics from the University of Idaho's College of Science in 1968. She went on to do post-graduate work in management at Stanford University in California and in biochemistry at Portland State University in Oregon.

While working at Clyde's IGA in Moscow to pay for college, Dyess met and later married Carl F. Dyess, an economics major at the U of I. They moved to Portland, Oregon, to start their careers after graduation.

Kirby Dyess was one of the first women to earn a degree in physics from U of I. In 2012, she was the first woman to win a Lifetime Achievement Award from TechAmerica Oregon, formerly the American Engineering Association (AEA). In 2010, she was inducted into the College of Science Academy of Distinguished Alumni. She was inducted into the U of I Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2007.

was born and raised with three younger brothers in Kellogg, Idaho. After two years at Linfield College in Oregon, she transferred to the University of Idaho to finish her degree. After graduation, she joined a medical company and published research on diabetes and metabolism.

She joined international technology company and computer chip maker Intel, in 1979. In 2003, she retired as corporate vice president of Intel after 23 years of service. Her most recent assignment at Intel was as director of operations for Intel Capital, where she managed a global portfolio of 400 technology companies and completed 50 acquisitions.

Dyess leads her own investment company, Austin Capital Management LLC, named after her grandson, Austin. She has provided seed money to 14 startup technology companies, including one spinoff from U of I.

Dyess and her husband are strong supporters of higher education and are regular contributors to Linfield College and all four research universities in Oregon, and have an endowment to support doctoral scholars. In 2008, they established the Dyess Faculty Fellowship to support outstanding faculty at U of I. The three­-year fellowship supports faculty members in the College of Science, particularly those who are involved with promoting undergraduate research efforts.

Honorary Doctor of Natural Resources

Brent N. Holben received his Bachelor of Science in agronomy from the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources in 1972, and a Master of Science in watershed science from Colorado State University in 1976.

A native of Genesee, Holben has worked at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for over 39 years, performing research in ground-based and satellite remote sensing of land cover and aerosols. Additionally, he has developed innovative methods for in-orbit calibration of satellite visible and near-­infrared (IR) sensors.

He is the project leader for the global AERO NET sun-sky radiometer network that provides spectral aerosol optical depth and microphysical and radiometric properties for NASA's satellite cal/val program, as well as validation for a variety of U.S. and foreign satellite systems and aerosol model programs. In the process of developing the network and characterizing the great variety of aerosol types and processes, Holben and his team have led or participated in numerous airborne, ground-based and satellite field campaigns that emphasize research and validation. These measurement campaigns have led to numerous collaborations in Brazil, South Africa, West Africa, U.S., Canada, Europe, United Arab Emirates, India, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia.

Under Holben's 23-year guidance, AERO NET has become a global standard for aerosol research and validation of satellite, airborne RS and model datasets and in situ comparisons and model assimilation. Through AERO NET, Holben initiated NASA's first fully open public domain research database that is accessible in near real time.

Holben has received several awards, most notably the William Nordberg Memorial Award for Earth Science in 2005, Goddard's highest award for contributions to environmental science. He was elected fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2016. He received the American Geophysical Union Atmospheres Kaufman Award for Unselfish Collaboration in 2015. In 2012, he became one of only 25 people to receive a medal from the Institute of Science and Technology of Vietnam. He has also received numerous Goddard Performance Awards. Holben was awarded NASA's Exceptional Service Medal in 1996 and the Medal for Exceptional Achievement in 2001.

Holben has published 385 peer-reviewed papers, with a total of 32,216 citations. He is included in the 2016 Thompson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher list, in the field of geosciences.

Honorary Doctor of Agricultural Science

Bill E. Newbry received his Bachelor of Arts in business administration and marketing from Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, in 1982. He has served as president and CEO of Pacific Northwest Farmers' Cooperative (PNW) since 1996.

