UW-River Falls Distinguished Alumnus and Teacher to be Honored at Spring Commencement

May 7, 2013— An expected 764 degree candidates will participate in commencement ceremonies at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on May 18. Two ceremonies will be held at the Robert P. Knowles Recreation Center. The first, at 9:30 a.m., includes candidates from the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, and Graduate Studies. The 2 p.m. ceremony includes candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Professional Studies. 

During the ceremonies, the 2013 UW-River Falls Distinguished Alumnus and Distinguished Teacher will be recognized. 

Boyd Huppert, a 1984 graduate of UW-River Falls and an Emmy award-winning journalist for KARE 11 is the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus. Huppert has been a reporter at KARE 11 in the Twin Cities for 17 years and his work has appeared on both CNN and NBC. He has won numerous awards including a national Emmy for feature reporting, more than 60 regional Emmys, eight national Edward R. Murrow Awards, three national Sigma Delta Chi Awards, three Gabriel Awards, six National Press Photographers Association awards, and a National Headliner Grand Award. 

Brenda Wright, assistant professor of teacher education, is the 2013 Distinguished Teacher. This award, the highest honor that a faculty member can receive from the university, recognizes excellence in both teaching and mentoring students. She was honored in 2011 as the Outstanding Advisor of the Year by the College of Education and Professional Studies. She will deliver the commencement address at the fall 2013 ceremony in December. 

For more information on the UW-River Falls spring 2013 commencement ceremonies, including a link to a live stream of the event, visit www.uwrf.edu/Registrar/Commencement.