Alumni Awards
The UNC Charlotte Alumni Association Awards were established in 1985 to recognize those who have made important contributions to the establishment and growth of UNC Charlotte; embody the core principles of the University; and have distinguished themselves through their outstanding service to the University, their chosen field, humanity and/or society.
These awards honor alumni and friends whose careers have been distinguished by significant accomplishments or through extraordinary service to alumni, faculty, students, and communities, especially the underserved.
To learn more about the four award categories, please click here.
2024 Award Recipients
Distinguished Alumni Award Bryan Starnes is the chief financial officer at ALG Senior, an assisted living and operation management company…
Distinguished Alumni Award David Ravin is president and CEO of Northwood Ravin LLC, a leading full-service development, construction and property…
Distinguished Alumni Award Alain S. Miatudila, Sr. is associate dean of engineering at Central Piedmont Community College, where he is…
Distinguished Alumni Award Jeffrey Cox, a lifelong champion of North Carolina public education, became the 11th president of the North…
Distinguished Alumni Award Dean Arp, a professional engineer and structural engineer licensed in forty different states, is founder and president…
Bonnie E. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award Susan DeVore is a woman of influence in Charlotte and beyond, writing the script…
2023 Award Recipients
Honorary Alumnus Award Fred Klein is senior managing partner at Childress Klein, one of the largest full‑service commercial real estate firms…
Distinguished Faculty Award Dr. Tracy Rock is a professor of reading and elementary education in the Cato College of Education. Her…
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Andrew Baker is a digital marketing leader for Autobell Car Wash. In addition, he and his…
Distinguished Alumna Award Jane Wu founded Panorama Holdings, a real estate development and investment firm in 2014. Since Panorama’s inception, she…
Distinguished Alumnus Award Dontá Wilson is chief retail and small business banking officer and a member of the executive leadership…
Distinguished Alumna Award Kathy Merritt serves as senior vice president for radio, journalism, and CSG services at the Corporation for Public…
2021 Award Recipients
Honorary Alumni Award Debbie and Sadler Barnhardt have embraced UNC Charlotte as an extension of their community and city. It’s…
Distinguished Faculty Award A pioneer in the field of Children’s Literature, English Professor Mark West is a luminary in his…
Distinguished Alumni Award From co-founding the Charlotte Professional Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, to serving on the…
Distinguished Alumni Award A member of the North Carolina House of Representatives since 2011, Jason Saine is a state and…
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Larry Ogunjobi, an American football defensive tackle and current free agent, was a man of many…
Distinguished Alumni Award Demond Martin has distinguished himself as a successful businessman, investor, philanthropist and dedicated servant to upward mobility…
Distinguished Alumni Award Susan Jamison hasn’t looked back since receiving her accounting degree from the Belk College of Business, which…
Distinguished Alumni Award Craig Albert is a visionary that looks beyond his own remarkable achievements to recognize the importance of…
2020 Award Recipient
Honorary Alumnus Award At the time of his retirement on June 30, 2020, Dr. Philip L. Dubois, UNC Charlotte’s fourth…
Distinguished Faculty Award As professor of English, director of the American Studies Program and a faculty fellow for the Martin…
Outstanding Young Alumni Award After an initial career as a professional musician, Kevin Brawley decided he wanted to share his…
Outstanding Young Alumna Award Shabari Basu is an accomplished business woman, scientist and engineer. She is an active member of…
Distinguished Alumnus Award With 50 years of experience in the car wash business, Chuck Howard is one of the most…
Distinguished Alumna Award After a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years in legal, government and corporate positions, including serving…
Bonnie E. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award John Cato has distinguished himself as a dedicated business leader, philanthropist and ardent supporter…
2019 Award Recipients
Outstanding Young Alumna Award Victoria Watlington knows how to get work done, whether it is on her job as a service…
Honorary Alumnus Award Delbridge Narron has been a huge supporter of UNC Charlotte for more than 15 years, giving his time,…
Distinguished Faculty Award Dr. Herman E. Thomas is credited for creating many opportunities for minority and underrepresented students to succeed at…
Distinguished Alumna Award Nancy Stallings is a tireless trailblazer. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UNC Charlotte in 1972,…
Distinguished Alumna Award With over 20 years of experience in government and private practice, Anne M. Tompkins has been advocating for clients,…
Distinguished Alumnus Award The Honorable William “Bill” Brawley has served his community, state, country, and University with passion, distinction, and honor….
Bonnie E. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award For Robert Niblock, public speaking used to be terrifying. It’s an obstacle that he overcame…
2018 Award Recipients
Honorary Alumna Award (Posthumous) Mrs. Betty Sue McCachren Stancil, a lifelong resident of Cabarrus County, spent 43 years at UNC…
Honorary Alumna Award Judy Rose has been a trailblazer throughout her remarkable 43-year career in athletics at UNC Charlotte. Her…
Outstanding Young Alumna Award As Director of Talent Pipeline Programs for Bank of America, Meghan Stamper drives the bank’s Applied…
Outstanding Young Alumna Award Vision and impact are two words that come to mind when hearing DeAndrea Salvador’s name. In…
Outstanding Young Alumna Award During her time at UNC Charlotte, Lauren Lowery became a prominent figure and proponent of change…
Distinguished Faculty Award Program leadership, teaching, research and service. These words describe only the tip of the iceberg, so to…
Distinguished Alumnus Award As one of the nation’s top experts in placemaking, Charles (Terry) Shook, FAIA, is focused upon the…
Distinguished Alumnus Award Prior to attending UNC Charlotte, Bob Qutub served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Corporal for…
2017 Award Recipients
Honorary Alumna Award It is safe to say that Celia Laney bleeds green, as pointed out by Athletic Director Judy…
Humanitarian Award UNC Charlotte Magazine Contributed to this article. A mother in Moshi, Tanzania, is hemorrhaging while doctors deliver her…
Humanitarian Award For her 30th birthday, rather than throwing a huge party with friends and family, Joanna Gammon decided to…
Distinguished Faculty Award (Posthumous) Data visualization. Visual analytics. These are terms that most people have never heard and likely do not…
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award During his time at UNC Charlotte, Terry Brown, Jr. became a prominent figure within the student…
Distinguished Alumnus Award Strong faith and hard work. Upon earning his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UNC Charlotte in…
Distinguished Alumnus Award The next time you survey the changing landscape of both UNC Charlotte and the City of Charlotte,…
Distinguished Alumnus Award If you have spent any time on the UNC Charlotte campus on a football game day, you’ll…
2016 Award Recipients
Honorary Alumnus Award Anyone who has lived on a college campus, played intramural sports, or joined student organizations knows that…
Distinguished Faculty Award Melba Spooner came to UNC Charlotte in 1974 and loved the institution so much that it seems…
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award It is obvious to fellow faculty and students that Brett Tempest has a passion for teaching….
Distinguished Alumna Award “It was not simply career preparation that Robyn Massey took away from UNC Charlotte, but also a…
Distinguished Alumnus Award “Donnie Koonce was a true gentleman student,” says Dr. Herman Thomas, long time faculty member and mentor…
Distinguished Alumnus Award Congressman Richard Hudson caught the political bug early in life. His first memory in politics was standing…
Distinguished Alumna Award Susan DeVore is a role model. She is passionate about healthcare, weaving social responsibility into the fabric…
Bonnie E. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award Perhaps Robert Johnson, Dean of the College of Engineering, says it best: “Dhiaa Jamil’s…