Originally from Twin Falls, Newbry graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1970. A U.S. Army veteran, he served as an air traffic controller for the U.S. Army from 1972-75 and for the Federal Aviation Administration in Spokane from 1975-81.

Newbry began his cooperative career at Genesee Union Warehouse Company in 1984, where he was central in the mergers and growth of PNW. He was promoted to merchandising manager in 1989, where he served until receiving the post as president and CEO in 1996. In 2017, he was inducted into the Idaho Cooperative Hall of Fame.

PNW is a 1,400-member agricultural cooperative formed from numerous cooperative mergers, the last being Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative and Cooperative Agriculture Producers in 2017. PNW's growing area spans over 70 facilities and encompasses grain movement from river barge terminals and shuttle train transportation facilities in North Idaho and Eastern Washington. In addition to grains, PNW is also a major exporter of pulses to over 40 countries in the world and supplies numerous canners and hummus manufacturers in the U.S.

Through PNW; Newbry supports alumni and students of the University of Idaho through employment opportunities and internships. In 2012, he was honored with an award from the Bonners Ferry, Idaho, FFA chapter in recognition of PNW' s support of FFA programs. He is a strong supporter of education and the community and has sat on numerous agricultural industry boards, the Genesee School Board and is a member of several national organizations.

He and his wife, Susan, a retired special education teacher, have a daughter, Meagan, who is a grade school teacher in Meridian, Idaho.

Honorary Doctor of Administrative Science

Silas C. Whitman has devoted his career to the stewardship of fisheries and aquatic systems in the Columbia River Basin and Idaho. An enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe who resides in Lapwai, Whitman integrated tribal cultural knowledge and values into regional fisheries management efforts. He has nearly 50 years of experience in the public and private sectors conducting policy management and technical administrative activities, including tribal treaty resource management. He served as tribal chairman for the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee from 2012 to 2015.

Whitman served as executive director for the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C., from 1981-83 and in the private sector as executive vice president for tribal development in Kansas City, Missouri, and executive vice president for corporate development for transportation services in Ontario, California, from 1983-87. Silas C. Whitman has devoted his career to the stewardship of fisheries and aquatic systems in the Columbia River Basin and Idaho. An enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe who resides in Lapwai, Whitman integrated tribal cultural knowledge and values into regional fisheries management efforts. He has nearly 50 years of experience in the public and private sectors conducting policy management and technical administrative activities, including tribal treaty resource management. He served as tribal chairman for the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee from 2012 to 2015.

Whitman served as executive director for the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C., from 1981-83 and in the private sector as executive vice president for tribal development in Kansas City, Missouri, and executive vice president for corporate development for transportation services in Ontario, California, from 1983-87.

Under Whitman's leadership, the Nez Perce fisheries program became independent from federal and state governments. It has since grown into a self-sustaining program and one of the largest tribal fisheries programs in the United States, with departments in harvest, production, research, resident fish, conservation enforcement and watershed/habitat.

He served as program manager for Nez Perce Fisheries Resource Management from 1987 to 2000. His application of indigenous knowledge and a holistic approach to fisheries management has resulted in the restoration of spring chinook, fall chinook and coho salmon populations in the region and Nez Perce treaty watersheds.

He has partnered with many University of Idaho faculty and students on research projects and has been a champion of education for tribal members. He is often an invited guest to share his wealth of knowledge with university students and fisheries professionals. His partnership with the University of Idaho included work on a National Science Foundation Alliance for Graduate Education in the Professorate grant, which created mentoring and support programs for Native American and Alaska Native students in graduate programs. His engagement helps students understand the value in traditional ways of knowing and then exploring scientific principles.

Whitman's understanding of traditional values was influenced and applied through his maternal grandparents, who instilled tribal cultural knowledge and language along with those customs and traditions, and an intimate familiarity of Nez Perce homelands and traditional natural resources utilized by the Nez Perce people.

• Gov. Dirk Kempthorne ’75
• Marilyn Denis ’79