Alumni Masters Week, sponsored by the Nebraska Alumni Association, Nebraska Student Alumni Association and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor’s Office, is Nov. 1-3.
Since 1964, more than 400 alumni have participated in Alumni Masters Week. Its goal is to link the university’s outstanding alumni with students who can benefit from their experiences and knowledge. Students are encouraged to take part in lectures, presentations and events with the Alumni Masters, who will speak about ways to apply formal education to working situations and career goals.
The public is invited to meet the Alumni Masters and hear their perspectives on success during a panel discussion from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Transformation Drive.
The 2017 Alumni Masters:
Ben Steffen owns and operates Steffen Ag Inc., a diversified dairy and crop production farm in southeast Nebraska, with his wife, Paula Sue, while serving in multiple leadership roles. He is past president of Agriculture Builders of Nebraska, where he worked to enhance the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The 1984 graduate is hosted by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Kristine Dorn is the vision director at BVH Architecture. Her focus is on defining business strategies and action plans while moving the firm toward its goals. She started at BVH in May 2005 as an interior designer and has worked on numerous projects in the religious, education and business sectors across the Midwest. The 2005 graduate is hosted by the College of Architecture.
Brian Vaske is the founder and CEO of ITI Data in New York City. He founded the company in 1999 with a mission to deliver world-class data and information management systems. In his early career as a systems architect, he established a reputation of reliable delivery and innovative vision in business intelligence and data integration solutions for top financial institutions. The 1995 graduate is hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences.
Garth Glissman is the senior director of basketball operations for the NBA. He graduated from Nebraska with a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science in 2005 and a Juris Doctorate in 2009. He is hosted by the Athletics Department.
Michael S. Dunlap established the company that would become Nelnet in 1996 with Stephen Butterfield. He is now executive chairman of the board and was chairman and CEO of the company. The 1986 and 1988 graduate is hosted by the College of Business.
Norman Newhouse is the vice president of technology at Hexagon-Lincoln. He directs technology development that has allowed the company to increase sales six-fold during the past decade. The company makes filament-wound composite pressure vessels. In addition, he directed a program that led to the production of the world’s largest all-composite commercial pressure vessel. The 1973, 1975 and 1984 graduate is hosted by the College of Engineering.
Cindy McCaffrey is a former marketing officer for Google and was the company’s 26th employee. She pioneered the word-of-mouth campaign that put the company on the map. She says her biggest accomplishment was “being part of the team that built Google from a small enterprise into an important global resource that benefits so many people around the world today.” The 1980 graduate is hosted by the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Jaime Gonzalez works for the U.S. Department of the Army at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. He is a consultant to staff and Army commanders on clinical and counseling psychology issues that include psychological evaluations, diagnosis and treatment. He earned his Doctor of Psychology in counseling psychology from Nebraska in 2010. He is hosted by the College of Education and Human Sciences.
Christy Banks is an associate professor of music (clarinet and saxophone) and assistant chair of the music department at Millersville University in Millersville, Pennsylvania. Before that, she taught clarinet, saxophone and related music courses at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Concordia University, Doane College, Union College and Peru State College. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from Nebraska in 2005. She is hosted by the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.
