Alumni Masters Week. Connect With Success.

Kristine Saalfeld Malkoski will be honored as a "master" during the annual Alumni Masters Week celebration Nov. 2-4. Malkoski graduated Summa Cum Laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Gamma. She graduated with bachelor of journalism with an emphasis in advertising from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications in 1982.

Malkoski is vice president, general manager of Craftsman, the popular tool and hardware company. In this role she leads strategy, product development, marketing, sales, supply, cost management and globalization for this iconic $2.2 billion brand. Kris has also served as executive vice president for Ubiquity Brands and was president/COO of Pharmaceutical Corporation of America, a company she founded. Kris is a recipient of Working Mother Magazine's "Mothering That Works" Award, Advertising Age "Top 25 Women to Watch" and "Top 100 Marketers" awards.

About Masters Week

Alumni Masters Week takes place every November. Each college nominates an Alumni Master to come back to campus during Alumni Masters Week. The Alumni Masters are graduates of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a number of years of outstanding service in their career field. They have information and experiences that are valuable to the entire academic community and are currently active in their professions. The Alumni Masters take part in many activities while they are back including, but not limited to a welcome reception, lunches with students, teaching in the classroom and faculty dinners. Alumni Masters are recognized publicly for this honor, and the Alumni Masters Week award is granted to outstanding alumni who have shown great promise, success and leadership in their chosen life's work.

The Alumni Masters Week program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln began during the 1963-64 academic year, with the first Alumni Masters on campus in the spring of 1964. The program was started at the request of then-chancellor Clifford Hardin, who had been invited back to Purdue University to take part in that school's "Old Master Program." Each year, Alumni Masters meet students in classrooms, living units and at student organization meetings during their stay on campus. Sometimes the Alumni Masters teach the classes themselves. Alumni Masters help students understand various ways to apply formal education to successful careers and often they bring students and faculty up-to-date with current developments in their fields.

Innocents Society, Mortar Board, Scarlet Guard, the Chancellor's Office and the Alumni Association sponsor alumni Masters Week. Since 1964, more that 250 alumni have participated in the Alumni Master's Week program.

Kristine Saalfeld Malkoski

Kristine Saalfeld Malkoski