Lawrence University will celebrate nine talented alumni—including two from Milwaukee-Downer College—with 2024 Alumni Awards. The recipients will be honored at Reunion 2024 June 13-16.
One recipient, Donald Brunnquell ’74, will receive his award posthumously. He passed away in December 2023 and will be represented at Reunion by family members.
The Downer alums, Bonnie Maas McClellan M-D’62, and Eileen Paulson Johnson M-D’66, are being honored as Lawrence celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1964 merger of then Lawrence College and Milwaukee-Downer College.
The Alumni Award recipients include:
Lucia Russell Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award
- Cynthia Estlund ’78
Marshall B. Hulbert ’26 Outstanding Service Award
- Adam Locke ’03
Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M‐D’18 Outstanding Service Award
- Rick Davis ’80
- Jill Manuel ’84
- Bonnie Maas McClellan M-D’62
- Eileen Paulson Johnson M-D’66
Nathan M. Pusey Distinguished Achievement Award
- Jacob George Allen ’03
George B. Walter ’36 Service to Society Award
- Donald Brunnquell ’74
- Christina Balch ’03
See details below on each of the recipients.
Cynthia Estlund ’78, Lucia Russell Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award: Estlund is a well‐respected law professor, having spent 35 years teaching at several world‐class law schools, including University of Texas School of Law, Columbia Law School, and currently the New York University School of Law. Her most recent book is Automation Anxiety: Why and How to Save Work (Oxford U. Press, 2021). She has published and teaches on a range of topics in collective labor law, employment law, workers’ rights, and workplace governance.
Estlund served as the leader of an agency review team as part of the Obama Presidential Transition Team, reviewing the National Labor Relations Board in 2008 and 2009. She has served as a visiting professor to many law schools over the years and won awards for her teaching.
Prior to her career in academia, she practiced labor and employment law, and general and public interest law. She also received a Watson Fellowship where she studied government programs for working parents in Sweden, and a MacArthur Fellowship where she studied the prosecution of human rights crimes in Argentina.
After receiving her bachelor's degree from Lawrence with a major in government, she completed her legal education at the Yale Law School. Estlund has remained active with Lawrence in many ways, including as a member of LUAA and reunion committees, hosting students in New York, coordinating and moderating a Lawrence Scholars in Law panel, and as a loyal Lawrence Fund donor and Giving Day Game Changer.
Adam Locke ’03, Marshall B. Hulbert ’26 Outstanding Service Award: Locke is an embodiment of commitment both to Lawrence and the field of science. After majoring in biology at Lawrence and earning a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from Emory University, Locke has carved his path in genetic research.
Currently serving as the senior director of statistical genetics at Regeneron Genetics Center, Locke's expertise lies in unraveling genomic complexities associated with metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychiatric diseases. His work delves into understanding the interplay between obesity, type 2 diabetes, and bipolar disorder, utilizing a blend of array‐based and sequencing‐based genomic data. He has written extensively on those and related topics.
Locke’s involvement with Lawrence spans a spectrum of alumni activities, from steering reunion planning efforts and co‐chairing committees to serving on the LUAA Board of Directors and engaging in prospective student interviews. His consistent support for Lawrence, highlighted by his role as an Athletics Crowdfund captain and a Giving Day game changer for a decade, showcases his unwavering commitment to fostering the university's growth.
Rick Davis ’80, Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M‐D'18 Outstanding Service Award: Davis graduated Lawrence summa cum laude in 1980 with a major in theater and drama. He earned his MFA and DFA in dramaturgy—dramatic literature and criticism—at Yale University. Today, Davis is professor of theater, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and director of the Hylton Performing Arts Center at George Mason University. Along with his teaching, he has directed or worked as a dramaturge for a broad range of professional and college‐based productions. Well recognized for his many achievements, Davis received the George Mason Teaching Excellence Award in 1997 and the Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Award in 2006.
Davis has remained an active alumnus of Lawrence. His volunteer work includes four years of service on the Alumni Board and service to the Nominations and Awards Committee, the Reunion Committee, the Class of 1980 Leadership Team, and Giving Day.
He is a strong advocate for higher education and the liberal arts and remains an active supporter of Lawrence.
Jill Manuel ’84, Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M‐D'18 Outstanding Service Award: Manuel is an Emmy, Peabody, and Edward R. Murrow award-winning, multi‐platform executive who has led broadcast newsrooms in digital integration. A skilled and insightful strategist who melds quality journalism and digital engagement to tell stories, Manuel has demonstrated excellence in her field as a news director for multiple stations, including ABC 10 in Sacramento, Scripps‐owned ABC affiliate WEWS in Cleveland, and Fox station WFLD, WGN‐TV, and cable news network CLTV in Chicago. Last year, she launched “Jill the News Lady” on TikTok to build trust with Gen Z and Millennial news consumers through credible, engaging content.
