Every spring, the Nebraska Alumni Association recognizes accomplished alumni, promising students and a retired faculty member at their Alumni Awards Banquet. The award winners are chosen by a selection committee of Nebraska alumni from across the country. This year's Alumni Awards Banquet took place Thursday, May 4 at Nebraska Innovation campus.
Ethan Cave
Established in 2002, the Shane Osborn Student Leadership Award honors a Nebraska Naval ROTC graduate who on April 1, 2001, courageously piloted a U.S. reconnaissance plane to a safe, crash landing after it was hit by two Chinese fighters. Ethan Cave is a junior political science major from Silver Creek, Nebraska, with minors in national security studies, history and aerospace studies. He has been a cadet in the Air Force ROTC program on campus since his freshman year. He is also involved in the National Society of Pershing Rifles and Arnold Air Society.
Laura Springer
The Vann Student Leadership Award recognizes one undergraduate student leader who has shown exceptional leadership capabilities through energetic participation in student activities, commendable classroom performance and personal integrity. Laura Springer, a Grand Island native, is a junior studying history, communication studies and political science. She is a recipient of a Regent's and Honors Program scholarships while also being an Honors Program peer mentor and member of seven honor societies. On campus, she is a member of Kappa Delta sorority and is the incoming president of the Student Alumni Association.
Audrey Polt
Audrey Polt is assistant legal counsel for the University of Nebraska Foundation and an adjunct professor for the first-year Legal Research and Writing course. She graduated from Nebraska with highest distinction, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English and Women's and Gender Studies in 2009. Audrey then attended the College of Law where she graduated in 2012 with distinction and was elected by the law college faculty to the Order of the Barristers. She earned the Outstanding Student Award for her contributions to the law school.
Erin Mauro
Erin Mauro received her Bachelors in psychology in 2005 and her Master's in Education in 2011. For the past 2 ½ years, she has served as the education and disabilities coordinator for Community Action Early Head Start and Head Start. Previously, Erin was a home-based early childhood special education teacher for Lincoln Public Schools and a behavioral consultant for the Conjoint Behavioral Consultation in Rural Communities project at the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools at the University of Nebraska.
David Filipi
Dr. David Filipi, a family medicine doctor in Omaha, graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1971 and continued his education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He is currently a professor and medical director at the College of St. Mary in Omaha. He has served on the Douglas County Board of Health since 2006.
