Weber State to honor dedicated alumni, community members
OGDEN, Utah — Eight outstanding individuals and one impactful philanthropic organization will be honored at Weber State University’s 55th Annual WSU Salutes ceremony Oct. 11. The public is invited to attend the free Homecoming event hosted by WSU’s Alumni Association.
A reception will be held at 6 p.m. in the Shepherd Union Atrium, followed by the awards program at 7 p.m. in the Browning Center Austad Auditorium. The best-dress event is free and open to the public. The ceremony will also be broadcast on the Browning Center website.
“This is a night you will not want to miss, one of our most prestigious events of the year,” said Nancy Collinwood, executive director of Alumni Relations. “Please join us to recognize and celebrate our outstanding alumni and friends who have demonstrated remarkable professional success, brought honor to the university and made significant contributions of time and philanthropy to the institution and their communities. It is inspiring to hear their stories and see their passion for Weber State.”
The 2024 honorees include the following:
Distinguished Alum: Trina Celeste Limpert
Trina Celeste Limpert is a leader in technology, education and business. As CEO of RizeNext, she drives innovation in leadership training, technology implementation and business consulting, helping organizations navigate digital transformation. Co-founder of Tech-Moms, Limpert is passionate about empowering women to enter tech careers.
Limpert's career in the technology industry has spanned 30 years with companies such as Novell, eBay and Oracle, and her pioneering programs have been nationally acclaimed. She was one of Utah’s “40 Over 40” in 2023 and has received multiple honors from Utah Business, being named in the publication’s “30 Women to Watch” in 2020 and “Most Influential Women” in 2024.
An accomplished author and speaker, Limpert shares her expertise on leadership and technology at numerous events. She actively contributes to higher education as a board member at Utah Valley University and Weber State, shaping future-focused academic programs.
Limpert and her husband, Andrew, have a blended family of eight children. She enjoys mountain biking, hiking, golfing and hunting. Harmonizing a demanding career with a love for family and community, Limpert inspires those around her with her dedication and vision of a better future for all.
Distinguished Alum: Wade Davis, Jr.
Wade Davis is the global vice president of inclusion strategy at Netflix, where he previously served as vice president of inclusion strategy for product. A former NFL player and the league's inaugural LGBT inclusion consultant, Davis established a consulting company where he collaborated with major organizations such as Google, Procter & Gamble, 21st Century Fox and multiple professional sports leagues.
Davis is a recognized thought leader, public speaker and writer on gender, race and orientation equality. He has consulted for professional sports leagues on issues of sexism, racism and homophobia. He is also a UN Women Global Impact Champion, a board member for the Ms. Foundation for Women and MeToo International, and a former adjunct professor at Rutgers University and New York University.
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Davis graduated from Weber State with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Northeastern University. During his time at WSU, he played three seasons as a cornerback for the Wildcats, earning honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors in his senior year.
In 2012, Davis served as a surrogate for President Barack Obama. In 2021, he was a featured speaker at Weber State's seventh annual Allen Holmes Diversity Symposium. His leadership and ongoing efforts to eradicate homophobia and sexism in athletics have been widely recognized, earning him numerous accolades and honors.
Distinguished Service: Kearston Cutrubus
Weber State alumna, businesswoman and civic leader Kearston Cutrubus has a long history of community service and supporting education. Cutrubus was appointed to the WSU Board of Trustees in 2016, served as vice chair from 2017–2021, and then led the board as chair from 2021–2023.
Over the years, Cutrubus has served on many other boards and committees for organizations engaged in community improvement efforts, including Ogden-Weber Technical College, the Top of Utah Military Affairs Committee, Christmas Box International, United Way of Northern Utah and Your Community Connection.
She works full time for Cutrubus Enterprises, serving as vice president of marketing/community relations and real estate and development. In addition, she owns Kearston’s Basket Case, and is a Realtor at RE/MAX Crossroads. In 2022 she received the “Service to the Military” award from the State of Utah for her commitment to quality of life issues for the U.S. Air Force service members and their families, and in 2023 she was honored with Davis Chamber Women in Business Athena Award.
Lewis W. Shurtliff Award for Excellence in Education: Brett D. Moulding
Brett Moulding received a bachelor's degree in chemistry at the University of Utah in 1973 and his master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Weber State in 1989. Moulding has been active in science education for more than 50 years. He taught chemistry at Roy High School for 20 years before moving to the Utah State Office of Education to serve as the state science education specialist for 11 years and state curriculum director for four years. In 2008, Moulding began providing science professional development for teachers throughout Utah and the nation.
While teaching at Roy High School, Moulding was highly involved in the International Science and Engineering Fair and served as the district science teacher leader. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Department of Energy Fellowship at the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the Governor's Medal for Science and Technology. Moulding also was honored by the National Science Teachers Association with the Distinguished Service to Science Education Award.
Since leaving the State Office of Education, Moulding has provided sustained professional development to thousands of teachers in 36 states and written four books to support effective science teaching and learning for all students. He emphasizes that the goal is not to teach science but to motivate students to learn science, and teachers are responsible for that motivation.
Moulding served on the National Academies Board on Science Education, the National Assessment of Educational Progress Standing Committee for Science and as president of the Council of State Science Supervisors. He was on the National Academies Committee that wrote the Framework for K-12 Science and Engineering, co-authored the National Academies report on Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12, and was a lead writer on the Next Generation Science Standards.
