Past Award Recipients

Alumni Academic Achievement Award

This award, first presented in 1981, recognized graduates who have excelled in their fields of study through their professional lives. In 2006, this award became the Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award.

Russell A. Ball, M.D. '84 Michael J. Kos '86
Charles K. Barletta, Ph.D. '71 Gail Johnson Manos, M.D. '86
Cynthia K. Baskett '76 John H. Murray '74
Vincent G. Connery '71 Deborah M. Paxson '75
Gregory G. Degnan, M.D. '81 Barrett R. Richardson '81
Matthew J. Franck '80 Robert F. Saul, M.D. '72
Arthur S. Gitajn '73 Leanne K. Self '83
Brinkley C. Goranson '74 Alan L. Vaughan, Ph.D. '85
Albert D. Hammond III, M.D. '82 Bryan A. White, Ph.D. '78

Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award

This award, first presented in 2006, recognizes alumni who have attained distinguished achievements in a professional capacity.

Michael J. White '81 Earle C. Mobley '82*
Teresa Annas '76 Eric C. Nyman '94
J. Tim Bailey '83 Lindsey E. Reynolds '98
Frank G. Bottone, Jr., Ph.D. '93 Joseph P. Ruddy '83
Melissa Burroughs '86 Bonnie Sutton '99
Heather Campbell '04 George "Chip" Tsantes III '83
Michael Cobb ’75 Robert Valvano '79
Angela Ward Costello '87 Doug Wilson '86
Marsha G. Derrick '82 Lee Stevenson '85
William Shelhorse '70  

Alumni Community Service Award

This award, first presented in 1987, recognized those alumni who have exhibited good citizenship through service to the community in which they live.

Brandon L. Adair '12 Kerry C. Jordan '78
Lonnie Blow '82 Keary C. Kincannon '75
Gary D. Bonnewell '79 Timothy J. McArtor '70
P. Reed Brooks '74 John F. Shappell '70
Leslie C. Davis '78 James B. Simmons '74
Mary Ella Douglas '79 Colon H. Whitehurst '74
Donald W. Gardner '74 Alfred T. "Skip" Wilkins, Jr. '73

Alumni Recognition Award

This award, first presented in 1991, recognized those alumni who have given service to alma mater through their leadership and involvement. In 2006, the Alumni Recognition Award and the Alumni Community Service Award were combined to become the Alumni Service Award.

Thomas R. Brett '71 Michele Northern McCoy '76
Thomas A. Cupitt '72 Larry W. Ward '79
Robert V. L. Hartwell '78 Traci McMillan White '82

Alumni Service Award

This award, first presented in 2006, recognizes alumni who have rendered outstanding continuing service to the University as a whole and/or meritorious public service on a local, state, national or international level.

Howard Bartner '82 Buddy Hayes, CTRS '90
Charles "Chuck" Cassidy, Jr. '92 George A. Lyle '88
Kevin Clary '84 Elizabeth F. Middleton '91
Robert W. Collenberg II '90 Elena Montello ’83
Candice E. Driskell '94 Amy Mallett Rickard '98
Wallace R. Driskell '00 Clayton J. Singleton '94
Jesse H. Fanshaw III '72 Thomas Taylor '00
W. Taylor Franklin '04 Christine A. Williams '97
Bruce Goodson '79 Paul V. Zimba, Ph.D. '79
James Embrey '72 Vanessa Thaxton-Ward '83

Graduate of the Last Decade "GOLD" Award

This award, first presented in 2009, recognizes alumni who have graduated within the last decade and have attained distinguished achievements in a professional capacity.

Amari Agee '15 Tracy Keller '04
Sydney Covey '15 Kevin Otey ’05
Alisa W. Crider '10 Matthew H.C. Ryan '09
Bladen Finch '03 Jason Seward '05
Martine Green '02 Rodney D. Young, Jr. '07
Dominique Fowler '12 Tiffany Boyle '14

The Beacon Award

This award, first presented in 2022, recognizes alumni who have graduated from Virginia Wesleyan and have demonstrated strong personal values and the ideals of the University.

Jessie K. Dawe '08

Honorary Alumni Award

In 2011, on the occasion of the VWU's 50th Anniversary, a special award was presented to the Women of Wesleyan for their integral role in the University formative years. Among other duties, The Women of Wesleyan served as honorary alumni when the University had few graduates.

Women of Wesleyan

*deceased