In Memoriam: Kathleen Polkinghorn Duffy
- Mar. 10, 2022
Kathleen Polkinghorn Duffy ’68, age 75, died unexpectedly on October 17, 2021. Kathy married James E. Duffy on September 25, 1971, at St. Bernard in Madison, WI, and they shared 50 years of marriage together. She was a human ecology and education student at UW–Madison in the late 1960s and was only a few credits shy of a master’s degree in education.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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...
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 ...