Manuel has remained a strong and active advocate for Lawrence, interviewing prospective students, serving on her reunion steering committee, on class leadership teams, on the Pride Alumni Network leadership team, and on the LUAA Board of Directors.
Bonnie Maas McClellan M-D’62, Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M‐D'18 Outstanding Service Award: After graduating from Milwaukee‐Downer College, Maas McClellan taught high school Spanish and English for two years before attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she received her Master’s degree in Spanish. She retired in 2006 as the director of disability support services with The Catholic University of America, and earlier held positions as a learning specialist, teacher, and mentor for adolescents and adults with special learning needs.
Maas McClellan has been a highly active volunteer for the college, coordinating get‐togethers for Downer alumnae in the Washington, D.C., area as well as on the Lawrence campus. She served on many reunion committees, the LUAA Board of Directors, and as a class secretary. She is a loyal annual donor and a member of Lawrence‐Downer Legacy Circle.
Eileen Paulson Johnson M-D’66, Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M‐D'18 Outstanding Service Award: Paulson Johnson started her college career at Milwaukee‐Downer College, and later received a bachelor’s degree with a major in elementary music education from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and master’s degree in education from Lesley College. Her career teaching music to elementary students culminated with her retirement from Green Bay Public Schools.
She has been a loyal and enthusiastic member of the Lawrence community, representing Downer women every step of the way. This former “Hat Girl” has worn a multitude of hats over the years, serving on the LUAA Board of Directors, many reunion committees, and the 50‐Year Connection Committee. She continues to serve as a Class Leadership Team volunteer, loyal annual donor, Giving Day game changer, and Lawrence‐Downer Legacy Circle member.
Jacob George Allen ’03, Nathan M. Pusey Distinguished Achievement Award: Allen graduated from Lawrence with a double degree in music performance (voice) and theatre and is the chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Memphis.
After graduating, Allen worked in the Lawrence Admissions office for several years as the associate director of Conservatory admissions before earning his Master of Music in stage direction from the prestigious Eastman School of Music. He then joined the faculty at the University of Memphis.
He has consistently been promoted at Memphis, working his way through the ranks of assistant and associate professor, head of Musical Theatre, Dean’s Fellow, and now chair. He was awarded the Thomas W. Briggs Foundation Award for excellence in teaching, the highest honor at University of Memphis, for excellence in the classroom.
Allen also is a well‐respected performer, director, and arts administrator, having worked extensively at the College Light Opera Company in Cape Cod and the Ohio Light Opera in Wooster, Ohio, where he currently is the associate artistic director. He has championed Lawrence at both of these companies, bringing many alumni and students to perform at these highly regarded theatres. He has contributed to the field through new translations of works by Jacques Offenbach, presenting at national theatre conferences, and appearing on multiple operetta recordings.
Donald Brunnquell ’74, George B. Walter ’36 Service to Society Award: Brunnquell was a licensed psychologist in Minnesota with a special interest in pediatric psychology and bioethics. He was an affiliate faculty member of the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics, where he taught pediatric bioethics. He also was an adjunct faculty member in the University of Minnesota Department of Psychology, where he taught ethics in clinical and counseling psychology. He worked for 36 years at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, and for 23 of those years was the director of the Office of Ethics.
After graduating from Lawrence with a major in psychology, Brunnquell spent a year as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Würzburg in Germany, and then obtained a doctoral degree in child clinical psychology from the University of Minnesota. As the recipient of a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellows Grant in 1991, he completed a Master's in philosophy, concentrating in ethics. His work then focused on pediatric medical and mental health ethics. In 2012, he was awarded the annual Ethics Educator Award from the American Psychological Association.
He also was an active poet and member of the acoustic band Stealin’ Home.
Brunnquell died Dec. 30 at the age of 71.
Christina Balch ’03, George B. Walter ’36 Service to Society Award: Balch has dedicated her career to pioneering sustainable food systems and fostering equity within communities. She majored in biology at Lawrence and earned a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University.
As executive director of the Crossroads Community Food Network in Washington, D.C., Balch orchestrated initiatives that expanded the organization’s reach. She championed innovative programs promoting healthy eating for low‐income families, notably establishing the first farmers’ market with a “double dollar” incentive, matching federal nutrition benefits to bolster both access for families and support for local farmers. Her impact extends globally, notably in Afghanistan, where she utilized her expertise to empower women through agriculture education, enhancing family food security, and advocating for sustainable farming practices.
Balch also has provided leadership to various boards, committees, and task forces aimed at enhancing food security on a county‐wide scale and devising strategies to boost nationwide fruit and vegetable consumption. Her experience and expertise led to appointments, such as the USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee, where she steered the healthy food consumption working group.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Balch’s commitment to Lawrence shines through her engagement with alumni activities, offering internships to students, and contributing to the Senior Class Program Committee and the Reunion Steering Committee.
Ed Berthiaume
Ed Berthiaume is director of public information at Lawrence University.