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The George Norlin Award honors alumni of CU Boulder for distinguished achievement in their chosen fields of endeavor and a devotion to the betterment of society and their community. The 2018 awards ceremony took place during Homecoming Weekend, Thursday, Oct. 25 in the University Memorial Center. 

Herb IIisaurri Schroeder went to Alaska in the 1970s to work on a construction project. He didn’t have a college education, but he dreamed of becoming an engineer. Those early experiences inspired a lifelong mission to prove that the most important factor for success in science and engineering is not test scores, but curiosity about the world and delight in solving problems.

Today Herb, who ultimately earned a PhD in civil engineering from CU Boulder, is vice provost for the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The program, which he founded, works to eliminate biases against Alaska Native students while empowering them to succeed in STEM disciplines. “While Herb is both a gifted engineer and a great teacher,” a colleague said, “his true genius is in seeing potential in young people and giving them the tools they need to realize their dreams.” The program has changed the lives of many thousands of students with 2,500 students currently enrolled from middle school to the university level. 800 Natives have graduated with STEM BS degrees from the University of Alaska since inception in 1995. “Herb is a shining light among non-Native Alaskans in actively working to right historical wrongs and support Alaska Natives in creating a positive future for our state,” said an Alaska Native and colleague.

Herb has received dozens of national awards, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from President George W. Bush. More impressive still, another colleague writes, is the honor the Alaskan Native students and their families have bestowed on him: The name “Ilisaurri.” It means “teacher.”