Happenings
on the Hill
MMU Honors Outstanding Alumni
By Jill Fishbaugh
Mount Mercy recognized four alumni for their professional accomplishments and service to the community with its annual Alumni Awards on Sept. 30 during Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Douglas Doyle ’09
Merit Award
Recognizing alumni from the past decade who show promise of significant professional growth and achievement.
Douglas Doyle ’09 began work at the Cedar Rapids Police Department as an MMU student his junior year and has gone on to hold many positions, including patrol officer, field training officer, bike patrol officer, and operator on the Special Response Team. Currently, he runs the department’s Police Community Action Team. Doyle also teaches at the Cedar Rapids Regional Police Academy.
“Mount Mercy University is a community of people looking to succeed not only for the betterment of themselves but for the greater good of society,” Doyle says. “Mount Mercy University understands that their alumni’s success is dependent on the success of their supporting community.”
Robin Wazac Borrett ’81, ’16 MSN
Misericordiae Award
Recognizing alumni for humanitarian service to others through professional or volunteer activities.
Robin Wazac Borrett ’81, ’16 MSN is a patient care specialist at Hospice of Mercy, where she supervises the team of professionals who care for hospice patients in nursing facilities and provides education about hospice to community and professional organizations. Previously she worked at Mercy Medical Center as an intensive care/coronary care staff nurse and was employed in various long-term care positions as a staff nurse, minimum data set coordinator, and director of nursing.
“What I like best about Mount Mercy is the personal contact,” Wazac Borrett says. “The professors are interested in you as an individual. They demonstrate concern about an individual’s progression toward their academic and professional goals.”
Carol Heaverlo ’89
Professional Achievement Award
Recognizing alumni for significant contributions or achievements in their chosen professional field.
Carol Heaverlo ’89 is the director of professional development for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, where she provides leadership and oversight for the development, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring of organization-wide professional development, program quality, and public value articulation. Heaverlo went on to receive a Ph.D., and her dissertation research on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) development for sixth- through 12th-grade girls is being used by 766 institutions and 102 countries and has been published in the American Journal of Engineering Education and the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering.
“It had been more than 20 years since I was on the Mount Mercy campus, but when I arrived this September, I had an overwhelming feeling of being ‘home’ again.” Heaverlo says. “I won’t wait another 20 years to visit campus, and I look forward to ways in which I might become further involved.”
“From my experience at Mount Mercy and my STEM development research, I’ve learned the confidence educators have in students can be transformational,” Heaverlo says. “The seeds for my academic and professional trajectory were planted here at Mount Mercy. For that, I will be forever grateful.”
Paula Eggleston Land ’90
Distinguished Service Award
Recognizing alumni who have improved the quality of life in the community by influencing social structures or establishing and promoting services to others or for outstanding service rendered to Mount Mercy.
Paula Eggleston Land ’90 is a nonprofit leader with a mission of helping people live fulfilled lives by encouraging them to use unique gifts, skills, and talents in their work and community. As the executive director for the Catherine McAuley Center, Eggleston Land oversees the transformation of lives through education and housing. Her previous roles include working as the vice president of operations and organizational effectiveness for Trees Forever and as director of a community childcare center. Currently, Eggleston Land serves on the board of the Housing Fund for Linn County and is an active participant in the Nonprofit Network.
“Mount Mercy offers a top-notch education and a strong sense of community,” Eggleston Land says. “I have fond memories of my time on the hill and have enjoyed watching the university grow over the years. It’s such a beautiful campus, but the best part is the people who carry out the Mercy mission.”