The Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association will recognize six Outstanding Graduates during the annual Spring Reunion Banquet on Saturday, April 28 at 6 p.m.
The honored alumni include Tim Rundel, class of 1993, Arts category; Doyle Hill, class of 1968, Business/Professional category; Michael Mitchel, class of 1970, Education category; Cynthia Rock, Class of 1988, Humanitarian category; Natalie Evans, class of 2016, Ranger Recognition category; and Judy Wolgamott, class of 1967, Ranger Spirit category.
All alumni, community and friends are invited to attend the banquet, and can register for the event online at my.nwfoundation.com/springreunionregistration, or call 580-327- 8593. The final day to register is April 16.
Tim Rundel
Outstanding Graduate, Arts
Born in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Tim Rundel made his home in Woodward, where he graduated high school in 1984. Rundel graduated from Northwestern with a bachelor of arts degree in 1993. He then earned his master’s degree in public administration at the University of Oklahoma in 1998.
While at Northwestern, Rundel immersed himself in radio, television production and theatre; participated in the speech and debate team and Castle Players; was a DJ for KNSU; and served as advertising director for Northwestern News. Rundel has served as assistant city manager at Yukon and Midwest City, and as city manager in Auburn, California. He is currently the City Manager in Durant, Oklahoma.
However, Rundel still had time to nurture his passion for the arts. As owner and president of MonkeyKing Productions, Rundel has been a part of creating a number of short documentaries. He was the executive producer of “Calls to Okies: The Park Grubbs Story,” which was selected for the 2015 SXSW Film Festival, deadCenter Film Festival, San Francisco Doc Fest and the Traverse City Film Fest. In 2014, his micro-short documentary “Thanks for the Buggy Ride” was selected at the BareBones Film Festival.
Rundel considers his greatest accomplishment in the arts has been his short documentary “Brother Valentine,” which he directed. He won Best Short Documentary at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival, Twister Alley Film Festival and the Red Dirt Film Festival.
Rundel currently resides in Durant with his wife, Brandy. They have two children, Grace and Braden.
Doyle E. Hill
Outstanding Graduate, Business/Professional
A Burlington native, Doyle E. Hill graduated from Northwestern in 1968 with a bachelor of science degree. While a student at Northwestern, he participated in the Honorary Chemical Society and worked as a lab assistant in the chemistry and biology labs. Hill later received his doctorate at Oklahoma State University in 1972. He then attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and finished his NIH postdoctoral fellowship in 1974.
Over the next decade, Hill built his career holding various management positions within the clinical diagnostics business with Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. In 1984, Hill became the assistant director of the biosciences division in the Kodak Research Laboratories. He then went to London, England, in 1986 to become the general manager of the European Region Business Unit of Kodak’s clinical products. During the next 16 years, Hill continued to rise in the Eastman Kodak Company where he was awarded half a dozen patents. Hill led the negotiation of a divestiture deal between Eastman Kodak and Johnson & Johnson Company in 1994. He retired from Johnson & Johnson in 2002.
Hill said one of his greatest accomplishments in his career was leading the development of a thin film blood analysis system that significantly reduced the hospital laboratory costs and improved quality and productivity.
Hill resides in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, with his wife, Renee. They have a blended family of four children.
Michael W. Mitchel
Outstanding Graduate, Education
After graduating from Perryton High School (Texas), Michael W. Mitchel attended Northwestern and received his bachelor of science degree in 1970. He then pursued his juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1973 before being admitted to the Oklahoma Bar Association.
During his time at Northwestern, Mitchel was a member of the men’s basketball team and was later inducted into Northwestern’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. Mitchel has been a member of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation, where he served on the board of trustees; the Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA), where he served as vice-president and on the OBA board of governors. The OBA awarded him the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award in 1981.
Mitchel’s spirit of public service has allowed him to impact public education in many ways. He has served at all three levels of public education. From 1988-2000, Mitchell served two terms as a member of the Oklahoma State Board of Vocational and Technical Education, which governs the career tech system. He received the Oklahoma Vocational Association Distinguished Service Award in 2001. During that time, Mitchel also served on the Oklahoma State Board of Education from 1994-2000, which governs common education. From 2008 to 2017, he served on the Board of Regents for the Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO).
