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Alumni Achievement Awards

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College Engagement, Office of Advancement

2 East South Street

Galesburg, IL 61401

309-341-7238

888-566-9265 (Toll Free)

engage@​knox.edu

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A fall sunset from the west side of Ford Center for the Fine Arts

Knox will celebrate the presentation of Alumni Achievement Awards on Friday, May 3, 2024

Collage image of the 2024 Alumni Achievement Award Recipients with the text "Talip Kilic '04, Pam Schuller '09, Terry Smith '63, and Oliwia Zurek '10"

2024 Alumni Achievement Awards

Talip Kilic ’04

  • Graduated summa cum laude from Knox with a double major in economics and international relations and received his Ph.D. in economics from American University in Washington, D.C.
  • Senior Program Manager for The Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS), the World Bank's flagship household survey program that strives to measure and understand household welfare to shape policy decisions.
  • His work spanned Albania, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, Serbia, South Africa, South Sudan, St. Lucia, Sudan and Yemen. 
  • Was leader of the LSMS+ initiative to enhance the availability and quality of survey data collected on key dimensions of men’s and women’s economic opportunities and welfare.
  • Led the LSMS-High-Frequency Phone Surveys initiative for routine monitoring and tracking responses to and socioeconomic impacts of large-scale shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, and extreme weather events.

Pamela Schuller ’09

  • Graduated from Knox with a major in Psychology and holds an M.A. in advocacy and policy, and certificates in executive coaching and DEI methods.
  • Diagnosed with Tourettes as a teen, she transformed those obstacles and harnessed her adversity as the driving force for success.
  • Globally recognized disability and mental health advocate and professional stand-up comedian.
  • Consultant on inclusion best practices with industry giants like Disney, Google, GEICO, and Salesforce.
  • Founder of HereNow, a Jewish teen initiative that promotes mental health, wellness and resilience through creative opportunities and platforms.

Terry Smith ’63

  • Graduated from Knox with a major in mathematics and received a graduate degree in mathematics with a specialization in computer science.
  • Served as an IBM contract programmer for NASA charged with the responsibility of providing lunar landing module flight path information during Apollo missions.
  • Hired as the first programing employee of Landmark Graphics, a pioneer company in exploration for oil by displaying seismic data onto computer screens.
  • Formed Antares (Andy + Terry) with Andy Hildebrand and provided early development of Auto-Tune pitch correction software.
  • Developed and maintained a data base used by a consortium of pediatric doctors from six major hospitals studying how best to treat children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
  • Hired by Control Dynamics to develop computer systems to solve problems for a variety of industries. One of these projects was developing cruise control software for tugboats to maximize fuel efficiency.
  • Terry has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, and taught GED math classes for second-language learners.

2024 Young Alumni Achievement Award

Oliwia Zurek ’10

  • Graduated with honors from Knox with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, and earned her Ph.D. in Immunology and Infectious Diseases.
  • Oliwia published multiple papers at the doctoral and postdoctoral level on her research, and has traveled extensively to speak about  her research.
  • Served on a team of six M.D. and Ph.D.s at Standford Business College that developed an ovarian cancer diagnostics venture, which was pitched to investors and ultimately led to licensing.
  • Served in U.S. and global leadership roles in clinical trials and FDA market launches for chronic disease treatments.
  • Mentors students and gives back by helping strangers find their dream roles. 

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https://www.knox.edu/alumni/alumni-awards/alumni-achievement-awards

Printed on Tuesday, December 10, 2024