Student awards and archives

Nominations are due Friday, February 23, 2024 at 5 p.m.

The Joel Wiegert Award was established in 1966 by the Fairbanks Building Trades Council and the Fairbanks Central Labor Council. Joel Wiegert was appointed as the second business manager for the Laborers in 1949 and remained in the position until his promotion to a regional manager position in Seattle in 1966. He married Nancy Loftus, whose parents, Ted and Audrey Loftus, attended and graduated from what is today ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. Joel and Nancy were strong supporters of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. Nancy died in 1984, and Joel retired from the Laborers the next year. Joel died in Sun City West, Arizona, in 2020.

Criteria for award

Students nominated must have accumulated a minimum of 30 semester credit hours at the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks by May 2024 and must have received or will receive an associate degree during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Other criteria include character, personality, scholarship (minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50), extracurricular activities, and contributions to the University and Fairbanks communities.


Year Name
2022-2023 Kalen Moore-Thomas
2021-2022 Logan Nave
2020-2021 Not awarded
2019-2020 Heike Lower
2018-2019  Jessica Kot
2017-2018 Luke Rogers
2016-2017 Gabriel Cartagena
2015-16 Eli Ward
2014-15 Mats Eriksson
2013-14 Troy Bouffard
2012-13 Paul Tshida
2011-12 Matthew Robinson
2010-11 Jonathan Dillon
2009-10 Dion Knelsen
2008-09 Trevor Hyatt
2007-08 William Pfeifer, Jr.
2006-07 Michael Wilkinson
2005-06 Brandon Ilgen
2004-05 Dane Lenaker
2003-04 Ryan Long
2002-03 Charles Armstrong
2001-02 Gage Choat
2000-01 Eric S. Davis
1999-00 Erik Suring
1998-99 Cory M. Papenfuss
1997-98 Joe Hayes
1996-97 Greg Milles
1995-96 Paul Sander
1994-95 James Wood
1993-94 Anthony Caole
1992-93 James Baker
1991-92 Christopher Hartman
1990-91 Bob G. Mitchell
1989-90 John Foster Wallace
1988-89 Takashi Kato
1987-88 Scott Bailie
1986-87 Robert W. Estus
1985-86 John di Bene
1984-85 Nick Larter
1983-84 Brendan T. Hamer
1982-83 Jason Kuehn
1981-82 William K. Zyback
1980-81 Robert W. Arnold
1979-80 Karl L. Hannerman
1978-79 John Lentine

The Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award has been presented annually since 1934. Originally from Eastern Oregon, Marion enrolled in Business Administration and Home Economics in September, 1928 at the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Agricultural College and School of Mines, now the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks. Marion passed away April 8, 1933 at the age of 23 during her senior year. After her death, Marion's brother John met with President Charles Bunnell in 1934 to establish this award in honor of his sister. It was established to honor a woman who has balanced her college education with extracurricular activities, character, and personality. This award also recognizes an individual who inspires other undergraduates to conduct themselves as responsible men and women.

Criteria for award

Students nominated must have accumulated a minimum of 30 semester credit hours at the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks by May 2024, and must have received or will receive their Bachelor's Degree during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Other criteria include character, personality, scholarship (minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50), extracurricular activities, and contributions to the University and Fairbanks communities.


Year Name
2022-23 Riley von Borstel
2021-22 Tricia Minnick
2020-21 Ray Alda
2019-20 Bruce Ervin
2018-19  Ray Lopez
2017-18 Bobbie McNeley
2016-17 Emilia Van Wyhe
2015-16 Ingrid Dye
2014-15 Kristen McKay
2013-14 Ashley Strauch
2012-13 Theresia Schnurr
2011-12 Jordyn Montgomery
2010-11 Ashton Compton
2009-10 Christina Hardman
2008-09 Alice Orlich
2007-08 Larae Minteer
2006-07 Kelsey Alexander
2005-06 Tania Deisher
2004-05 Kiana Bormann
2003-04 Isabel Cordona and Rachel Narow
2002-03 Heather Maas
2001-02 Amy Tidwell
2000-01 Erin A. Boyd
1999-00 Dante Foster
1998-99 Danielle K. Stone
1997-98 Erin Nicol Narus
1996-97 April Blajeski
1995-96 Kate Rupprecht Sander
1994-95 Terese Carr
1993-94 Tracey Papenfuss
1992-93 Eiluned Hogenson
1991-92 Aisha Tinker
1990-91 Sandra Chesemore
1989-90 Nicole Hallingstad
1988-89 Heather Kendall
1987-88 Laurie Hildenbrand
1986-87 Laurie J. Oppel
1985-86 Anna J. Longwith
1984-85 Kimberly A. Meeker
1983-84 Fran Hove
1982-83 Dolores McKee
1981-82 Jane Hanson
1980-81 Marilyn Asicksik
1979-80 Angela Liston
1978-79 Susan Merrick

The Gray S. Tilly Memorial Award was established by Lola C. Tilly in memory of her late husband Gray Tilly. Mr. Tilly came to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ in 1923 and lived in southeastern ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ for several years. He later moved to Fairbanks and was head of the Selective Service Board for 25 years. Mrs. Tilly came to Fairbanks in 1929 to head the home economics department at the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks, then the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Agricultural College and School of Mines. Upon retiring from the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks in 1963, Mrs. Tilly was named professor of home economics emeritus; she received an honorary doctor of humanities degree. She died in 1996 at the age of 98.

Criteria for award

Students nominated for the Gray Tilly Award are usually non-traditional students who may have required more than 4-5 years to complete their course of study due to family responsibilities, financial hardship, military service, etc.

Students nominated must have accumulated a minimum of 30 semester credit hours at the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks by May 2024, and must have received or will receive their baccalaureate degree during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Other criteria include character, personality, scholarship (minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5), extracurricular activities, and contributions to the University and Fairbanks communities.

Michael Bilan
Year Name
2022-23 Not awarded
2021-22 Not awarded
2020-21 Sheri Monica Nelson-Karikomi
2019-20 Not awarded
2018-19  Michael Bilan
2017-18 Erica Nardella
2016-17 Katrina Nunemann
2015-16 Not Awarded
2014-15 Kimberly Strong
2013-14 Raymond Brooks
2012-13 Jenny York
2011-12 Gail Denning
2010-11 Amy K. Snider
2009-10 Barbara Blake
2008-09 Yvette Curtis Towery
2007-08 Katherine Keith
2006-07 Crystal Narow
2005-06 Joyce Billups
2004-05 Reymond Joseph
2003-04 Laverne Demientieff
2002-03 Bonnie L. Edmondson
2001-02 Amy Tidwell
2000-01 Maria M. Sauer
1999-00 Janice Shipman
1998-99 Patricia J. Cripps
1997-98 Aimee Kniaziowski
1996-97 Tonya Brown
1995-96 Traci Nero
1994-95 Elsie Eckman
1993-94 Annette Patterson
1992-93 Kimberly Stewart
1991-92 M. Janine Tuttle
1990-91 Dorothy Herman
1989-90 James B. McMillan
1988-89 Rachel Craig
1987-88 Sybil Kisken
1986-87 Dorothy M. Goldsborough
1985-86 Darlene Taylor Bishop
1984-85 Christine Villano
1983-84 Margaret Ann Fisher
1982-83 Julie Scott
1981-82 Deborah J. Benson
1980-81 Cynthia M. Klepaski
1979-80 Glenda Cannon
1978-79 Diane Kennedy