2008 Recipients
Tallulah Fisher Williams
Class Year: 1974
Wall of Witness Award Winner 2008
The late Reverend Dr. Tallulah Fisher ’74 Williams is being honored for her leadership in the United Methodist Church. She graduated from North Central College in 1974 and earned a master of divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston. She received a doctor of ministry degree from Chicago Theological Seminary. She accomplished many “firsts” in the Northern Illinois Conference, including the first African-American woman to be a district superintendent and the first African-American female pastor appointed to serve a predominantly white suburban church.
Tallulah was known as an excellent preacher and was elected chair of the national Black Methodists for Church Renewal, giving four national keynote addresses. But she didn’t forget her close connections to North Central, returning to campus as a speaker for a Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast and maintaining contact with alumni and friends. Tallulah was elected as a delegate to the 2000 United Methodist General Conference on the first ballot and was nominated for bishop of the Northern Illinois Conference but passed away June, 20, 1999. Many felt she would have been elected bishop.
Satyan Devadoss
Class Year: 1993
Alumni Recognition Award Winner 2008
Satyan Devadoss ’93, a distinguished educator and mathematician, is associate professor of mathematics at Williams College in Williamstown, MA, where he has taught courses in computational geometry, geometric group theory and knot theory since 2002. His research has ranged from particle collisions and polyhedra in mathematics to origami design and cartography in computer science, to manufacturing and modeling in studio art. Satyan received his doctor of philosophy in mathematics in 1999 from Johns Hopkins University, where he was awarded the University’s William Kelso Morrill Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was a Ross Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University and has received two National Science Foundation grants during his career.
In 2007, Satyan was awarded the Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by the Mathematical Association of America, which honors a college or university faculty member whose teaching has been extraordinarily successful and whose effectiveness in teaching undergraduate mathematics has proven influential beyond the classroom.
Dale Grantman
Class Year: 1950
Outstanding Alumni Award Winner 2008
Dale Grantman ’50 has distinguished himself for his successful business career, dedication to service and his loyal support of his alma mater. After graduating from North Central College, Dale served in the U.S. Navy from 1951-1953. He is a former co-owner of Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Red Wing, MN, and previously served as president and owner of Campbell’s Nutrition Centers in Des Moines, IA, from 1957-1995.
In addition to his career, Dale found time to volunteer with many service clubs in Des Moines as president of Exchange Club of Red Wing and as an elder in the Presbyterian Church of Red Wing. Dale is also a former member of North Central College’s alumni board of directors. In 2006, Dale and his brother James created the Grantman Endowment with a gift of $1.5 million to North Central College. Dale and Virginia Klein ’51 Grantman have also supported the renovation of Old Main and other endowed scholarships.
K. Darrell Berlin
Class Year: 1955
Outstanding Alumni Award Winner 2008
K. Darrell Berlin ’55, a distinguished scientist, inventor and author, is the first Regents Professor named at Oklahoma State University and a special consultant to the National Institutes of Health.
After graduating from North Central College, Darrell attended the University of Illinois and earned a Ph.D. in 1958. He also worked as a post doctoral fellow at the University of Florida from 1958-1960. Over the years, Darrell received numerous honors and awards for his teaching and outstanding research accomplishments. He is an inventor with 27 patents and has written a textbook. His research group has published more than 300 papers in technical journals, and he is on the editorial boards of two international chemistry journals.
In the late 1990s, Darrell and his wife Gracie established the Darrell and Gracie Berlin Scholarship for North Central College science majors.
Beth Thomas Zimmerman
Class Year: 1963
Outstanding Alumni Award Winner 2008
Beth Thomas ’63 Zimmerman is a distinguished nursing professional and trustee of North Central College. A clinical nurse specialist for pediatric surgery at the world-renowned University of Chicago Children’s Hospital, Beth coordinates nursing care for children and teens experiencing minimally invasive surgery.
After pursuing a degree in elementary education from North Central College, Beth completed a bachelor of science degree at Eastern Michigan University and her master’s degree in nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has worked with the high risk infant and family program at the University of Chicago Hospitals and as a neonatal intensive care nurse at Wyler Children’s Hospital.
A member of the American Pediatric Surgery Nurses Association, Beth served as president-elect with the Association’s board of directors and as treasurer and finance chairman. From 2002-2004, Beth was president of North Central’s alumni board of directors.