Two Upper Iowa University alumni receive awards during Homecoming 2010
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FAYETTE, Iowa (October 27, 2010) —Two Upper Iowa University alumni, Bradley D. Mattear, Waterloo, Iowa, and Mike Prochaska, Stewartville, Minn., received awards at the annual Homecoming alumni banquet held on the Fayette campus recently. Both men were nominated based on demonstrated service to the University, professional accomplishment, or community service.
“We are especially pleased to be honoring two UIU alumni who not only have achieved professional success but who also have continued to be strong supporters of Upper Iowa University,” said UIU President Alan G. Walker. “The excellence of an education at UIU is demonstrated best by the achievements of those who earned their degree here. We are proud to count these men among our alumni.”
Mattear received the 2010 Alumni Award for Community Service for his dedication to Cedar Valley Hospice, the only non-profit hospice in the area and one of Iowa’s largest hospices with over 140 employees. Mattear has been a member of the Friends Committee and the Cedar Valley Hospice governing board for the past five years. Mattear has served as Chairman for the past two years. “Having lost my father in Florida and seeing the type of work that a non-profit hospice can provide, I knew that I needed to be involved,” he said.
Mattear is employed as general manager of O&P1 in Waterloo, one of the nation’s largest Orthotic and Prosthetic central fabrication providers and is business development manager for its clinical affiliate, Clark & Associates Orthotics & Prosthetics. A 1995 graduate of UIU with a degree in physical education with an emphasis in Athletic Training, Mattear also officiates high school football and wrestling as well as NCAA college wrestling.
Over the years, Mattear has continued to give back to his alma mater. In addition to his personal contributions to many of UIU’s campaigns, Mattear has contributed goods and services to UIU Athletics, compliments of his employer, Clark & Associates. Mattear also hosted UIU’s Team Peacock at his home during RAGBRAI this year.
Prochaska was awarded the 2010 Alumni Award for Professional Accomplishment. A 1989 graduate of Upper Iowa University, Prochaska majored in computer science and is the current director of product management for IBM Smart Business. In 1988 while a UIU student, he served an internship at IBM and was immediately hired as a full-time programmer in its hardware microcode development division. In 1994, Prochaska entered his first management role at IBM as a manager for microcode development and held various management positions after that.
In 2002, he joined the System i brand team prior to moving to the IBM Smart Business team. By 2006, Prochaska had moved into a strategy role for IBM’s Smart Business initiative and drove it to concept and launch; and in 2007, he took over his current product management responsibilities and was promoted to an executive at IBM in 2009.
Prochaska credits one of his UIU professors, Dr. James Janecke, for encouraging him to apply for the IBM internship and offering to teach two of the classes he needed to graduate through independent study, which allowed him to accept the full-time position at IBM in Rochester. “I could not have done that at most other universities,” said Prochaska. “That kind of individual attention from faculty and staff is the reason I'm at IBM today.”
Prochaska has also remained active with UIU, serving as a judge for many years at the then UIU-sponsored Northeast Iowa Science and Engineering Fair, participating as guest speaker during career days, and being a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame committee since 1999. Prochaska says he has only missed one Homecoming since graduating 21 years ago and makes it back regularly for UIU athletics and events. “Receiving this award makes me pause and reflect upon the foundation that started while attending Upper Iowa,” he said. “It was a great experience. I made lifelong friends, and I always look forward to getting back to campus.”
Contact:
Monica Bayer Heaton
Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Phone: 563-425-5773
Cell: 515-291-2070
heatonm@uiu.edu
About Upper Iowa University
Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to over 6,600 students—nationally and internationally—at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.