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Officials at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) announced Mr. Earl Dunkleberger as the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Alumnus from the School of Human Environmental Sciences. Dunkleberger will be formally honored during the Alumni Awards luncheon on Saturday, Oct. 13, at noon in the Calcagno Family Ballroom. All alumni and friends of the college are invited to attend. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 12 and under, and may be purchased by contacting the NEO Development Foundation office at 918-540-6115. NEO’s “May the Norse Be with You” homecoming festivities will take place on Saturday, Oct. 13.

When he arrived in 1961, Dunkleberger was heavily involved in NEO activities, not only competing with agriculture teams, but also participating in theatre productions. As a speech major, Dunkleberger recalled the support he received from his many friends on campus. Following NEO, Dunkleberger enlisted in the Navy as a hospital corpsman. Two thirds of his time in the military was spent attached to a Marine Corps unit out of Camp Pendleton. During his service, he earned two Purple Hearts and the Navy Commendation Medal for Valor following his actions during a Vietnamese ambush. After his return home, Dunkleberger decided he wanted to continue his work in the medical field. After completing the newly created physician’s assistant program at the University of Oklahoma, he spent the rest of his career working as a family practice physician’s assistant.

Dunkleberger and his wife, Judy, live in Holdenville and have two sons and several grandchildren. When he is not chasing the grandkids, he enjoys writing, travelling on his Honda Goldwing motorcycle, and occasionally woodworking. “It is an honor to recognize Mr. Earl Dunkleberger as this year’s outstanding alumnus for the School of Human Environmental Sciences,” said Jennifer Walker, executive director of the NEO Development Foundation. “Mr. Dunkleberger was an incredibly active student and made the most of his time at NEO. After serving our country, he had a very successful career in the medical field and helped pave the way for Physician’s Assistants in practice today.” For more information, contact Jordan Adams at Jordan.m.adams@neo.edu.