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Distinguished Alumni Awards

Distinguished Alumni & Volunteer Awards

Distinguished Alumni Awards

The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize outstanding alumni of Dickinson College. Selected entirely by the Alumni Council, recipients must demonstrate exemplary service to the college, accomplishment in their professional and civic lives, and strength of character.

Now accepting nominations for the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards

The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
Certain alumni render outstanding service in assisting the Alumni Association to fulfill its objectives; and therefore this award is presented to those alumni who have rendered conspicuous and meritorious service to Dickinson. Elements for consideration for this award are any one or more of the following:

  • Demonstrate the effectiveness of the College in preparing alumni for many varied fields of endeavor; 
  • Acquaint the public with the prominence of our alumni;
  • Indicate the Association's interest in our fellow alumni; and 
  • Foster the interest and enthusiasm of alumni in the College through recognition of their work and service. 

Professional Achievement Award
Recognition on the part of the Alumni Council should be paid to alumni who have achieved outstanding distinction in their life's work. Standard for the selection is solid achievement in one's professional field, community, public or humanitarian service.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award
This award recognizes publicly and within the Dickinson community the professional and civic accomplishments of the college's young alumni. Elements for consideration for this award are any one or more of the following:

  • Nominees will have shown great promise and accomplishment in their chosen profession and/or community, public or humanitarian service.
  • The nominee must have graduated from Dickinson no more than 15 years prior to the year of the award.

Volunteer Awards

Each year, the college presents awards to our distinguished volunteers (alumni and parents) who have demonstrated outstanding service to Dickinson through their consistent and dedicated service.

Nominate a Dickinsonian by Sept.10

Admissions Alumni Volunteer of the Year
Presented to the Dickinson alumnus/a who has a deep engagement with admissions volunteer opportunities, taken initiative in outreach to students and families and who has the ability to reflect current Dickinson information while connecting future outcomes.

Admissions Parent Volunteer of the Year
Presented to the Dickinson parent who has a deep engagement with admissions volunteer opportunities, taken initiative in outreach to students and families and who has the ability to reflect current Dickinson information while connecting future outcomes.

Career Champion of the Year
Presented to a Dickinsonian who has provided significant and consistent contributions toward the advancement of Career Center programming and services in one or more of the following ways: participate in career programming, post jobs or internships, participate in on-campus interviewing, regularly attend networking events, and/or host a networking event.

Class Correspondent of the Year
Presented to an alumnus who has provided significant and consistent contributions toward the class-correspondent program for Dickinson Magazine and who goes above and beyond to encourage classmates to connect with the college and one another.

Global Engagement Award
Presented to a Dickinsonian who has made notable contributions to the advancement of the college through outreach and advocacy for Dickinson while living or working outside of the United States.

Outstanding Devils’ Advocate Award
Presented to a class agent who has most successfully encouraged class engagement with Dickinson and class participation in the Dickinson Fund during the past fiscal year.

Outstanding Reunion Volunteer Award
Presented to a reunion volunteer who has shown great dedication and enthusiasm in planning class activities during Alumni Weekend, encouraging class engagement with Dickinson and increasing class participation in the Dickinson Fund during the past fiscal year.

Past Award Recipients:

2023:

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    James D. Chambers ’78
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Karen Dougherty Buchholz ’88
    Florizelle Brathwaite Liser ’73
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Spencer Bailey ’08
    Alexander Strachan ’13

2022:

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Roberta Zmuda Greenspan ’77 (Awarded Posthumously)
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Paul Kanev ’75
    Kirsten Nixa Sabia ’92
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Fabiola Cineas ’12
    J. D. Dolan ’07

2021:

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Kellie Newton ’81
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Barbara Stauch Slusher ’86 ‘P16
    Beth Masters McCormick ’81
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Afif Kulaylat ’07
    Shawn Werner ’06

You can learn more about the 2021 recipients here.

2020:

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Douglas J. Pauls ’80
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Charles R. Craig ’65, P’89
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Lauren Ashley Smith ’06
    Robert W. Webb ’05
  • The 1783 Award
    Rebecca H. Raley ’94

You can watch the virtual acceptance speeches of the 2020 recipients here.

2019:

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Sherwood “Woody” Goldberg ’63
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    George Gill M.D. ’54
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Llamilet Gutierrez ’09

2018:

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Sylvia Smith ’73
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Judge Rosalyn (Roz) Robinson ’68
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Siobhan O'Grady ’13
  • The 1783 Award
    Scott Cohen ’91

2017: 

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77 
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Tony Mestres ’92 and Young Park ’87, P’20
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Noorjahan Akbar ’14

2016:

  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    John Paz '78
  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    John Heath '71
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Brittany Sunshine '09

2015:

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Esteban Ferrer '72
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Jennifer L. Holm '90
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Valeria Carranza '09

2014:  

  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Justin Gold ’00
  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Albert ’63, P’93 & Pamela Miller ’65, P’93
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Christopher Sharples ’87

2013:  

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Lawrence E. Snyder '65 and Anne W. Selden '65
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Brian E. Kamoie '93
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Ashley K. Damewood '08

2010:  

2009:  

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Thomas V. Zug '68
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Chris Gulotta '76
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Luke M. Bernstein '01

2008:  

  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Eileen Fair Durgin '52
  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Sylvia H. Rambo '58
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Kathleen McHugh Schneider '99

2007:  

2006:  

  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Ira D. Glick '57
  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Wibur "Goby" Gobrecht '52
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Amy Nauiokas '94

2005:

  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Hesung Chun Koh '51
  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Ann Conser Curley '63
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award
    Jennifer Haigh '90*

2004:

2003:

2002: 

2001: 

2000: 

1999: 

1998: 

  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Vincent Paterson '72
  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Rev. Robert J. Thomas '40

1997:

  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    Rick Smolan '72
  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    John A. Bierly '66

1996:

  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    John R. Stafford '59
  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Thomas V. Zug '33

1995: 

  • Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement
    David C. Meade '62
  • The Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service
    Carla Seybrecht Skladany '61

1994: 

  • Dr. Kenneth Spengler '36
  • Katherine E. Bachman, Esq. '75

1992: Walter E. Beach '56

1991: Dr. Meyer P. Potamkin '32

1990: J. William Stuart '32

1989: Dr. Samuel Witwer, Esq. '30

1988: Dr. Edward Raffensperger '36

1987: John J. Curley '60

1986: Dr. Benjamin D. James '34

1985: Dr. Whitfield Bell, Jr. '35, Dr. George Shuman, Jr. '37

1984: Dr. Horace E. Rogers '24