DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS NOMINATION INFORMATION


Recognizing Our Alumni Successes

The University of Iowa Distinguished Alumni Awards Committee—which includes members of our Alumni Leadership Council—aims to recognize a broad range of qualified candidates who embody the university’s core values by honoring them with Distinguished Alumni Awards. The committee selects an annual recipient in each of the following categories:

  • The Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award recognizes graduates or former students who demonstrate significant accomplishments in their business or professional lives as well as distinguished service to their university, community, state, or nation.
  • The Distinguished Alumni Service Award recognizes graduates or former students who demonstrate specific and meritorious service to their university, community, state, or nation.
  • The Distinguished Alumni Hickerson Recognition Award recognizes graduates or former students for outstanding contributions to their alma mater. This award is named in honor of the late Loren Hickerson (40BA), the university’s first full-time alumni director and an ardent UI champion.
  • The Distinguished Recent Graduate Award recognizes graduates or former students, age 40 or younger at their time of nomination, for significant accomplishments in their business or professional lives as well as for distinguished service to their university, community, state, or nation.
  • The Distinguished Friend of the University Award recognizes individuals who are not alumni for specific and meritorious service that enhances and advances the university.
  • The Distinguished Faculty Award recognizes retired or former faculty for significant achievements and for specific meritorious service that enhances and advances the university. Nominees need not be alumni.
  • The Distinguished “Forevermore” Staff Award recognizes retired or former staff for significant achievements and for specific meritorious service that enhances and advances the university. Nominees need not be alumni.

NOMINATION FORMAT

Graduates, former students, faculty, staff, and friends of the University of Iowa may make nominations (the Distinguished Alumni Awards Committee reserves the right to reassign nomination categories, if deemed applicable). Nominators should submit the following:

  • Cover letter that states the nomination category, endorses the candidate’s qualifications, and highlights how the nominee embodies the UI's core values
  • Nominee's vita or professional résumé, including a current address
  • Three or more letters of recommendation from other individuals who support the nomination
  • Any additional information that would further substantiate the nomination

EXCLUSION FROM ELIGIBILITY

Current members of the University of Iowa Center for Advancement’s board of directors and staff, members of the Alumni Leadership Council, and current full‑time university faculty and staff are not eligible to receive these awards. Individuals currently in a position of elected or appointed office or known to be launching a campaign are also not eligible to receive these awards. All nominees must be living at the time of nomination and cannot have received a University of Iowa Distinguished Alumni Award in the same category in the past. Nominations by active Awards Committee members will not be reviewed until the member’s term has concluded on the committee. The Awards Committee reserves the right to consider and approve exceptions to the exclusions from eligibility.

AWARDS TIMELINE

Nominations for the 2024 awards will close on January 31, 2024. The Distinguished Alumni Awards Committee will meet in April 2024 to review all nominations and make the annual selections. Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented at a special ceremony on the Friday before the University of Iowa’s Homecoming (October 2024).

MAIL NOMINATIONS TO:

The University of Iowa Center for Advancement
Distinguished Alumni Awards
One West Park Road
Iowa City, Iowa 52244

For more information, email Nici Bontrager or call 319-467-3607.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa ? The University of Iowa Department of Athletics announced recently a $500,000 gift to the University of Iowa men?s and women?s golf programs from Iowa letterman Brad Heinrichs. ?Iowa helped prepare me to become a successful businessman,? said Heinrichs. ?Whether the team was winning tournaments or not, I was treated as a valuable member of the team. It is a privilege and I am excited to give back to Iowa. I hope this gift inspires other letterwinners to give back to support the Hawkeyes. The $500,000 gift will be used to renovate the varsity golf outdoor practice area at the Hoak Family Golf Complex. The redesigned space will provide two large, multipurpose greens that are large enough for both men?s and women?s teams to use at one time, and it present student-athletes with a variety of short-game situations. The outdoor practice space will be named the Mike and Mary McCarty Outdoor Golf Practice Area. Mike and Mary McCarty are the late parents of former Hawkeyes Chad (1994-96) and Sean (1992-95). ?This gift is also a way for me to honor Mike and Mary McCarty, who were big supporters of Iowa Golf,? says Heinrichs. Heinrichs, a native of Warrensburg, Missouri, was on the Iowa men?s golf team for four years (1992-96) and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. ?We are extremely thankful for the generous gift from Brad Heinrichs,? said Gary Barta, the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair. ?As a former Hawkeye student-athlete, Brad understands the importance of having elite training facilities in which to train and from which to recruit. This gift provides another key component to our golf practice facility and is very much appreciated by me, coaches Tyler Stith and Megan Menzel, and our student-athletes.?

We offer many opportunities for Hawkeyes to engage with philanthropy and learn how it positively impacts their college experience.

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