Mitchel resides in Woodward with his wife, Connie. They have three children, Mikela, Jay and Jared.
Cynthia Rock
Outstanding Graduate, Humanitarian
Originally from Mustang, Cynthia Rock graduated from Northwestern in 1988 with a bachelor of science degree in natural science. She received her executive master of business administration (EMBA) degree from the University of Chicago in 2006.
While at Northwestern, Rock was a member of the women’s basketball team and was named Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1987. She also made second team in NAIA District IX. In 2006, Rock was inducted into the Northwestern Sports Hall of Fame, noted for holding the three-point shooting percentage and assists record for career and season.
After receiving her EMBA, Rock began a successful career building her managerial and technical experience in the United States Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear industry. In many cases, Rock served as project leader overseeing the handling and disposal of nuclear and hazardous waste from across the U.S. She is currently the division director of nuclear waste management for the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. She also has received numerous awards and honors, including the DOE Secretary of Energy Honor Award for Contributions made to Nuclear Footprint Reduction.
Rock considers her greatest accomplishment to be raising her two daughters with her husband, Joe, and seeing them grow into “kind, independent and brave individuals.”
Rock currently resides in Woodridge, Illinois, with her husband. Their two daughters are Anne and Katie.
Natalie Evans
Outstanding Graduate, Ranger Recognition
A Fairview native, Natalie Evans graduated in 2016 summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in English. Evans is currently pursuing her master’s in public administration at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Throughout her years at Northwestern, Evans was prolific in her involvement on campus and held the positions of secretary of the Student Government Association, president of Writers Roundtable, feature editor at Northwestern News and vice president of the Red and Black Honor Scroll. She was also a member of the President’s Leadership Class, Sigma Tau Delta, Northwestern Scholar Ambassadors, Northwestern Theatre and Castle Players. Evans was named an Outstanding Senior in 2016, was awarded the JFK Leadership Award, and was consistently on the President’s Honor Roll throughout her academic career.
Following her years at Northwestern, Evans has continued to maintain that spirit of volunteering and being involved in her community. She is currently a board member of OKC Beautiful Young Professionals and Enduring Transitions; a communications committee member of Young Nonprofit Professionals Network; and she volunteers as a big sister for the Oklahoma City Chapter – Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“The truest sense of accomplishment I have is in all my efforts for community mentorship, outreach and service,” Evans said. “Making a difference in volunteer and community involvement is what I consider my truest, greatest accomplishment.”
Evans resides in Oklahoma City with her husband, Jordan, who also graduated from Northwestern in 2016.
Judy Wolgamott
Outstanding Graduate, Ranger Spirit
Born in Hardtner, Kansas, Judy Wolgamott received her bachelor’s degree at Northwestern in 1962 and finished her master’s degree in 1974. During her time at Northwestern, Wolgamott was a member of the Aquarina Swim Club and the cheerleading squad. She also was named the Ranger Queen in 1964.
After graduation, Wolgamott began her teaching career in Medicine Lodge, Kansas. She also taught in a few communities in Oklahoma, including Ft. Supply, Fargo, Woodward and Mustang. In 1992-1993, she was honored as the Lakemore Elementary (Mustang) Teacher of the Year.
After her retirement from teaching, Wolgamott was employed by the American Education Corporation in Oklahoma City for 13 years as a software curriculum copy editor.
Wolgamott maintained a connection with her alma mater by serving on the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Alumni Board for nearly 10 years. She also established the Rangerland Friends blog to stay in touch and reconnect with alumni from the 1950s and 1960s. Wolgamott spearheaded the “Fallen Rangers Project” to identify and honor former Northwestern students who died while serving their country in the military.
Wolgamott resides in Stillwater and has two daughters, Debbie Stewart and Amy Drake, along with seven grandchildren, four “acquired” grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
For more information, contact John Allen, director of alumni relations, at 580-327-8593 or jwallen@nwosu.edu.
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