Former Badger Basketballer Rod Ripley Rallies and Rebuilds
- Aug. 02, 2024
Lucky’s 1313 on Regent owner and former Badger basketball player Rod Ripley ’87, MAcc’88’s hotel is open for business again two years after a massive fire burned down his three-story motel located on Lake Wisconsin in Lodi. The former athlete is no stranger to starting over, as he survived a nearly fatal accident 10 years ago that almost completely severed his right arm at the elbow. With ingenuity, resilience, and hard work, he has overcome both. The new hotel, renamed Lucky’s Lodge on Lake Wisconsin, features a nice dose of Wisconsin charm, including 53 headboards that Rod handcrafted from old barn wood and nature photography taken by his son.
More Alumni Notes
William Walter Beyer passed away in Midlothian, VA, on January 20. 2026. William studied history as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and his studies were focused on economic history, finance, and international economics. William served as a commissioned Fo...
Christine Scott Thomson MS’20 and Gregory Thomson are excited to reconnect with graduate school friends and learn about Iceland’s university and city planning connections.
Mark Ray ’06 has been named by the American Public Works Association as a Top 10 Public Works Leader of the Year for 2026. Mark currently serves as...
Garth was born in Boston, MA, on September 29, 1935, the son of Mary Morton Nisbet of Irvington, NY, and Arthur Gorham Rand of Portsmouth, NH. Gart...
Dr. Jim Sernoe BA’86, MA’89 has been promoted to full professor at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He was also honored with his 30-year service pin this spring.
After twenty-six years of teaching at two law schools, Scott Pryor JD’80 was named professor emeritus of law in January 2026. Pryor entered the tea...
Laurie Iudin-Nelson PhD’97 (Slavic languages and literatures) is professor emerita of Russian studies at Luther College. Following retirement, she earned the MDiv degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary (Dubuque, Iowa) and was ordained as Minist...
Congrats to Chelsea Blair ’12 on celebrating her one-year wedding anniversary to Justin Blair ’14! The couple lives in Los Angeles, but they got married in Madison on a night full of incredible people, music, food, and laughter. They even jumped i...
Michelle McCready ’07 is serving as the deputy CEO of the national nonprofit Reach Out and Read. Over the past year alone, Reach Out and Read serve...
Kristin Paul ’02 has been appointed executive secretary and chief executive officer of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ), bringing more than two decades of experience and a lifelong connection to the ...
William Walter Beyer passed away in Midlothian, VA, on January 20. 2026. William studied history as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and his studies were focused on economic history, finance, and international economics. William served as a commissioned Fo...
Christine Scott Thomson MS’20 and Gregory Thomson are excited to reconnect with graduate school friends and learn about Iceland’s university and city planning connections.
Mark Ray ’06 has been named by the American Public Works Association as a Top 10 Public Works Leader of the Year for 2026. Mark currently serves as...
Garth was born in Boston, MA, on September 29, 1935, the son of Mary Morton Nisbet of Irvington, NY, and Arthur Gorham Rand of Portsmouth, NH. Gart...
Dr. Jim Sernoe BA’86, MA’89 has been promoted to full professor at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He was also honored with his 30-year service pin this spring.
After twenty-six years of teaching at two law schools, Scott Pryor JD’80 was named professor emeritus of law in January 2026. Pryor entered the tea...
Laurie Iudin-Nelson PhD’97 (Slavic languages and literatures) is professor emerita of Russian studies at Luther College. Following retirement, she earned the MDiv degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary (Dubuque, Iowa) and was ordained as Minist...
Congrats to Chelsea Blair ’12 on celebrating her one-year wedding anniversary to Justin Blair ’14! The couple lives in Los Angeles, but they got married in Madison on a night full of incredible people, music, food, and laughter. They even jumped i...
Michelle McCready ’07 is serving as the deputy CEO of the national nonprofit Reach Out and Read. Over the past year alone, Reach Out and Read serve...
Kristin Paul ’02 has been appointed executive secretary and chief executive officer of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ), bringing more than two decades of experience and a lifelong connection to the ...
William Walter Beyer passed away in Midlothian, VA, on January 20. 2026. William studied history as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and his studies were focused on economic history, finance, and international economics. William served as a commissioned Fo...
Christine Scott Thomson MS’20 and Gregory Thomson are excited to reconnect with graduate school friends and learn about Iceland’s university and city planning connections.
Mark Ray ’06 has been named by the American Public Works Association as a Top 10 Public Works Leader of the Year for 2026. Mark currently serves as...
Garth was born in Boston, MA, on September 29, 1935, the son of Mary Morton Nisbet of Irvington, NY, and Arthur Gorham Rand of Portsmouth, NH. Gart...
Dr. Jim Sernoe BA’86, MA’89 has been promoted to full professor at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He was also honored with his 30-year service pin this spring.
After twenty-six years of teaching at two law schools, Scott Pryor JD’80 was named professor emeritus of law in January 2026. Pryor entered the tea...
Laurie Iudin-Nelson PhD’97 (Slavic languages and literatures) is professor emerita of Russian studies at Luther College. Following retirement, she earned the MDiv degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary (Dubuque, Iowa) and was ordained as Minist...
Congrats to Chelsea Blair ’12 on celebrating her one-year wedding anniversary to Justin Blair ’14! The couple lives in Los Angeles, but they got married in Madison on a night full of incredible people, music, food, and laughter. They even jumped i...
Michelle McCready ’07 is serving as the deputy CEO of the national nonprofit Reach Out and Read. Over the past year alone, Reach Out and Read serve...
Kristin Paul ’02 has been appointed executive secretary and chief executive officer of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ), bringing more than two decades of experience and a lifelong connection to the ...