The 2007 awards will be presented at the annual Emeritus Awards Banquet on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, in the Rice-Eccles Stadium & Towers.

David A. Dungan, Captain USN (Retired)
BA’56 (English Literature)

Capping a distinguished 30-year career as a pilot in the U.S. Navy, David Dungan retired from active service in 1986. His military command positions included commanding officer at the Naval Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, and commanding officer of a Navy jet squadron. He flew 192 combat missions over Vietnam. For his Vietnam service, he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Air Medals, and other combat decorations. He was awarded the Legion of Merit upon retirement. After receiving a master’s degree in management from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo., he became the commanding officer and a professor of naval science at the University of Utah. From 1986 to 2001, he served as executive director of the Executive MBA (EMBA) program at the David Eccles School of Business, where a scholarship was established in his name.

Alan A. Matheson
BA’53 Political Science, MS’57 Political Science, JD’59 Law

After graduating first in his class at law school, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Utah Law Review and received Phi Beta Kappa and Order of the Coif honors, among others, Alan Matheson became an associate in law at Columbia University, where he also did postgraduate work. In 1961, he was named assistant to the president at Utah State University. In 1967, he began his long and distinguished career at the Arizona State University College of Law, where he served as professor of law, assistant dean, associate dean, acting dean, and dean of what is now the Sandra Day O’Connor Law School. He received the ASU Alumni Association Faculty Achievement Award for Service and has been named Outstanding Professor by the College of Law four times.

Yen-Ching “Y.C.” Pao
MS’59 Mechanical Engineering, MA’61 Mathematics

Yen-Ching Pao has received international recognition for his work on computer-aided engineering (CAE), particularly for his extensive contribution to cardiopulmonary dynamics research. With a doctorate in theoretical and applied mechanics from Cornell University, Pao was a professor in the Engineering Mechanics Department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) from 1971 to 2001, when he was named Emeritus Professor, and has worked with the Mayo Clinic for more than 30 years. His national honors include the Outstanding Scientist Award from the Scientific Research Society of America, recognition for Excellence in Instruction from the American Society of Engineering Education, and the Undergraduate Computational Science Award from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. He was a member of the editorial board of the prestigious Journal of Biomechanics for six years.

Cherry Moslander Ridges
BS’52 Elementary Education

Upon graduation from the U, Cherry Ridges took a job as a kindergarten teacher in Salt Lake County. She then reinvented herself as a stockbroker, becoming one of the first NYSE-registered female representatives in Utah. She later graduated from the Utah Management Institute. In 1972, she was named the fraternity/sorority coordinator at the U of U, a position she held for 28 years. During that time, she had a positive influence on the college experiences of countless young men and women, and her ability to bring together the students, neighbors, and administration to resolve issues on “Greek Row” was widely recognized. Her dedication and skills were acknowledged with awards from the police departments of Salt Lake City and the University of Utah, and with the U of U Student Affairs Award of Excellence.

Bruce F. Sorensen, M.D.
BS’56 Biology

Bruce Sorensen’s distinguished career in neurological surgery spanned more than four decades. After receiving his M.D. from the Temple University School of Medicine in 1960, Sorensen completed his internship and general surgery residency at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, followed by a neurosurgery fellowship and residency at Cleveland Clinic, where he eventually served as chief resident. He returned to LDS Hospital, where he held numerous leadership positions, including chairman of the Neurosurgery Division and president of the medical staff. He also received an academic appointment at the University of Utah School of Medicine. A fellow with the American College of Surgeons, Sorensen has received numerous honors, including the Physicians Recognition Award from the American Medical Association.