2026 Alumni Award Recipients

Doane Builder Award

The Doane Builder Award is presented to alums who have distinguished themselves and Doane through outstanding achievement, professional accomplishments, community service and their relationship with the college.  This is considered the highest award an alumnus of the college can receive.

Douglas W. Kiburz was encouraged to attend Doane by his favorite teacher, Rose Machacek ’69, a Doane graduate. He majored in natural science, graduated summa cum laude, and pursued academic opportunities through six institutions, including Doane’s interim and Danish International Student programs.

Kiburz was active in Delta Kappa Pi fraternity, Student Congress, and intramural sports. After Doane, he attended the University of Nebraska medical school, completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Kansas, and pursued fellowships in hand surgery, sports medicine, and arthroscopy.

He has practiced medicine in Sedalia, Missouri, for four decades and continues to serve as a physician and surgeon at Bothwell Regional Health Center. He chaired the hospital’s Department of Orthopaedics for 40 years and served 35 years on its executive committee. He has also taught as a clinical professor at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the University of Central Missouri.

His professional leadership includes four terms as president of the Missouri State Orthopaedic Association and service on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery Board of Councilors. His honors include the Sedalian of the Year award and the State of Missouri Legacy Award.

Kiburz has also helped build his community through founding roles with the Sedalia 200 Education Foundation and the Bothwell Regional Health Center Foundation, as well as service supporting education, youth, the arts, and civic organizations. He has remained connected to Doane through Homecoming, philanthropy, and estate planning.

Kiburz’s lifelong contributions to medicine, education, and community life exemplify the service and leadership recognized by the Doane Builder Award.

Exceptional Service Award

The Exceptional Service Award recognizes alums who have provided extraordinary service to forward the cause of Doane University through their volunteer efforts.

Shannon D. Patrick ’86, ’10A, grew up in Genoa, Nebraska, and came to Doane after a recruiter helped him create a scholarship and student-loan package. He double majored in mathematics and business administration, played football, participated in forensics, joined Alpha Omega fraternity, and worked as a mathematics tutor.

After graduating, Patrick began a 39-year career with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He earned the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation and eventually became director of the Western Region of NRECA’s Insurance and Financial Services Department, managing eight field representatives. He later returned to Doane and earned a Master of Arts in Management.

Patrick has provided sustained service to Doane through financial support, alumni leadership, and mentorship. He helped establish the Dana Miller Endowed Scholarship and the Alpha Omega Endowed Scholarship, and he helped organize and launch the Alpha Omega Alumni Association. The association supports current students, recognizes alumni achievements, and strengthens connections among former members.

Patrick has also shared his professional expertise by presenting employee benefits programs for Doane students and alumni. Beyond the university, he volunteers as a Wayfinder at Bryan West Hospital and serves as a deacon at First Plymouth Church in Lincoln.

“I don’t give of my time, talent, and treasure in search of such recognition,” Patrick said, “but it’s certainly nice when it does happen.”

His financial support, volunteer leadership, mentorship, and commitment to alumni make him a fitting recipient of the Exceptional Service Award.

Honor D Award

The Honor D Award is presented to former Doane athletes who have distinguished themselves by outstanding service in their life’s work.

Dennis R. Isernhagen ’66 was introduced to Doane through his older brother, Desley Isernhagen ’62. At Doane, he majored in physical education, played football, joined Sigma Phi Theta, and developed a lifelong connection to the track program and Coach Fred Beile. Coaches Elvin “Al” Papik ’50, Beile, and Bob Erickson ’57, along with other faculty members, helped shape his future.

After graduating, Isernhagen spent seven years in Palmyra, 19 years in Sutton as a counselor and principal, and 10 years as principal of Milford Elementary School. He also served as an admiral in the Nebraska Navy and was involved with professional and community organizations.

After retiring, Isernhagen supervised student teachers for Doane, reconnecting with the campus and mentoring future educators. He has remained a devoted supporter of Doane athletics and fine arts and regularly attends university events.

Isernhagen and his late wife, Jody, devoted much of their lives to serving Crete. Their involvement included supporting local schools, the Crete Backpack Program, area youth, and Doane athletics. Dennis served on the Crete Public Schools Board of Education and volunteered at Doane track and field meets.

In 2019, Doane recognized Dennis and Jody with its inaugural Community Spirit Award for their service to Crete and the university.

“Building relationships with students, teachers, coaches, fellow athletes and the community members of Crete were vital parts of what Doane meant to me,” Isernhagen wrote.

His career in education, dedication to students, and decades of service to Doane and Crete exemplify the Honor D Award.

Platt Music Award

The Platt Music Award is presented to alums for outstanding achievement in music. The recipient is selected in conjunction with the Department of Music.

Glenn A. Peterson believed music could bring people together, lift spirits, and create lasting connections. Although he was not a Doane graduate, Peterson became an essential part of the university’s musical history through his work as an associate professor of choral music and director.

After serving as an ensign in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Peterson began teaching music in Kansas public schools. He later joined Doane, where he and his wife, Emily, known as Emmy, made their home for many years.

In the early 1960s, Peterson helped establish the Varsity Vagabonds, a talented ensemble of singers and dancers. Under his direction, the group performed at military bases throughout the world through United Service Organizations tours, including stops across Asia and in Greenland. Peterson understood the importance of bringing music, encouragement, and a sense of home to service members stationed far from their families.

He also founded the Young Nebraskans, a program supported by Doane that brought talented high school singers from across Nebraska together to perform throughout the United States. The program helped students develop their musical abilities, gain confidence, and consider higher education. Peterson encouraged many of them to pursue scholarships and attend Doane.

For hundreds of students, Peterson was more than a director. He was a mentor who recognized their potential and encouraged them to believe in it themselves. After retiring from Doane in 1976, he continued teaching as choral director at Cummings High School in Burlington, North Carolina. In 1981, he was named Teacher of the Year by the Burlington school system. Doane also recognized his contributions with an Excellence in Teaching Award in 2003.

Peterson died Feb. 3, 2007, at age 83. He and Emmy raised five children, Joanna, Nancy, John, Karen, and Mary, who carry forward their parents’ love of music.

The Platt Music Award recognizes Peterson’s outstanding contributions to music and his lasting influence on generations of Doane students. Through the Varsity Vagabonds, the Young Nebraskans, and his teaching, Peterson shared far more than music. He opened opportunities, strengthened communities, and left a legacy that continues in the lives of those he inspired.

Paul Kersenbrock Humanitarian Award

Given in memory of Paul Dean Kersenbrock ’63, this award is presented to a worthy Doane alum who, in the Alumni Board’s judgment, distinguishes themselves by extraordinary, unselfish dedication and service to others in their work and lifestyle.

Bio coming soon.