Bemidji State University will induct three new members into its Professional Education Hall of Fame during a dinner and induction ceremony at the university’s American Indian Resource Center, April 19.

This year’s inductees are:
• Randy Swedburg ’65 of Beaconsfield, Quebec, Canada;
• Cynthia “Cindy” (Burggraf) Storhaug ’82 of Alexandria, Minn.; and
• Tracy Loken Weber ’02, ’05 of Menomonee Fall, Wis.

The dinner and induction ceremony is open to the public. Tickets are $22 and must be reserved by April 12. To reserve tickets, call (877) 278-2586.

The Professional Education Hall of Fame award honors Bemidji State alumni who demonstrate excellence in teaching students or managing schools. Awards are made bi-annually. This award is open to teachers or administrators who are graduates of Bemidji State University and who hold holds a BSU Teacher Education undergraduate or graduate degree; has been previously awarded or recognized by a reputable group; and is nominated by a BSU alum, colleague, teacher or administrator.

Dr. Randy Swedburg ’65
Swedburg is a professor emeritus and former department chair in the Department of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University in Montreal. He was also director of the Center for Human Relations and Community Studies and a vice president of Elderhostel Canada. His major research interests have been in the areas of lifelong learning, successful aging and lifestyle and e-synchronous learning. In these areas, he has received 45 research grants and contracts for more than $1.3 million. He has published more than 75 articles, delivered 175 presentations at conventions and research symposia and workshops locally, nationally and internationally.

An advocate for international studies, he has been involved with student exchange programs around the world. Swedburg has received several professional and service honors including the Prime Minister of Canada Citizens award, CU Alumnus Award for teaching excellence, the American Association for Leisure and Recreation Merit Award and Outstanding Achievement Award, American Association for Health, P.E., Recreation and Dance Honor Award and others. Swedburg completed his bachelor’s degree at Bemidji State and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Idaho.

Cynthia “Cindy” (Burggraf) Storhaug ’82
Storhaug began her education career by earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from BSU. She continued her studies at the University of St. Thomas, where she earned her master’s degree in human development and technology. Her first teaching position was in Lanesboro, Minn. She moved on to Alexandria where she has taught elementary school children for 28 years. She earned National Board Certification in 2003, the first teacher in the district to earn this distinction. Storhaug was a semi-finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2006. In 2010, she became the Alexandria School District’s elementary math coach. She has received extensive training in Add+Vantage Math Recovery and Student Numeracy Assessment and is responsible for training the districts K-6 teachers in these math assessment and intervention systems. She also serves as a math consultant and is a respected adult trainer for schools throughout the region.

Tracy Loken Weber ’02, ’05
Weber is president/executive director for Milwaukee Achiever Literacy Services, a position where she oversees adult education and workforce development instruction at two community learning centers throughout greater Milwaukee. She led the organization to accreditation by ProLiteracy Worldwide, making it the first literacy organization in Milwaukee and the third in Wisconsin to be granted such status. Weber also is responsible for Milwaukee Achiever’s advocacy and fundraising efforts. She initiated a 25th anniversary event that increased non-restricted donations to the organization by more than 300 percent. She has served on boards and been active in programs for local, regional, state and national organizations, and she is a respected national speaker. In recognition of her work in the area of literacy, Weber received a Literacy Coalition of Southeastern Wisconsin Spirit Award in 2010, and in 2012 she was recognized as one of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 honorees.

She earned both her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and her master’s degree in education in curriculum and instruction and educational technology from BSU. Her paper on technology in adult education was published by Pearson National Evaluation Systems and is on file at the Library of Congress.