Luther College President Jenifer K. Ward announced the 2022 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award, including one from Paradise Valley. The award is presented to alumni or individuals with strong connections to Luther College who have exhibited admirable service to society in areas such as education, government, the arts, business, church, labor, industry, agriculture, research, medicine and community affairs.

In a press release, it was announced that this year’s recipients are Michael Hovland ‘72, Richard Theiler ‘72, Karen (Brandt) Monsen ‘77, Tamara Gholson Bavendam ‘77, Rachel Reitan ‘87, Andrew Anderson ‘87, Joshua White ‘97, Amy Parker Fiebelkorn ‘97, Roy Brown Sartin ‘02 and Eli Williamson ‘02.

Rick Theiler, a Paradise Valley resident, graduated from Luther with a degree in chemistry and then earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Illinois, where he received National Institutes of Health research grants and was named an NIH fellow in both graduate school and post-doctoral studies.

Theiler pursued a career in consumer products research and development, and he held senior management positions at Unilever and at Colgate-Palmolive. When he retired, Theiler was senior vice president of research and development for Henkel North America. He has more than 40 scientific publications and patents in his name.

The press release explained that Theiler served one term on the Luther College Board of Regents and is a current member of the board’s facilities and sustainability committee.

One of his contributions was initiating a partnership between Luther’s German department and the Henkel Corporation in Dusseldorf, Germany, to provide paid internships to students.

He is also active in his Lutheran church in Arizona. He has chaired its board of trustees, done mission work in South Africa, and worked with Feed My Starving Children. Theiler sings in the choir and has initiated a solar project for his church.

Theiler and his wife, Jane, helped establish a research fellowship for Luther students in biology, the release detailed. They also enjoy hosting Luther alumni gatherings in their home and spending time with daughters Dana ‘07 and Devan, according to the release.