UIndy Alumni Association Recognizes Alumni with 2026 Awards
The University of Indianapolis and its Alumni Board of Directors honored UIndy graduates who have achieved exceptional success and served their society during the 2026 UIndy Alumni Awards.
The Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes an alum for their outstanding professional accomplishments or long-standing devoted service in their chosen field.
William R. Kiesel ’63 (Business Administration)
Kiesel is a Madison, IN, native and grew up on the south side of Indianapolis, graduating from Southport High School.
He graduated from UIndy in 1961, then known as Indiana Central College, with an associate degree in Business Administration before completing his bachelor’s in 1963. He received a Doctor of Human Letters from UIndy in 1989.
Kiesel’s career spans 65 years in Finance. He has served on various Not-For-Profit boards.
He has proudly served on UIndy’s Board of Trustees for 50 years. Keisel Football Field was named after him in 2008.
The Education for Service Award
The Education for Service Award honors an alum whose work has exemplified a fulfillment of the philosophy underlying the University’s motto “Education for Service.”
Brenda Schwering ’89 (Elementary Education)
Schwering is a lifelong educator and community advocate whose commitment to children and service has spanned more than three decades.
A graduate of the University of Indianapolis (UIndy), Brenda earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She later earned a Master’s degree in Counseling from IUPUI.
Schwering spent her entire career with Milan Community Schools. She taught first and fourth grade at Milan Elementary before becoming an elementary school counselor, a role she remained in for the final 25 years of her career. Brenda was well-known for her compassion and commitment to helping students and families.
Her dedication to education earned her several honors, including the 2017 Hero of Character Award from the Greater Cincinnati Council of Youth, the 2022 Ripley County Educator of the Year Award, and the 2025 Milan High School Citizenship Award.
In retirement, Brenda continues to serve as the Student Support Development Coordinator for Milan CARES Central, a free out-of-school mentoring program supporting at-risk youth. She also serves on the boards of Milan CARES, New Horizons Rehabilitation, St. Mark Endowment Committee, and the United Way of Franklin and Ripley County.
The Gene & Joanne Sease Award
The Gene & Joanne Sease Award honors a couple who have exemplified the type of commitment to the University of Indianapolis shown by the Seases in their lifetime through years of dedication to UIndy.
Dale Fletcher ’65 (Mathematics) & Janet Clegg
UIndy was a part of Fletcher’s life very early on. He was 9 years old when he first walked on campus, then known as Indiana Central College. He and his brother rode their bicycles two miles to ICC to register for Little League Baseball. Games were played on the fields on the north side of Hanna.
The Southport High School graduate took the school bus every day, which drove through campus, making it an easy decision for him to attend college at ICC.
He graduated in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. His professional life inlcuded many roles, including Mathematician at RCA, Computer Programmer for System Development Cop, and Systems Programmer/Analyst for Control Data. He also worked for the CDC in Minnesota, working on an operating system for a new computer, calling it the most fun project he has ever completed.
He met his wife, Janet Clegg, working at Control Data, Clegg developed instructional materials for their new Plato system. She eventually moved into software testing, landing a job at Cray Research, which was later bought by Silicon Graphics.
Although she did not attend UIndy, she was honored alongside Fletcher. The couple lives nearby, so she enjoys attending Homecoming, student and faculty recitals, and athletic events. “With this award, I now feel officially part of UIndy,” she said.
Click here to read about the 10-Hounds Award Winners.
The University of Indianapolis Alumni Association would like to commend all alumni who have carried on the University’s dedication to education for service and stayed connected to the strong community the University has developed both on campus and across the state.
If you know outstanding alumni who deserve to be honored, nominate them for next year’s awards.