From football to physics, six graduates who have gained prominence in their fields were selected for the 2023 Class of Distinguished Alumni by the South Dakota State University Alumni Association.
They are:
Gerald Blazey, Class of ’79, DeKalb, Illinois
Tim Czmowski, Class of ’85, Sioux Falls
Jeff Eckhoff, Class of ’82, Sioux Falls
Ann Progulske-Fox, Class of ’74, Gainesville, Florida
John Stiegelmeier, Class of ’79, Brookings
Kim Tyler, Class of ’82, Sioux Falls
They were honored during activities on Hobo Day weekend Oct. 13-14.
Gerald Blazey
Blazey, a math and physics major, was at Northern Illinois University from 1996 until he retired June 30, 2023, as vice president for Research and Innovation Partnerships. An expert in experimental particle physics and science policy, the Brookings native is an author of more than 500 publications and a fellow of the American Physical Society.
His post-SDSU career took him to the University of Minnesota (doctorate in experimental high energy physics), the University of Rochester Fermi National Accelerator Lab, Batavia, Illinois, and then Northern Illinois. At Fermilab, he served as spokesperson of the DZero proton-antiproton collider experiment with more than 700 collaborators from 90 institutions and 20 countries.
Tim Czmowski
Czmowski, a dairy manufacturing graduate, retired in May 2022 after nearly 40 years in the cheese industry, the last 12 with Agropur, an international dairy firm, as its Midwest vice president for U.S. operations. His career involved all aspects of cheese and whey plant leadership and operations, including plant construction, process equipment design and industry growth.
Since 1995, Czmowski has served as an expert judge in the U.S. and World Cheese Contests, being named assistant chief judge in 2005.
Jeff Eckhoff
Eckhoff, a sociology major, serves as director of planning and development services for the city of Sioux Falls. His career has focused on business development and includes 16 years (1996-2012) as executive director of the Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations and seven years (2012-19) as state director of the South Dakota Small Business Development Center.
He was appointed to his current position in 2019 by Mayor Paul TenHaken. He oversees 60 employees in a city experiencing record construction with building permit valuations topping $1 billion for the first time in 2021 and nearly $2 billion in 2022.
Ann Progulske-Fox
Progulske-Fox, a bacteriology and biology graduate, is director of the Center for Molecular Microbiology at the University of Florida.
A distinguished professor in the Department of Oral Biology, Progulske-Fox has been inducted into the National Academy of Inventors (2016) and as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2015). She received the Distinguished Scientist award from the International Association for Dental Research in 2006 for basic research in periodontal diseases.
John Stiegelmeier
Stiegelmeier, a math and physical education major, is credited with discovering the formula for scoring more points than the other football team. The head coach retired after SDSU’s 2022 national title with a career record of 199 wins and 112 losses in 26 seasons, leaving him the winningest football coach in school history.
All this from a man who never played a down of college football. He became acquainted with the SDSU program when he served as a student assistant during SDSU’s only Division II playoff season in 1979.
Kim Tyler
Tyler, a commercial economics graduate, had a 31-year career with the Kellogg Company, retiring as vice president of alternative channel sales. She is co-chair of the SDSU Foundation’s Bold & Blue campaign, which seeks to raise $500 million in private funds.
Her career with the Fortune 500 company included many sales leadership roles while living in Sioux Falls, Minneapolis, Cleveland and almost 20 years in the Chicago area. Her roles involved all areas within the Kellogg business, including cereal, snacks, waffles and the natural organic business of Kashi.
For more information on the Alumni Association’s Legends & Leaders event, go to www.statealum.com/legendsandleaders2023.
