Alumni, Faculty, Staff to be Recognized During Founder’s Day Ceremonies

10/07/2014 12:20 PM

Founder Lydia Moss Bradley will be remembered and faculty and staff awards will be presented during the Founder’s Day Convocation that will take place on October 17 at 10 a.m. in the Markin Family Student Recreation Center. In addition, four alumni will be inducted into the Centurion Society that was founded in 1982 to honor alumni who have become national or international leaders in their field and recognizes them for achievements in business, public life, and their professions.

The Bradley University Alumni Association will present the Distinguished Alumnus, the Outstanding Young Graduate, and the Lydia Moss Bradley awards during the Founder’s Day Luncheon that begins at 12:30 in the Michel Student Center ballroom.

The award recipients are listed below.

The Centurion Society

Richard Philip Delawder ’64
Chairman of the Board, Owner of SWD, Inc.

Mr. DeLawder began his career as a high school industrial arts teacher. In 1980, he founded SWD Inc., the Chicago area’s premier metal finishing and fastener sorting company. Under his leadership, SWD, Inc. has received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Compliance and innovation and, for its conservation efforts, was awarded the Golden Hammer Award by the Vice President of the United States. SWD is the first finishing company in the United States to earn ISO 14001 environmental management certification. Mr. Delawder has been a leader in his community having served as president of the Addison Industrial, chairman of the Association Environmental Impact Commission, chairman of the Addison Commercial and Industrial Commission, and president of the Addison Chamber of Commerce. In 2004, he was named Addison Man of the Year. He also has been a leader in his industry serving as president of Chicago Metal Finishers Institute and co-chaired an Industrial Trade Tour of China as a member of the National Association of Metal Finishers.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley in 1964, and an M.S. from Chicago State University.

Dr. Zahi Fayad ’89
Professor of Radiology and Medicine (Cardiology)
Director, Translational and Molecular Institute
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Radiology
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY

Dr. Fayad’s interdisciplinary and discipline bridging research – from engineering to biology and from pre-clinical to clinical investigations – has been dedicated to the detection and prevention of cardiovascular disease with many seminal contributions in the field of biomedical imaging and nanomedicine. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, 50 book chapters, and more than 400 meeting presentations. He is the Principal Investigator of four federal grants/contracts funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and National institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering with a recent large award from NHLBI to support the Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology. In addition, he serves as Principal Investigator of the Imaging Core of the Mount Sinai National Institute of Health/Clinical and Translational Science Awards. He also is a Principal Investigator on a American Heart Association funded project to promote cardiovascular health among high-risk New York City children, and their parents, living in Harlem and the Bronx.

He is Associate Editor for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Imaging, Section Editor for Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Consulting Editor for Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology and past associate Editor of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

He is the recipient of many prestigious awards including the John Paul II Medal from Krakow, Poland and the Outstanding Teacher Award from the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Dr. Fayad earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Bradley in 1991, an M.S. in biomedical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD. in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the faculty at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1997. 

Todd Richard Kennedy ’69
President/CEO of McClarin Plastics, Inc.

Todd Kennedy is the President/CEO of McClarin Plastics, Inc., a premier plastics manufacturer based in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He is considered an innovator and partner to both industry and education. Under his leadership, his company has received a number of awards including 2005 Manufacturer of the Year by the Manufacturer’s Association of South Central Pennsylvania and the 2007 Governor’s Workforce Development Award; and was named one of 2008’s top 50 Fastest Growing Companies by the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal. He actively seeks to educate the current workforce, prepare a new workforce, and find opportunities to intermingle the two. Since the mid-1990s he and McClarin employees have provided technical advice and guidance to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Plastic Innovation & Resource Center (PIRC), leading to that Center becoming one of the top in the nation for research, development, and education related to molding and thermoforming. In 2012, the College recognized McClarin Plastics with the Mentorship Award for the company’s ongoing contributions to the education and development of its students. Kennedy also has led the creation of the Hanover Center for Workforce Excellence that provides learning experiences in technical training, management, and professional development for people interested in furthering their careers. In 2007 the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce recognized him as the “Entrepreneur of the Year.” He has volunteered his time to a number of organizations and serves on the boards of York College and the Hanover YMCA. He graduated from Bradley in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. Kennedy holds two patents and has 47 patent citations.

