Knox College celebrated the accomplishments of three of its alumni by selecting them as recipients of the 2020 Alumni Achievement Awards. Dr. William Hiatt '72, Denise Roza '83, and Stefano Viglietti '91 formally accepted their awards at the 2020 Founders Day Convocation on Friday, February 14. 

Established in 1938, the Alumni Achievement Awards recognize outstanding career accomplishments by graduates who attended Knox or Lombard College for at least one full academic year. 

The 2020 Founders Day Convocation commemorated the 183rd anniversary of Knox's founding on February 15, 1837—the day when Abraham Lincoln and other members of the Illinois General Assembly approved the College's official charter.

College President Teresa Amott noted in her opening remarks, “Ultimately, the proof of the enduring value of this very special place is measured out in what happens after in the lives of all who leave this prairie campus for parts and in the fields of endeavor to which they lend their talents. In the communities they serve, the lives they save, the good that they do.”

Dr. William Hiatt

Dr. William Hiatt '72, a board-certified cardiologist, received recognition for his work in cardiovascular medicine. 

In 2018, he received the Clinical Research Prize from the American Heart Association for his work researching and treating peripheral artery disease. He graduated from Knox with a degree in English before earning a medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. His current work includes two international clinical trials including more than 20,000 patients from around the world with the goal of preventing such outcomes as heart attack, stroke, and amputation. Currently, Hiatt serves as a professor of medicine at the University Colorado School of Medicine’s Division of Cardiology with a clinical practice and research focus in vascular medicine. Hiatt and his colleagues developed the most widely used peripheral artery disease diagnostic tool in the field, and he has more than 300 peer-reviewed publications reviews to his credit. Hiatt works closely with the United States Food and Drug Administration, having served as chair of the cardiovascular and renal drugs advisory committee and as a member of the endocrinologic and metabolism advisory committee.

In his Convocation remarks, Hiatt explained that, though he went on to pursue medicine, his study of English at Knox, a generalist approach, prepared him perfectly for his field: “I encourage any student, as you consider your future, to take advantage of the diversity of thought and the student body and the experiences that Knox has to offer and recognize that your specializing can occur later.”

Hiatt fondly reminisced about his “escapades” during his time at Knox, expressing that the experience of the community diversity of thought he felt during his studies was “reaffirmed today by being on campus.”

Denise Roza

Denise Roza '83, director of the World Institute on Disability’s Moscow office and executive director of the nonprofit Perspektiva, was recognized for her achievements in international disability services. 

Roza also started Best Buddies Russia, a member of the global voluntary movement Best Buddies International, which creates opportunities for one-on-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Roza founded the International Disability Film Festival Breaking Down Barriers because she believes that “movies help to change the attitudes of society by allowing us to see what we usually do not see.” She was presented with a medal from the International Women's Conference and was a featured speaker at the Women of Influence forum in Moscow in 2017. In addition, she and her team have raised more than $30 million for both Perspektiva and Best Buddies Russia since their founding.

At Knox, she majored in modern languages (Russian) and was a three-sport varsity athlete in tennis, basketball, and softball. During her remarks, she said that she was invested in sports not necessarily for the sake of athletic achievement but rather for the team aspect. “I like being part of a team,” said Roza. “So I had all these amazing opportunities and felt like being part of this big family.”

Roza expressed her gratitude to Knox for her first taste of what is now her passion. After studying Russian for the first time, her love for the language blossomed and took her to places she never expected. “It started here. I had a wonderful Russian teacher who was my French teacher as well. But he convinced me, said ‘you're taking French, so take Russian’.”

Aside from the language itself, she expressed she “learned all this here at Knox, how to build community,” and without it, never would have gone on to begin and run her nonprofits. The community, she said, was a learning experience in itself.

Stefano Viglietti

Stefano Viglietti '91, self-taught chef and owner of four restaurants, received recognition for his work in culinary arts and entrepreneurship. 

Trattoria Stefano and Il Ritrovo have been featured in Food & Wine, Madison Magazine, Wisconsin Trails, Milwaukee Magazine, Bon Appétit, and The Chicago Sun-Times. Field to Fork was featured in Saveur Magazine and New York Times Magazine online. Viglietti has also been featured on America's Best Bites, The Cooking Channel, and PBS Wisconsin. His businesses employ more than 120 people and Viglietti has worked hard to create a workplace culture that inspires loyalty, teamwork, and enthusiasm. He often travels to Italy and New York in the summer months where he eats, cooks, and learns new techniques and recipes. During many of these trips, he closes his restaurant and takes his staff along so they can experience the Italian life firsthand and gain an appreciation for authentic cuisine. In spring 2018, Viglietti was nominated for a James Beard Award in the category of Best Chef in the Midwest for his restaurant Trattoria Stefano. 

A history major at Knox, he said that he came to college with almost no idea what he could possibly study. He decided ultimately on history, he said, because “I wanted to understand why it all was the way it was.” 

Viglietti explained that he considered graduate studies and even teaching but decided that he wanted to just “get out the world” and start contributing immediately. 

He closed his acceptance speech by advising students to take advantage of the amazing intellectual, foundational knowledge of Knox, “if you take that out into the world, you’ll have a better understanding not only of your purpose here on this Earth, but also of how to make a more positive impact on every human life that you touch.”

Recipients are nominated by their fellow alumni. Nominations may be submitted for next year’s Alumni Achievement Awards until July 15, 2020.