Alumni awards
Honoring service to Duke and beyond
Each year, we honor individuals who embody the spirit of Forever Duke and advance the Duke ideal of knowledge in service to society. We thank these extraordinary members of the Duke community for their effort and dedication to the university and broader communities.
Recognition
Distinguished Alumni Award
Established in 1983 by the Duke Alumni Board of Directors, the Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest award presented by the board. It is awarded to alumni who have distinguished themselves by the contributions they have made in their own fields or professions, in service to Duke University and to the betterment of humanity.
2025 Recipient: Bart Haynes HS’75, P’08
Service
Charles A. Dukes Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service
This award recognizes alumni volunteers who serve in Duke leadership roles and have devoted themselves to extraordinary, long-term efforts that help Duke further its mission.
2025 Recipients:
- Sue Gregory B.S.E.’87, P’18
- Drew Neisser ’79
- Mark Vahradian ’89
- Tom Wanty, III ’81, P’20
- Jonathan Wigser M.B.A.’94
Leadership
Beyond Duke Service and Leadership Award
Inaugurated in 2014, the award recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves through service to their community, their country or to society at large. Awards are given in three categories: Young Alumni, Local Community, and Global Community.
2025 Recipients:
- Gabriela Asturias ’17
- Shari Schwartzman Eberts ’90
- Dudley Flood Ed.D.’80
- Anne "CC" Lee B.S.E.’96
- Gina Wilson M.S.N.’14, D.N.P.’16
- Gerald Milton Woods M.D.’76, P’02
Community
Forever Duke Award
Presented for the first time in 2009, this award recognizes exceptional recent volunteer service by alumni and Duke Parents, to Duke and the alumni community.
2025 Recipients:
Individual Awardees:
- Debbie Chang M.B.A.’99
- Leslie Limbaugh Cooper ’92, P’20, P’25
- Tom DeTitta ’82
- Anne Dowling ‘92, P’23, P’24, P’25
- Adam Gabay ’16
- Kira Jacobs M.E.M.’97
- Dana Krug ’89, P’22, P’27
- Taylor Lipsich ’20
- Sally Gaines Moorhead ’88
- Dana Goldsmith Needleman ’94, P’29
- Patrick Nevins ’07, M.P.P.’16
- Chase Olivieri ’11
- Maggie Ostdahl ’01
- Johnny Salinas ’16
- Abbie Taylor ’02
- Moyo Tillery D.P.T.’11
- Adam Tomasiello ’13
- Donald Wine, II ’04
- Bradley Zimmer ’00, J.D.’03
Group Awardees:
Duke Medical School Class of 1974’s 50th Reunion Committee
- Walt Curl M.D.’74, P’98
- Bob Downs, Jr. ’70, M.D.’74
- Dan Goodenberger M.D.’74
- Rick Kopelman M.D.’74
- Phyllis Leppert M.D.’73, HS’76
- Berkeley Powell M.D.’74
- Fred Sanfilippo M.D.’74, Ph.D.’75, HS’79
- Douglas Schocken ’70, M.D.’74, HS’75, HS’78, HS’81, P’12, P’15
- Bill Stead ’70, M.D’74, HS’77
- Rob Todd, III ’70, Ph.D.’75, M.D.’76
- Tom Rainey ’70, M.D.’74, P’04, P’07
Duke Nashville Region: Celebrate Diwali Event Co-Chairs
- Kalpana Gowda ’87
- Deepak Gupta M.B.A.’07, P’24
- Devi Ponnazhagan M.B.A.’18
Duke DC Region: Duke Black Alumni (DBA) Leadership Team
- Kimberly Page ’98
- Kecia Troy ’98
Teaching awards
Dr. Allan Friedman ’99, Lecturing Fellow of Music
The Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award is a student-selected award honoring a Duke professor who has excelled as a teacher, advisor, and leader of undergraduate students.
Student leaders
Forever Duke Student Leadership Award
The Forever Duke Student Leadership award is a new award recognizing students who embody the “Forever Duke” spirit in their service to the university.
Few-Glasson Alumni Society
Cassie Kozyrkov A.M.’12
The Few-Glasson Alumni Society, created in 2016, honors Duke graduates who have distinguished themselves through their career accomplishments, the potential of their current endeavors, or their support of graduate education and students at Duke.