Northland College alum receive Distinguished Alumni Award

ASHLAND — Northland College presented three service awards on Saturday, July 8. Dr. Willie B. Garrett, Dr. Scott Mabury and Charlie Maguire received the Distinguished Alumni Award which honors alumni who have made significant professional and personal accomplishments that have brought recognition to Northland College.

Garrett double-majored in sociology and psychology. After graduating from Northland College, he went on to earn his Masters in Counseling Psychology at Mankato State in 1976. A licensed therapist for the past 26 years, Garrett began his career at Archdeacon Gilfillan Center as a team leader and therapist. After completing his doctorate in human resources development in 2002, Dr. Garrett assumed the role of Director of Mental Health at the Community University Health Care Center, a facility that served largely lower-income, immigrant population. He currently serves as the chief professional officer of the Minnesota Psychological Association. As CPO, Garrett provides leadership for the association on practice issues, and advocates for psychologists and behavioral health legislation.

Mabury graduated with a degree in Chemistry from Northland College in 1984. After graduation, Mabury went on to work in the Peace Corps as an Agricultural Extension Agent in the Republic of the Philippines. Upon his return, he went on to get his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry at the University of California. He currently serves as a full professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry at University of Toronto. He is also the Director of ANALEST (Analytical Laboratory for Environmental Science Research and Teaching), a multi-user analytical environmental science laboratory under development on the Toronto campus. His current research focuses on Environmental Photochemistry, Fluorochemicals, and Atmospheric Particles. He has been awarded over $7 million in grants for his research and has published over 100 articles in his field. His research on cleaning chemicals and their impact on mammals and the environment has reached mainstream public audiences and he was interviewed recently by National Public Radio on this subject.

Maguire graduated from Northland College in 1970 with a degree in philosophy and English. Following graduation, Maguire served in VISTA, teaching English as a second language, collecting songs, making field recordings and publishing a songbook for teachers and children of migrant workers in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. In 1974, Maguire had a chance meeting with Garrison Keillor which led to 10 years of regular appearances on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion. Maguire co-wrote Mesabi Red, which chronicled a 1916 miners’ strike on Minnesota’s Iron Range and he composed the music for Orphan Train, which looked at the trainloads of immigrant orphan children that made their way from the slums of New York to Minnesota at the turn of the century. In 1995, Maguire became the “Singing Ranger” for the National Park Service. He also was appointed the official “Centennial Troubadour” for Minnesota State Parks. He has four albums currently in print and another on the way. Maguire has been honored with numerous grants and awards, including a Bush Artist Fellowship and the New York Film and Television Festival Gold Award. He was also named a “Humanities Scholar” by the Minnesota Humanities Commissions.