Kelly M. Semrau ’82
Senior Vice President
Global Corporate Affairs, Communication & Sustainability
SC Johnson

Ms. Semrau oversees sustainability actions, public and governmental policy, public affairs, and overall corporate social responsibility on a global and local level for SC Johnson in Racine, Wisconsin. She also is responsible for community leadership and the company’s philanthropy efforts and sits on the Board of Trustees as the Vice Chairman and President of SC Johnson Giving, Inc.

In her current role, she leads all global public affairs initiatives for the company and its brands including media relations, crisis communication and sustainability communication. She also leads development and establishment of worldwide government relations policy, strategy and U.S. implementation and oversees community relations and philanthropic contributions for the company. She plays a lead role in issues management for SC Johnson.

Semrau also leads SC Johnson’s global employee communications, including business and human resources/ benefits communications, employee events, a close-circuit broadcast system, a robust intranet and award-winning employee publications such as a global magazine and monthly newspaper.

Under her leadership, SC Johnson has been ranked on FORTUNE magazine’s list of best companies to work for in America and one of the top companies for working mothers by WORKING MOTHER magazine

Prior to joining SC Johnson in 2000, Semrau owned her own company, managing communication needs for high-profile clients in consumer products, transportation and other industries. Earlier in her career she was Executive Vice President at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide in Washington, DC. She also served as Director of Public Affairs and Press Secretary to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture during President George H. Bush’s administration, as well as Director of Public Affairs and Press Secretary to the U.S. Trade Representative during President Ronald Reagan’s administration.

Ms. Semrau earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Bradley in 1982.

Distinguished Alumnus Award

Todd R. Kennedy (see above)

Outstanding Young Graduate

Elizabeth M. “Libby” Birky, M.A. ’02

Libby Birky is the co-founder of So All May Eat, Inc. (SAME Café), a non-profit organization that provides good food for the greater good. This sustainable, organic lunch spot in Denver, Colorado offers locally grown organic food to all who walk through the door regardless of their ability to pay. Patrons are encouraged to leave a donation that is fair or work in the café in exchange for their food. Since opening SAME Café in October of 2006, more than 120,000 meals have been served and there are more than 30 cafes nationwide following in the footsteps of SAME Café. Libby taught 4^th grade in Illinois for 5 years before earning a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Bradley. She then moved to Denver to teach at The Logan School for Creative Learning where she taught for 7 years, 3 of them while operating SAME Café. For her work in food justice, Mrs. Birky and her husband have been highlighted on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams in his “Making a Difference” segment and have been featured in Ladies’ Home Journal and Reader’s Digest. She has received a number of honors including the Judith M. Kaufman Civic Entrepreneurship Award from the Denver Foundation, the 2010 Best Hometown Hero award from MSN.com, and the 2010 E-Chievement Award. She and her husband Brad, co-founder of SAME Café, have been recognized as industry leaders by the Colorado Restaurant Association. She graduated from Loras College in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and in 2012 received the College’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Lydia Moss Bradley Award

Stephen C. Lewis ’72

Stephen C. Lewis is Director of Strategic Planning, North America Manufacturing Operation, at Ford Motor Company. In that capacity, he is responsible for the development of business/product sourcing of new Ford/Lincoln vehicles to manufacturing sites in North America. In his 36-year career with Ford, he has held a variety of positions and has been active with the Ford-Employees African Ancestry Network (FAAN), an organization that focuses on improving leadership, technical/business, and networking skills. He helped build an Engineering Internship program at Ford and has served as president of the Detroit Pre-College Education Program, which works to strengthen the math and science curriculum for more than 5,000 students in the metro-Detroit area annually. He also served as interim CEO of the National Black MBA Association, and is a member of the boards of the Graduate Management Admission Council, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Foundation, and the Engineering Society of Detroit and is a member of the Economic Council of Detroit, NAACP, and Junior Achievement. He has been active at Bradley as a member of the Engineering Executive Council for the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology, the Foster College of Business Council of Advisors, and the Black Alumni Association. In 2013, he was recognized by the Bradley Black Alumni Alliance with its Distinguished Community Service Award. Lewis graduated from Bradley in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education degree and earned an M.B.A. from Marquette University in 1975.