Hoping to provide inspiration to graduating seniors, the Alumni Association has planned to honor two alumni with achievement awards at this year’s commencement in June.
Thomas Jernstedt, senior vice president for the NCAA, will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award, while Ed Colligan, founder and senior vice president at Handspring, Inc. will receive the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
Paul Stieber, assistant director of communications and marketing for the Alumni Association, said Jernstedt is responsible for the current popularity of the NCAA Basketball Tournament and is a leader in collegiate athletics.
“It’s amazing what Tom’s been able to do in 30 years at the NCAA,” he said.
Jernstedt, who graduated from the University in 1967 with a degree in political science, is also the president of USA Basketball and serves on the U.S. Olympic Committee.
“The University has always been very special for me,” he said. “It was a very challenging place for me.”
He said his greatest influence after attending the University was Len Casanova, the legendary football coach at the University.
“I feel Len Casanova has been the greatest ambassador for the University,” he said.
Jernstedt said an NCAA banner located outside his office in Indianapolis is decorated in Oregon’s green and gold. This reminds him of where he came from, he said, and he’s excited to be coming back to where he received his master’s degree in education in 1973.
Daniel Rodriguez, executive director of the Alumni Association, said he is proud to have Jernstedt attend the ceremony and represent success.
“We’re really excited for him and all of his accomplishments,” he said.
Colligan, former vice president of marketing for Palm Computing, graduated in 1983 with a degree in political science. He will not be able to attend the ceremony.
Rodriguez said he still expects the graduating students to take a particular interest in Colligan.
“I think the students really zero in on the young alum,” Rodriguez said.
In 1997, Marketing Computers Magazine named Colligan the Marketer of the Year. In the same year, the magazine Advertising Age named him one of the top 100 Marketers.
“[Colligan’s] a young guy who has done tremendous things in the computing industry,” Stieber said.
Rodriguez said the association gives out the annual awards to focus on individuals from the University and their accomplishments, but also to inspire future alumni.
“In that audience, I believe there will be a future award winner,” he said.
Established in 1967, the Distinguished Alumnus Award has honored prestigious University alumni such as author Ken Kesey, legendary track and field coach Bill Bowerman and Otto Frohnmayer, father of University President Dave Frohnmayer.
The Outstanding Young Alumnus Award began in 1984, and requires the recipient to be younger than 45 years old.
Jernstedt and Colligan are “examples of what Oregon alumni have accomplished and what Oregon alumni can do,” Stieber said.