Editor's note: This article was updated at 2:48 p.m., Oct. 15.

6:24 p.m., Oct. 3, 2008----The UD community is invited to attend a ceremony honoring the six UD alumni who will receive the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement to be held Homecoming Weekend at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 17, in the Gore Recital Hall of the Roselle Center for the Arts with a reception to follow. The Presidential Citations honor graduates of the past 20 years who exhibit great promise in their professional careers and/or public service activities and also recognize the honorees' continued engagement with the University.

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Click here to register online for the ceremony and reception in honor of the Presidential Citation award winners.

The alumni receiving the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement are listed below.

Deborah Brenner, who received a bachelor's degree in English from UD in 1988, authored Women of the Vine: Inside the World of Women Who Make, Taste and Enjoy Wine, and is the proprietor of Women of the Wine Cellars, a first-of-its-kind international wine brand. Women of the Wine Cellars is the first wine importing and marketing company to unite women winemakers under one label. Brenner recently returned to campus and spoke with a group at the Darden Bistro at the Trabant University Center about the art of winemaking, and her book was raffled off at several of the recent "Rediscover UD" alumni events.

William P. (Chip) Eveland Jr., a professor of communication and political science at Ohio State University, is an award-winning scholar who received his bachelor's and master's in communications from UD in 1991 and 1993 respectively and his doctorate in mass communication from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. A leading scholar in the cognitive processing of political communication, Eveland received the 2007 Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication Krieghbaum Under 40-Award, which honors scholars who have shown outstanding achievement in teaching, research and public service. He also won the International Communication Association's Young Scholar Award in 2003. Having published over 45 articles or chapters since 1994, Eveland's work is frequently cited by other scholars. Eveland is married to Amy Nathanson '94M who is also an associate professor of communication at Ohio State.

Dr. Traci Hill Hulse, who is a veterinarian at the Durango Equine Veterinary Clinic, working with horses as a general practitioner and as an equine dentist, graduated from UD in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in animal science. Currently living in Arizona, Dr. Hulse was recognized as the state's Young Veterinarian of the Year in 2000. She also has served on the board of directors of the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and the Arizona Veterinary Academy where she was chairperson. In addition to her practice, Dr. Hulse provides educational opportunities to young professionals through the Arizona Veterinary Academy. She also serves the equine community through an online newsletter for horse owners.

Col. Salman Nodjomian, a member of UD's class of 1988 with a bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering, is the Chief, Programs Division, Office of the Civil Engineer, Deputy Chief of Staff/Logistics, Installation and Mission Support for the United States Air Force. In this position, Colonel Nodjomian is responsible for the worldwide management and administration of the Air Force's Military Construction, Military Family Housing, high value O&M (operations and management) and other capital investment programs valued in excess of $1.5 billion annually. A recipient of the Bronze Star, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal (two oak leaf clusters), the Joint Service Commendation Medal (one oak leaf cluster) and the Air Force Commendation Medal (one oak leaf cluster), Col. Nodjomian was recently elected second vice president of the National War College Board of Directors.

Bruce C. Robertson, who earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from UD in 1988, is the managing director of H.I.G. Ventures, a venture capital fund invested in four life science companies, and he serves on board of directors of all four. From leading biotech companies to directing venture capital funds, Robertson has quickly established himself as a leader in identifying investment opportunities in the life sciences. In 2003, Robertson received the College of Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award, and in 2007 he participated on a panel at UD's 30th Reunion of the Laird Fellows. Currently, he is the treasurer of the University of Delaware Research Foundation where, through his connections in the private sector, he has provided valuable assistance in technology transfer of UD's intellectual property.

Wayne Westerman developed the revolutionary computer interface technology based on human touch seen in Apple's iPhone, and his research started at UD where Westerman received his PhD in electrical engineering in 1999. Westerman is currently a senior engineer at Apple Inc. The touch screen project started as Westerman's doctoral thesis, and the technology was at the heart of the foundation of Fingerworks, a company Westerman started in 1998 with John Elias, UD professor of electrical and computer engineering. In 2005, Apple Inc. purchased Fingerworks, and now Westerman works for Apple where in July 2007 an 80 page patent filing, partially credited to Westerman, hinted at the next-generation touch screen technology. In 2005, Westerman established a scholarship fund in honor of his father to be used to support electrical and computer engineering students who demonstrate invention, innovation and entrepreneurial vision.

For more information contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (302) 831-2341 or [alumnet@udel.edu].

Article by Sue Moncure