2005 Distinguished Service Award Winners
Mary Tanner '40
SERVICE: For the past 15 years, Mary Tanner has been a consummate messenger for the Class of 1940. In her role as class secretary, she has faithfully collected, sought out, and delivered the Vermont Quarterly Class Notes that help keep the graduates of 1940 a close-knit bunch. That work is just one part of her loyal service to the University through the years. She has also been a dedicated advocate for the importance of alumni financial support for the University, often encouraging gifts for class reunions, Green and Gold celebrations, and bolstering the Class of 1940 Scholarship Fund.
UVM DAYS: A history major, Mary Tanner credits Professor Paul Evans as being a great influence on her academic pursuits, particularly through his class on European history. (She went on to earn a doctorate in history at Radcliffe before her career in teaching.) Other campus memories include student newspaper work on the Vermont Cynic and those brisk walks to the women's residence hall at Redstone Campus.
IN HER WORDS: "I follow the future of the University of Vermont with a good deal of interest and enthusiasm and with a renewed appreciation for all that UVM has meant in my life."
Phil '63 and Crea Sopher Lintilhac G'78
SERVICE: Phil and Crea Lintilhac's support of UVM is long-standing and has had a profound impact on Vermont's intellectual life and natural environment. Through Phil's many years as a botany professor and Crea's service on the Board of Advisors for the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, the couple are directly involved in the teaching and research mission of the University. Through the Lintilhac Foundation they continue to help advance UVM's future. Most recently, they established the Lintilhac Foundation Scholarship Challenge - a $1 million grant to spur scholarship endowments at the University of Vermont.
UVM DAYS: Phil Lintilhac credits UVM professors - including Fred Taylor, Jim Marvin, and Tom Sproston - for sparking his interest in plant biology through classes he took as an undergraduate. Crea Lintilhac's UVM educational experience was focused on graduate work, as she earned her teaching master's degree with a focus on geology.
IN THEIR WORDS: "Quite simply, broadening the base of scholarship assistance enables us to offer support to outstanding students who might otherwise go elsewhere." (Phil Lintilhac on the $1 million challenge gift he and Crea recently made to The Campaign for the University of Vermont.)
Pamela Gillman McDermott '73
SERVICE: The Greater Boston area is one of UVM's most active alumni bases and a great deal of the credit for that goes to Pam McDermott, a founding member of the Boston Regional Board and the current co-chair of The Campaign for the University of Vermont's Boston Regional Committee. Her work on behalf of UVM extends far beyond Boston, though, and has included promoting fundraising efforts, volunteering for admissions events, and serving on the Board of Advisors for the School of Business. McDermott's six years on the UVM Board of Trustees, 1998-2004, included leadership of the Advancement Committee, where she brought her expertise as one of Boston's top public relations executives to the work of improving the University's marketing and communications.
UVM DAYS: UVM Winter Carnival's Kakewalk was a hot issue during Pam (Gillman) McDermott's first year at the University and she quickly got involved with the effort to find a more positive celebration, an early test of her community relations skills. She has credited her time in Burlington with giving her a strong sense of the importance of leading a balanced life.
IN HER WORDS: "Education is the single most important gift we can give to the next generation. To the extent that we provide the appropriate and proper educational environment, I think that we are actually dictating where the country is going to go."
(for UVM staff)