The Hendrix Alumni Association presented awards to five individuals during Alumni Weekend.
The honorees include:
2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award
Allen D. McGee ‘62
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hendrix college, McGee went on to work in the healthcare industry. He is a co-founder of the Radiology Corporation of America (RCOA) where he has been chief executive officer since 1998 and chairman since January 20, 2006. Before joining RCOA as CEO, McGee was chief executive officer and co-founder of Dialysis Centers of America, the largest dialysis treatment company in Chicago. He also served as senior vice president responsible for marketing, sales and business development at Damon Corporation, a clinical laboratory services company that was acquired by Corning in 1993.
His 39 years in the health care industry also include the positions of senior executive vice president of Specialty Laboratories in Los Angeles, vice president of marketing at International Clinical Laboratories (acquired by SmithKline) and national marketing director of American Biomedical Corporation (acquired by National Health Laboratories).
McGee is a member of the Science Advisory Board at Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Science where he is a member of the finance committee. McGee serves on the Board of Directors of Hendrix College. In addition, Mr. McGee is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at General Electric’s Medical Imaging Division.
2008 Humanitarian Award
Walter J. Levy ‘43
A native of Ortelsburg Germany, Levy moved to Koenigsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia) when he was ten. Six years later, his family immigrated to the United States, settling in Fort Smith. He received his bachelor’s degree in philosophic studies: education, psychology, philosophy, and religion, from Hendrix. He then went on to the University of Chicago for a master’s degree in education and to do graduate studies in social work and psychology at Wayne State University and the University of Minnesota. He got a master of social work degree from Washington University’s George Warren Brown School of Social Work.
Levy began his career as a Forrest City high school teacher and spent two years as a public assistance social worker in Detroit, Mich. He went on to work for ten years in vocational services with an emphasis on World War II veterans, the handicapped, and holocaust survivors in St. Louis, Mo., and Minneapolis, Minn. He spent 20 years in community organization with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston and the Council of Jewish Federations. He spent 1978 through 2000 in independent social work practice with an emphasis on the psychosocial problems of aging, illness and widowhood. His lifetime of work earned him the distinction of being named a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Work.
2008 James E. Major Service Award
Loyd Ryan
Ryan is a graduate of Conway High School and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Arkansas. He worked at the Arkansas Democrat and as city, editor, general assignment reporter, sports editor, and managing editor at the Log Cabin Democrat.
Ryan began work at Hendrix in 1990 and has served as director of business affairs, associate vice president for business affairs and director of facilities at the College. During that span, Ryan played key roles in the building and planning of Bailey Library, Acxiom Hall, Reynolds Life Sciences, new student residence houses, the Art Facility, the Wellness and Athletics Center, new track/lacrosse, soccer, baseball and softball fields, and the Murphy Building.
Aside from making the physical plant run smoothly, Loyd is also very involved in the Hendrix community and often serves as a representative for the college in the Conway community.
2008 Outstanding Young Alumna Award
Dr. Amanda Moore McBride ‘93
McBride hails from Batesville, Arkansas, where she graduated from Batesville High School in 1989. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Hendrix then went on to earn her M.S.W. and doctorate. at Washington University in 1995 and 2003 respectively.
McBride is an assistant professor in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. She is also director of Washington University’s Richard A. Gephardt Institute for Public Service, where she is responsible for promoting community service and service-learning across campus, and research director of the School of Social Work’s Center for Social Development, where she leads research on civic engagement and service. McBrideteaches graduate service-learning courses on social justice, community practice, and program evaluation.
Professor McBride was lead editor of a 2004 special issue of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, entitled “Toward a Global Research Agenda on Civic Service,” a 2005 issue of Voluntary Action, entitled “International Service in the Context of Globalization,” a 2007 book with ME Sharpe, entitled Civic Service Worldwide: Impacts and Inquiry, and a forthcoming special issue of the International Journal of Social Welfare, entitled “Youth Service in Comparative Perspective.” Professor McBride also directs an international civic service research fellows program funded by the Ford Foundation, which currently supports 20 fellows with research spanning 32 countries.
Her opinion is regularly sought by congressional leaders, international organizations, and think tanks worldwide. In 2007, she gave testimony at a congressional briefing on international service legislation, and served on an expert panel addressing civic engagement and inclusion convened by the United Nations. Mcbridehas been an active volunteer in the St. Louis community through the United Way of Greater St. Louis, where she also worked as a research associate from 1995 to 1998.
She proudly lives in a century year old home with her husband, Mark McBride, and son, Liam.
2008 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
Kenneth A. Gunderman ‘93
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics from Hendrix, Gunderman earned a master’s degree in public and private management from the Yale University School of Management. Since then, he has held various positions in the financial industry rising to Senior Vice President at Lehman Brothers Inc. – Global Communications Group in New York City.
Currently, he is Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Investment Banking for Stephens Inc., which has more than 70 investment bankers and six offices across the United States and London. Stephens is privately held and is one of the largest and oldest investment banks off Wall Street. Gunderson and his wife Stephanie Anderson Gunderman ’93 live in Little Rock.