This year, the University of Illinois Alumni Association endowed its Lou Liay Spirit Award to Michael L. VanBlaricum. 

The award, established in 1997, honors alumni who continue to give back to the University, and maintain spirit and pride in the University. The award is named after Lou Liay, former executive director of the UIAA from 1983 to 1998.

VanBlaricum said that he was very surprised and extremely honored when he was told that he was this year’s recipient of the award. 

“The award tells me that people like what I am doing and it motivates me to keep going,” VanBlaricum said. “It also is a validation and sign of recognition to all of the great people whom I have been honored to work with over the years.”

VanBlaricum received all three of his degrees in electrical engineering from the University in 1972, 1974 and 1976. He has worked as an electrical engineer throughout his enire career. Before he retired, he served as the president and chief research scientist of Toyon Research Corporation. 

“All of us here in the ECE department are certainly not surprised to see him get this award,” said William Bradley Petersen, director of communications for the Office of Advancement. “We think he is very deserving and you know we are very proud of him and excited to see him get this type of recognition from the campus.”  

Most recently, VanBlaricum helped create the Illinois Distributed Museum, which displays online the University’s engineering and technological innovations and the impact that they have made to the world. The website will list technological advances and products created in Illinois and where the artifacts on display were found. 

The University is not just VanBlaricum’s alma mater, but the alma mater of his entire family. His wife, Pam, whom he met as an undergraduate, has three degrees in aerospace engineering. Both of his daughters, Ann Harrer and Susan VanBlaricum, received degrees from the University in civil engineering and history with a minor in film studies respectively. Harrer was a member of Marching Illini and Susan has her name displayed on the University’s Bronze Tablet, which is one of the highest honors for graduating students.

While VanBlaricum primarily resides in Santa Barbara, California, he returns for Homecoming almost every year to celebrate with the close friends he made during his time as an undergraduate. He also regularly visits to serve as the president-elect of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department’s Alumni Board and the Spurlock Museum’s Board of Trustees. 

When he’s on campus, VanBlaricum takes advantage of the cultural and educational opportunities the community offers such as watching performances at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. 

Wayne Pitard, the director of The Spurlock Museum, was the first to nominate VanBlarium for the award. 

“Mike is probably the most enthusiastic supporter of the University of Illinois that I ever met,” Pitard said, adding that VanBlarium is dedicated to making the University widely known and understood.

Pitard met VanBlarium several years ago after VanBlarium became interested in the Spurlock Museum. He said VanBlarium wanted to help make the museum better known outside of the campus community. 

As the University approaches its 150th anniversary, VanBlarium hopes to continue to show the impact of the history and innovative research that has been completed at the University. 

Ruge can be reached at [email protected].