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Last modified: Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Alumni volunteers to be honored at IU's Cream & Crimson Alumni Weekend June 18-20

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University alumni from around the world will be on the IU Bloomington campus June 18-20 for the annual Cream & Crimson Alumni Weekend.

Activities include a Volunteer Leaders Conference with meetings of the IU Alumni Association Executive Council, alumni chapter leaders, constituent societies and affiliate groups. There will be two awards banquets, a breakfast hosted by IU Provost Karen Hanson and reunions for the classes of 1950, 1955 and 1960.

An awards banquet on the evening of Friday, June 18 will honor outstanding alumni programs and services by volunteer-led alumni groups. The IUAA has more than 150 alumni organizations representing different regions of the world and various schools and departments. These organizations engage in a variety of activities, ranging from student recruitment to social events and networking activities to community service.

At the Friday banquet, the IU Alumni Association's President's Awards will be presented -- the highest honor the association bestows upon alumni volunteers. The recipients this year will be Mildred Morgan Ball of Indianapolis; Barbara McElroy Kunkler of Bonita Springs, Fla.; Robert N. Modlin of Lafayette, Ind.; Sandy Obremskey of Lebanon, Ind.; and Robert E. Williams of Bloomington, Ind.

During a banquet Saturday evening, IU's Distinguished Alumni Service Awards will be presented -- the highest award given by the university solely to alumni. IU President Michael A. McRobbie will preside over the ceremony. This year's recipients will be Gayl Doster of Indianapolis; Richard G. Hatcher of Gary, Ind.; Young-Jin Kim of Seoul, South Korea; Alma Nesbitt Powell of South Bend, Ind.; Richard C. Searles of Indianapolis; and Michael D. Shumate of West Hollywood, Calif. DASA recipients were profiled in an earlier release available online.

Following are brief biographies of the IUAA President's Award recipients:

Mildred Morgan Ball

Ball earned her bachelor of science in physical education from IU in 1960. She attended the Bloomington campus. Ball was assistant commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association for 20 years before retiring in 1997.

Ball is a board member of the IU School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Alumni Association and a Hoosiers for Higher Education community captain. She served as president of the School of HPER alumni advisory board from 1995 to 1997 and again from 2007 to 2009. From 1996 to 1999, Ball was a member at large on the IU Alumni Association's Executive Council. She is a co-founder and former board member of the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club.

Ball has received the IU Distinguished Alumni Service Award and the School of HPER's Anita Aldrich Distinguished Alumni Award and the school's John R. Endwright Alumni Service Award. She resides in Indianapolis with her husband, Lionel.

Barbara McElroy Kunkler

Kunkler received a general nursing degree in 1951 from IU. She attended the Indianapolis campus (now Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis). Kunkler retired from physician relations for the IU School of Medicine in 1994.

Kunkler serves on the advisory board of the IU School of Nursing and on the board of the IU School of Medicine's J.O. Ritchey Society. From 1977-78, she was the president of the IU School of Nursing Alumni Association. Kunkler has also served as the school's affiliate representative on the IU Alumni Association's Executive Council. A lifetime member of the IUAA, she was a member at large on the Executive Council from 1984-87 and on the IUAA Insurance Committee. Kunkler was a board member of the Woodburn Guild from 1994 to 2006.

She received the IUAA's Gertrude Rich Award in 2001. Kunkler lives in Bonita Springs, Fla., with her husband, Arnold, BA'42, MD'49.

Robert N. Modlin

Modlin received his doctor of dental surgery degree in 1959 from IU. He retired in 1998 after working nearly 40 years as a dentist.

Modlin serves on the board of directors of the West Central (Ind.) Chapter of the IU Alumni Association and is a Hoosiers for Higher Education community captain. A lifetime member of the IUAA, he is a founding member of the West Central Chapter and served as its secretary and then as president for two terms.

Modlin also is a past president of the IU School of Dentistry Alumni Association. He represented the school on the IUAA's Executive Council from 1994 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2006. He has received the IU School of Dentistry Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award and IUPUI's Maynard K. Hine Medal. He lives in Lafayette, Ind., with his wife, Nancy (Binford), AS'58.

Sandy Obremskey

Obremskey has received two IU degrees: a bachelor of science in elementary education in 1958 and a master of science in counseling and counselor education in 1991. She attended the Bloomington campus for her undergraduate study and the IUPUI campus for her graduate study. Obremskey is a retired school counselor.

Obremskey and her husband, Pete, BS'58, LLB'61, founded the Herman B Wells (Boone County) Chapter of the IU Alumni Association. She serves on the chapter's board. A lifetime member of the IUAA, Obremskey served as the IUAA's vice chairwoman from 1996-97 and chairwoman from 1998-99. She also served on the IUAA Executive Council as a member at large from 1993-96. Obremskey served as a board member of the Woodburn Guild and as its president from 2000-02.

She has received the IUAA's Gertrude Rich Award and a community service award from the Boone County Chapter of the IUAA. Obremskey and her husband reside in Lebanon, Ind.

Robert E. Williams

Williams received a bachelor of science degree in music in 1956 and master of arts degree in speech and theater in 1964 from IU. He attended the Bloomington campus. Williams is a retired teacher living in Bloomington.

Williams is a board member on the IU Singing Hoosiers Alumni Council. He was the alumni group's president from 1990-95. A lifetime member of the IUAA, Williams served on its Executive Council as a member at large from 2000-03.

A pianist, he has released four albums, including Can't Get "Hoagy" Off My Mind, which features songs by Hoagy Carmichael, LLB'26, DM Hon'72. With his wife, Pat (Hargus), BS'60, Williams has performed a Hoagy Carmichael concert tour and presentation for the IUAA at various chapters around the country. He is the recipient of the Singing Hoosiers Distinguished Alumni Award and the IU Kokomo Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award.

The IUAA is dedicated to serving the university and its diverse alumni, students and friends. As one of the nation's largest alumni organizations, serving approximately 530,000 graduates worldwide, the IUAA provides many programs and services to its members, nonmember alumni, and the university. For information, visit https://www.alumni.indiana.edu or call 800-824-3044.