Patricia, left, and David Stone, will be honored with the UW-River Falls Distinguished Alumni Award during the Evening of Excellence May 15. 
 

UW-River Falls to honor outstanding alums and special contributor

Annual Evening of Excellence set for May 15
 

May 9, 2025 - Four accomplished University of Wisconsin-River Falls alumni and a long-time university supporter will be honored during the 2024 Evening of Excellence on Thursday, May 15, in the Riverview Ballroom of the University Center.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and will include a display of the contents of a time capsule buried during UWRF’s centennial celebration in 1975. The university celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2024-25.

“As we complete our commemoration of UWRF’s sesquicentennial, the Evening of Excellence takes on special significance,” said UWRF Interim Chancellor John Chenoweth. “The award recipients represent generations of Falcon alumni and supporters who have demonstrated that the foundation provided by UWRF leads to limitless opportunities and achievements.”

The UWRF Alumni Association will present four honors during the event: the Distinguished Alumni Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Outstanding Young Alum Award and Outstanding Service Award.

Distinguished Alumni Award: David and Patricia Stone

Throughout their lives and careers, David and Patricia Stone have exemplified a deep commitment to service, philanthropy and education.

David earned a bachelor’s degree in earth science from UWRF and a master’s in geology from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He began his career at Phillips Petroleum before joining Marathon Oil, where he served for 31 years, ultimately leading global exploration as vice president and director of Marathon North America Exploration. Under his leadership, Marathon solidified its reputation as a top global energy producer. After retiring in 2013, David co-founded Ward Energy Partners, helping monetize its assets for approximately $1 billion in 2019. He now serves as a consultant and is a member of the UWRF Foundation Board of Directors, where he chairs the investment committee.

Patricia began her studies at UWRF and completed a bachelor’s degree in geology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Her career includes work as a preschool teacher, master naturalist, and riding instructor with Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program. A former member of the UWRF Marching Band, Patricia led successful efforts to reinstate the Marching Falcons in 2023.

Together, the Stones have established multiple scholarships and support funds at UWRF, including those for plant and earth science, student capstone projects and the university’s Wildflower Farm Learning Center. They are also involved in numerous charitable initiatives in Oklahoma and beyond, including the Central Oklahoma Down Syndrome Association, House of Healing and Christian outreach programs.

The Stones reside in Yukon, Okla., and maintain a second home in David’s hometown of Alma.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Gary Bird

Gary Bird, professor emeritus of music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has devoted his life to performance and education.

A lifelong musician, Bird grew up on a dairy farm near Boyceville, playing drums in his family’s polka band. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from UWRF in 1968, followed by a master’s in tuba performance from the University of North Texas and a doctorate in music from Indiana University. He taught for 36 years at IUP before retiring and returning to the River Falls area, where he remains active in the UWRF Music Department as a performer and adjunct professor.

While a student, Bird was inspired by professors such as Conrad DeJong, Charles Dalkert, William Abbott, Robert Samoratto and Lillian Tan. He performed in several campus ensembles and helped form the jazz quintet, the Knight Crusaders.

An accomplished tubist, Bird has performed with the Fort Worth, Johnstown (Pa.) and Westmoreland (Pa.) Symphony Orchestras. He played with the renowned Harvey Phillips at Carnegie Hall and was a founding member of the Colonial Tuba Quartet, which toured internationally. Bird has also performed in Hungary and Russia and contributed to 18 recordings with the Keystone Wind Ensemble.

At UWRF, he currently conducts the University/Community Band and performs with the Lake Wobegon Brass Band, Sheldon Theater Brass Band and several regional brass ensembles. Bird and his wife Julie live near Baldwin. All three of his children are musicians and educators.

Outstanding Young Alum Award: Laura Hasselquist

“Does it help teachers thrive?”

That question guides the professional life of Laura Hasselquist, associate professor of agricultural education at South Dakota State University.

Hasselquist earned both her bachelor’s (2006) and master’s (2010) degrees in agricultural education from UWRF. As an undergraduate, she was actively involved in the Ag Ed Club, Alpha Tau Alpha honor society and the National Association of Agricultural Educators.

She spent eight years teaching middle and high school agriculture in central Wisconsin, where she mentored UWRF student teachers and guest lectured in university classes. Inspired by her UWRF professors, Hasselquist earned her doctorate in agricultural education from the University of Missouri in 2017.

At SDSU, she serves as an academic adviser, curriculum coordinator and instructor while conducting research on literacy integration, teacher retention and preservice teacher development. Her goal is to create resources and professional development opportunities that help agriculture educators succeed. Her former students now teach in nine states across the country.

“My experiences as a UWRF student shape my approach to the classroom to this day,” she said.

Outstanding Service Award: Dallas Wuethrich

Dallas Wuethrich, who attended UWRF in the early 1960s, is credited with transforming his family’s company, Grassland Dairy Products, into a global dairy industry leader.

A third-generation butter maker, Wuethrich became president of Grassland in 1975. Under his leadership, the Greenwood, Wisconsin-based company grew from 25 to nearly 500 employees, becoming one of the largest employers in Clark County. Today, more than one-third of all butter sold in the U.S. is produced by Grassland.
Wuethrich introduced numerous innovations, including one of the industry’s first quality assurance labs and an anhydrous milk system. He also launched a transportation division to support efficient distribution.

He has held leadership roles with the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association, American Butter Institute and Central Wisconsin Cheese and Buttermakers Association. Wuethrich received the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association Industry Champion Award in 2017 and was named Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturist by UWRF’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences in 2019.

His family’s philanthropic work through the Wuethrich Family Foundation supports community development and education in central Wisconsin. Their $1 million gift to the UWRF Foundation was pivotal in renovating the university’s dairy pilot plant, now named the Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence.