When: Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 6-9
Where: UNL Campus Sites
Lincoln, Neb., Oct. 29, 2002--Five distinguished University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumni will return to campus Nov. 6-9 for Masters Week, an annual event that connects successful Nebraska graduates with current students.
This year's masters are: Robin Abrams, recently retired chairman of the board, president and CEO of BlueKite, a San Francisco-based Internet software company with operations in the United States and Europe; Mary Adolf, president and chief operating officer of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation; Richard Callahan, founder of Callahan Associates International L.L.C., an organization that develops, operates and finances communications, entertainment and information projects around the world; Jacqueline Henningsen, director of the Air Force Studies and Analysis Agency, Office of the Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; and David Nuckolls, executive producer for special projects at CNN.
Masters Week was founded in 1964 by then-Chancellor Clifford Hardin. The program brings successful alumni into contact with students through class visitations, campus tours, and meetings with clubs and organizations. More than 200 alumni have returned to campus as Masters since the program's inception.
NU faculty nominate alumni each winter for the next year's program. Masters are then selected by a committee appointed by the chancellor. Masters week is sponsored by the Chancellor's Office, the Student Alumni Association, Innocents Society and the Black Masque Chapter of Mortar Board.
Biographic sketches of the masters follows. The schedules of each master's activities while he or she is on-campus is listed on the Nebraska alumni Web site (www.unl.edu/ alumni/programs/masters/index.html).
Abrams headed a firm that is a leading Internet software company specializing in data services to mobile computing devices such as laptops and pocket PCs. She has held executive positions in the U.S. and abroad throughout her career, including senior-level positions at Ventro, a leading builder of and service provider to business-to-business marketplaces, Palm Computing/3Com, a leader in the hand-held computing market, VeriFone, a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard, and Apple Computer. Abrams is a native of York and earned her bachelor of arts degree in political science and her juris doctorate at UNL.
Adolf leads the educational arm of the Chicago-based National Restaurant Association. She is a recognized expert on food safety issues and she holds a master's degree in food science and meat science and a bachelor of science degree in food and nutrition from UNL. Previously, Adolf served as senior vice president of Ketchum's Global Food and Nutrition Practice and as vice president of consumer marketing at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. She led the team that developed the award-winning "Beef, It's What's for Dinner" consumer advertising campaign.
Callahan founded his company in 1996 and has developed it into one of the leading cable communications operators in Europe, with businesses in Spain, Germany and Belgium and more than 19 million franchise homes. Previously, Callahan founded US West's cellular and cable communications as well as US West International. Callahan earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from UNL and a master of business administration from Creighton University. He was a scholastic All-American football player for the Cornhusker football team and played for coaching legend Bob Devaney in the 1964 Orange Bowl.
Henningsen leads the Headquarters Air Force Direct Reporting Unit for independent decision-aiding studies for the chief of staff and the secretary of the Air Force. She is a native of Omaha and earned a doctor of philosophy degree in industrial and management science engineering and a master of science degree in industrial science engineering from UNL. She has been recognized with the Air Force Award for Meritorious Civilian Service and the prestigious Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Award.
Nuckolls has directed such projects as "askCNN" and "Moneyline Update" for CNN, CNNI, Headline News, CNN.com and TNT. Prior to his work at CNN, Nuckolls spent 12 years at the Walt Disney Co. producing live entertainment and special events. As a senior producer in charge of creative entertainment, he produced special events including the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World and played an integral role in developing creative presentations for Disney CEO Michael Eisner. In 2002, Nuckolls served as video director of the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, directing the medal ceremonies and headline concerts. Nuckolls received his bachelor of journalism degree from UNL in 1986 and has received the distinguished alumnus award from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Contact: Annette Wetzel, University Communications, (402) 472-8524 (awetzel1@unl.edu)
For questions regarding these releases, contact:
tsimons1@unl.edu
(402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825