Knox College honored four alumni with 2018 Alumni Achievement Awards on Friday, February 16, at the College's Founders Day Convocation. Recipients of this year's awards were cardiologist Greg Duick '68, HIV activist Steve Gibson '88, artist Harvey Sadow '68, and international security scholar Stephen Herzog '09.

The Alumni Achievement Awards, established in 1938, recognize outstanding career accomplishments by graduates who attended Knox or Lombard College for at least one full academic year. The Young Alumni Award, established in 2004, is given to one alumna or alumnus 35 years of age or under who has exhibited exceptional work in a field or endeavor, community, state, or nation. Herzog is the 2018 recipient of the Young Alumni Award.

The 2018 Founders Day Convocation celebrated the 181st anniversary of Knox's founding. The College's formal charter was approved by the Illinois Legislature on February 15, 1837.

It's fitting to honor the vision of Knox's founders by recognizing the achievements of alumni, College President Teresa Amott said. "The value of a Knox education lies not only in what happens here at Knox," she said. "Ultimately, the proof of the enduring value of this special place is measured out in what happens after."

Student Senate President Sofia Tagkaloglou '18 described Duick, Gibson, Sadow, and Herzog as a "remarkable group of alumni."

"What makes Knox special is that the Knox education equips students with the experiences, mistakes, (and) lessons necessary to live a meaningful life, contribute to society, and even organize against climate change, global and social inequality, and all the other major challenges that my generation and the generations ahead of us are going to have to be dealing with," she said.

Gregory F. Duick '68 was recognized for achievements in medicine.

He spent 33 years as a cardiologist, including 20 years as chair of the cardiology department at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas, before retiring from clinical practice. The Skokie, Illinois, native is still president and chairman of the Kansas Heart Hospital, a facility he helped co-found in 1999. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has continually awarded the hospital its highest rating for overall quality and patient satisfaction. Duick served as a member of the Knox Board of Trustees from 1992 through 1996.

During his visit to campus, Duick spoke to students who are considering careers in medicine, explaining to them that while test scores and grade point averages are important, so is standing out from the crowd. For example, students who have pursued undergraduate research with a faculty member will often make a good impression on medical school admission officials, he said.

Maggie Brick '18 said she found Duick's talk to be helpful and informative because it focused on "being an undergrad who wants to attend medical school." That's her intention.

In his Convocation remarks, Duick noted that several of his classmates have received Alumni Achievement Awards. Their diverse backgrounds and achievements reflect what used to be called "the Knox idea," he said.

He recalled that as a Knox student, he had the privilege to know and collaborate with biology Professor Billy Geer. A year after Duick graduated from Knox, he, classmate Bob Duckles, and Geer published a research article on the effects of psychotropic drugs on fruit flies. Duick also praised longtime Knox history Professor Rodney Davis, saying his comments and perspectives "are just as relevant today as they were in the 1960s."

Steven Gibson '88 was recognized for achievements in HIV activism.

He helped change the conversation about HIV, working for many years as a community organizer in San Francisco at the STOP AIDS Project. In 2003, he founded Magnet, the first integrated sexual health services and community center. Designed to serve 1,000 clients annually, the program now serves 10,000 and operates through the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Magnet has become an internationally recognized model of sexual health. It inspired similar centers in Peru, Spain, France, Australia, and India.

While visiting campus, Gibson gave a presentation on his educational and professional experiences called "A Shameless Agitator Reflects on AIDS Activism and Its Relevance Today." 

Students appreciated hearing about Gibson's description of his life as a Knox student and after graduation.

Emilie Barrett '20 said that thanks to Gibson's presentation, she has a greater understanding about the progress that has been made in treating people who are HIV-positive. "It's super cool to see where Knox alumni end up and learn exactly how Knox shaped their path to where they are today," Barrett added.

As a student, he was a member of HUGS (Helping Understand Gay Students) and was one of the organizers of Knox's first "Denim Day" to raise awareness and encourage acceptance of the experiences of gay men and women on campus. In his Convocation remarks, Gibson recalled that he was one of the first gay students to call out and confront homophobia on campus. "I'm very proud of that because it made me become true to my authentic self," he said. Gibson added that his Knox experiences "formed my life basis and my sense of self."

Harvey S. Sadow Jr. '68 was recognized for achievements in ceramic art.

His work has appeared in more than 100 juried and invitational exhibitions, and he has held numerous solo exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world. His work is part of the permanent collections of dozens of museums, including The American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pasadena, The International Museum of Ceramic Art in China, and the Canberra Art Institute in Australia. His work can also be seen in collections at The World Bank, The Bureau of National Affairs, and The White House Collection of American Crafts.

While on campus, he spoke with students about his work. At Convocation, Sadow focused on the importance of teachers and recalled that his decision to apply to Knox as a transfer student was spurred by his desire to study with longtime English Professor Sam Moon, whose writings Sadow had read.

Sadow took his first clay class at Knox in 1966 and later attended graduate school to continue studying ceramics. "I have a need to make. Words on paper were wonderful for me. They were a way for me to make pictures until I could learn how to make objects," he said. "I learned how to make at Knox."

"Knox never judged me, even though I was a handful at times," he said. "I was made to feel that I mattered by the faculty, the deans, even the president of the College. Everyone seemed to be working together to encourage me to find my way, to take risks, to become a self-actualized person, and to succeed on my own terms."

"Knox is a place that attracts and nurtures creative people and great teachers," he added.

Stephen Herzog '09 was recognized for achievements in international security.

While completing a master's degree in security studies at Georgetown University, Herzog became a nuclear arms control and nonproliferation researcher at the Federation of American Scientists. He then joined the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, where he led U.S. technical delegations around the world to support the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. He has traveled to dozens of countries to help them build their nuclear test monitoring and geophysical hazard mitigation capabilities. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Yale University, focused on international security: nuclear weapons proliferation, arms control, and domestic sources of foreign policy. He plans to become a professor.

While on campus, Herzog met with students in a comparative politics class. In his Convocation remarks, Herzog said he "caught the bug" for academics at Knox. He credited Knox political science faculty members Bob Seibert, Karen Kampwirth, and Sue Hulett with motivating him to think "more globally" and helping him realize that he could pursue a career in international security.

"Professor Seibert told me, almost verbatim: You can choose to learn how to fly one specific plane, or you can simply learn the skills to fly," Herzog recalled. "And that's what I took from Knox. I can't flap my wings and fly away from this room, but I gained an appreciation for diverse viewpoints and an ability to act in a variety of professional settings."

Dealing with complicated issues such as nuclear arms control requires countries with different values to understand one another's "core motivations," and that involves building trust and engaging in cultural exchanges of people, Herzog said. He noted that Knox represents these concepts in many ways, such as the Honor Board and International Fair, and they "scale up" on an international level.

Nominations for future Alumni Achievement Awards may be made online through the Knox College website.

Photo at top of page, from left: Harvey Sadow '68, Greg Duick '68, Stephen Herzog '09, and Steve Gibson '88