Moulding is still highly involved in providing professional development and writing books to support teachers in implementing high-quality science instruction. He values the tens of thousands of students and teachers he has been fortunate enough to share time with teaching and learning science. Teaching science is a joy and privilege, and Moulding is grateful to be a part of the teaching profession.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award: Jadrian Clark
Jadrian Clark made his mark at Weber State as one of the program’s standout quarterbacks, serving as a three-year starter. By the end of his Wildcat career, he ranked third all-time in career total offense, fourth in career passing yards and held the second-highest rushing total by a WSU quarterback.
During his senior year in 2016, Clark guided the Wildcats to their first FCS playoff appearance in seven years, earning Big Sky All-Conference third-team honors. After graduating with a degree in business administration with a finance emphasis, he embarked on a professional football career overseas, playing several seasons in the German Football League before transitioning to the European League of Football.
In 2023, just his second season with the ELF’s Rhein Fire, Clark delivered a record-breaking performance that led the team to a championship and secured him the league's MVP title. Following this success, he signed with the University of the West of England, where he is currently pursuing an MBA and has led the Bullets to their third consecutive British National College Championship.
Emeriti Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award: Nolan D. Archibald
Nolan D. Archibald came from modest beginnings. He was a poor student in high school and did not make the Ogden High School basketball team. But after earning All-American honors at Dixie Junior College, he became one of the most recruited players in the nation.
After being pursued by more than 50 Division I basketball programs, Archibald chose to play in his hometown at Weber State College. He led Weber State to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament when only 32 teams participated. He was named first-team Big Sky All-Conference by UPI and was one of 15 Division I basketball players out of 4,000 named an Academic All-American. He was also Weber State’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1968, when he graduated cum laude.
He was invited to the Chicago Bulls rookie camp in both 1969 and 1970, and offered a contract to play professional basketball for the Pittsburgh Pipers in the rival American Basketball Association in 1970. In 1993, the National Association of Basketball Coaches named Archibald, along with four other former All-American basketball players, as their “Silver Anniversary NCAA All-American Basketball Team.” He is the only athlete in WSU history to receive this honor. He has been inducted into the halls of fame at Weber State, Dixie College and Ogden High School.
Following graduation from Weber State, Archibald graduated from the Harvard Business School with a master’s degree in business administration in 1970. He joined Black & Decker as president and chief operating officer in September 1985. When appointed president and chief executive officer in March 1986 at the age of 42, Archibald was the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He served as CEO of Black & Decker for 24 years.
Archibald launched Dewalt in 1992 and built what is now the world’s largest professional and industrial power tools brand. He is a recipient of the American Marketing Association’s Edison Achievement Award for significant and lasting contributions to marketing excellence and product innovation. He has been cited by Business Week as one of the top six managers in the United States and by Fortune Magazine as one of the country’s “Ten Most Wanted Executives.”
Emeriti Alumni Homecoming Royalty: Paul H. & Brenda M. Wheelwright
Paul and Brenda Wheelwright met in 1981 and married in 1982. Paul graduated from Ogden High School in 1980 and went on to attend Weber State College. He began working at his family’s business, Wheelwright Lumber Company, at an early age. Paul has been president of Wheelwright Lumber for more than 20 years and is the fourth generation to run the business that his great-grandfather started in the early 1900s.
Paul has been active in many organizations, including the Weber State Wildcat Club, where he served for many years, including one term as president.
Brenda graduated from Roy High School in 1982. She attended Weber State College and graduated with a master’s degree in accounting in 1987. She has been a CPA for more than 35 years and has worked in public accounting and in the Weber County Treasurer’s office, most recently as chief deputy treasurer. Currently, she is on the accounting staff at Wheelwright Lumber. Brenda serves on the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weber-Davis and is a member of their finance committee.
The Wheelwrights have two children, Britney and Trevor, and two grandchildren. They enjoy golfing, and spending time at Bear Lake and St. George.
Presidential Award: Dr. Ezekiel R. & Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation
The Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation was established in 1958 when Zeke and Edna provided funding for Ogden Surgical (Medical) Society, which offers continuing education for medical professionals throughout the country. In the decades since, the foundation has given more than $43 million toward bettering communities across Utah and the Intermountain West.
As the foundation’s leadership has passed from the couple’s children to grandchildren, it has maintained a strong focus on healthcare — fitting for Zeke’s distinguished 42-year career as a doctor in Ogden. Weber State’s Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions is a proud example of the foundation’s generosity, along with the Dumke Family Pre-Medical Professional Programs, the Dumke Center for Interprofessional Education, the Dumke Endowed Chair in Health Professions, and professional development awards for health professions faculty and staff.
The foundation’s impact on Weber State extends far beyond health professions, through support for student scholarships, purchasing equipment for the College of Science, and sponsoring many arts and cultural events, such as exhibits at the Shaw Gallery and Stewart Library’s Special Collections. The Dumke Legacy Hall in WSU’s Hurst Center is a popular gathering space for university, local business or community events.
In 2021, the foundation was the lead sponsor of the Dumke Arts Plaza in downtown Ogden, partnering with WSU, RAMP, Ogden City and Ogden Contemporary Arts in creating a vibrant space where the community is invited to engage with art of all forms. The foundation also funded an endowment to the university to support arts programming at the plaza.
The Dumke Foundation’s commitment to philanthropy has improved Weber State University — and so many other universities and local organizations — in countless ways by providing outstanding opportunities, strengthening communities and making a positive change in our world.
Jen Wright, Marketing & Communications
jenwright@weber.edu- Contact:
Rachel Badali, news coordinator
801-626-7362, rachelbadali@weber.edu