Outstanding Alumni Award

Helping scores of premedical students achieve their goal of gaining acceptance into medical school through his educational expertise in the field of biochemistry has made Dr. Robert “Bob” Armstrong, class of 1961, the recipient of the 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award. Each year, this award is presented to an alumnus or alumna in recognition of lifetime accomplishments and contributions to his or her profession, community and society at large.

Bob has had a distinguished career as an educator in chemistry, and particularly, biochemistry. He began his career as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, following an outstanding Postdoctoral Fellowship at Princeton University. His love of teaching and scientific research eventually led him to Albion College, where he assisted literally hundreds of students in obtaining acceptance into medical school and completing their Doctor of Medicine degrees. He also spent many summers at Michigan State University — where he obtained his doctorate — teaching an intense biochemistry course for medical students.

Research also was an important part of Bob’s life, and during his 21 years of teaching, his active research program resulted in a number of articles published in highly recognized scientific journals.

Bob’s extensive devotion to the Albion community, the schools, hospital, the church and the local Habitat for Humanity has benefited countless individuals throughout the years. In 1999 he was the Habitat for Humanity coordinator, where he supervised 200 Albion College students in the building of three homes. His resume of community-oriented affiliations is impressive. To name a few, Bob has been on the Board of Directors of the Calhoun County Red Cross; a member of the Board of Trustees of Albion Community Hospital; a member of the Board of Directors of the College of Natural Sciences Alumni Association at Michigan State University; and he even found time to judge projects at the local junior high science fair.

But that’s just a fraction of Bob’s involvement in his community. For the past 15 years he has conducted workshops for high school chemistry teachers in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota.

Bob has never forgotten his years at Heidelberg, returning to Tiffin for most of his reunion years. He has shown continuous interest in the College, and has made presentations for science reunions. Through it all, Bob has maintained a stable and loving family life. He and his wife, Roberta, have been married since 1963. They have two children, Douglas and Robin.

Heidelberg College is proud to present the Outstanding Alumni Award to Dr. Robert “Bob” Armstrong, whose commitment to education, his love of humanity, and his desire to “make the best better” are attributes to which all of us can aspire.