June Mehlhaus and Fred Ribich will receive the Wartburg Medal during December Commencement on Sunday, Dec. 11, in the Wartburg Chapel.

The Commencement ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. and will be livestreamed on Knight Vision at www.wartburg.edu/knightvision. Presentation of the Wartburg Medals will be part of the ceremony.

The Wartburg Medal is awarded by the college to recognize individuals who have provided significant service to the college over a sustained period, and recipients have a personal commitment to the college’s mission, quality and character.

Mehlhaus, a 1961 Wartburg graduate, was a special education professional during her working career and continued that commitment to creating educational opportunities for young people into her retirement. June and her late husband, John, established the John and June Mehlhaus Endowed Scholarship. When John, also a Wartburg graduate, died in 2010, June made a leadership gift to establish the Knights Legacy Circle, a program to encourage endowment gifts to strengthen and sustain Wartburg athletics.

She offered her expertise to the college as a participant in the Commission on Mission Summit process and later served on the Transforming Tomorrow Campaign National Committee. Now, as a resident of Eisenach Village, Mehlhaus continues to engage in the life of the college, with a special fondness for the Keep on Learning community education series.

Ribich, a professor emeritus of psychology and former director of institutional research and assessment, joined the college in 1977. During his tenure, he served as the social sciences department chair for 16 years, an assistant dean, interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, college marshal and as a member of numerous faculty committees.

Following his retirement in 2016, Ribich continued to help where needed, serving in interim roles as the accreditation support associate for Higher Learning Commission reaccreditation, Vogel Library director and library archivist. Ribich is a volunteer with the Waverly-Shell Rock Area United Way, served as the United Way campaign co-chair in 2015-16, and is a member of the Waverly Public Library Foundation Board. He also was a longtime member of the Waverly City Council.

June Mehlhaus
June Mehlhaus
Fred Ribich
Fred Ribich