FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University alumni are driving positive change across the state and world, and three of them received the university’s highest honor on Oct. 16.
IU will present the Distinguished Alumni Service Award to executive and attorney V. William (Bill) Hunt, educator and nonprofit leader Eugene (Gene) R. Tempel and trailblazing basketball coach Tara VanDerveer. The award is reserved solely for alumni and recognizes those who have excelled in their field and contributed significantly to their community, state, nation or IU.
Hunt, Tempel and VanDerveer are part of the country’s largest living alumni network, with over 805,000 IU alumni making an impact around the world.
V. William Hunt
A lifelong Hoosier, Hunt has held leadership roles across corporate, civic and higher education sectors. Most recently, he served as president, CEO and chairperson of Arvin Industries after holding several roles within the company from 1976 to 2001. His civic leadership includes chairing the Ivy Tech Board of Trustees and serving as a founding co-chair of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership.
Hunt’s dedication to IU started when he was a student. He served on the IU Student Foundation Steering Committee and as an assistant to Chancellor Herman B Wells. After graduation, Hunt served on several boards, including the IU Foundation Board, and IUPUI and IU Kokomo Boards of Advisors. Among his many honors, IU has recognized Hunt with the Herman B Wells Visionary Award and the Bicentennial Medal.
Hunt earned his bachelor's and juris doctor degrees from IU.
Eugene R. Tempel
Tempel has dedicated his career to higher education, spending more than four decades at IU. He’s held numerous leadership roles including president of the IU Foundation, vice chancellor for external affairs at what’s now known as IU Indianapolis and assistant dean for external affairs at the College of Arts and Sciences.
A pioneer in philanthropic and nonprofit studies, Tempel co-founded the IU Center on Philanthropy in 1987 and later became its executive director. He also served as founding dean of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, where donors endowed the deanship of the school in his name. Tempel’s many honors include the Bicentennial Medal and the Sagamore of the Wabash.
Tempel earned his Master of Arts in English and Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from IU.
Tara VanDerveer
A trailblazer in women’s basketball, VanDerveer was the second-winningest coach in NCAA history. She led the Stanford women’s basketball program for 38 seasons and 1,064 wins, including three NCAA championships, 14 Final Four appearances and 26 Pac-12 regular season titles. During the 1996 Olympic Games, VanDerveer led the USA National Team to an undefeated 8-0 run and gold medal. She has coached numerous All-Americans, national award winners and 34 future WNBA players.
A five-time Naismith College Coach of the Year, VanDerveer also coached at Idaho and Ohio State – earning her two Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. She’s been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and IU Hall of Fame. VanDerveer was also honored with the IU Bicentennial Medal.
VanDerveer was a student athlete and earned her bachelor’s degree from IU.