Alumni Recognition

Nominate your favorite alumni

The Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences alumni awards are given to alumni of the College whose exceptional achievements demonstrate the distinct principles derived from a liberal arts and sciences education. Nominate a deserving IU arts and sciences alum for this prestigious honor—the application process is simple and open to all.

  • Use the online nomination form for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award. Nominations are accepted year-round, with the deadline for 2025 submissions set for Sunday, February 16, at 11:59 p.m.
  • Recipients of the College’s Distinguished Faculty Award and its philanthropic Old Crescent Award are chosen by the executive dean.

Contact Director of Alumni Engagement Vanessa Cloe at vcloe@iu.edu if you would like to learn more about any of these awards.

Candidates for all alumni awards:

  • Must be a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington.
  • Honorees should ideally be able to accept the award in person and engage in the associated alumni recognition activities, either on or off campus.

For the Distinguished Alumni Award:

  • Have achieved significant recognition or accomplishment in their chosen field (for example, business, academic, military/government, the arts), community service, or university service.

For the Outstanding Young Alumni Award:

  • Have achieved significant recognition or accomplishment through professional achievement, community service, or university service.
  • Be forty years of age or younger.

Required materials: 

  • Completed nomination form.
  • Letters of support: A minimum of 1 letter of recommendation is required, with up to 3 letters allowed. These letters should provide clear evidence of the nominee’s impact. (Details on what constitutes impact can be found under the first bullet of the "Guidelines for Supporting Materials.")

Optional materials: 

  • A curated vita or resume, limited to 4 pages. 
  • Up to two multimedia links (e.g., articles, videos) that further demonstrate the nominee's achievements. 

Guidelines for supporting materials: 

  • Nomination letters: Letters should clearly articulate the nominee's distinctive contributions to their profession, community, or other areas of impact. Letters should provide sufficient context to highlight the nominee’s unique qualifications. 
  • Supporting documentation: Articles, videos, or other supplementary materials should directly support the key accomplishments referenced in the nomination.

The College’s Alumni Awards and Recognition Committee reserves the right to reassign nomination categories if deemed necessary.

  • Self-nominations are not accepted.
  • To maintain impartiality and avoid potential conflicts of interest, family members are not eligible to nominate candidates. 
  • Members of the College’s Alumni Awards and Recognition Committee and current IU College of Arts and Sciences employees (faculty, staff) are not eligible for these recognitions.

The Alumni Awards and Recognition Committee reviews eligible nominations for the Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni awards and recommends the top candidates for each award to the executive dean. The dean will appoint an internal committee to select and confirm the winners, typically in late spring or early summer. Nominations not selected will remain eligible for reconsideration for two additional years. If necessary, rollover nominations must be updated to align with current guidelines and award criteria.

Throughout the vetting process, the Alumni Awards and Recognition Committee will prioritize nominees whose achievements and character align with the College’s core values—question critically, think logically, communicate clearly, act creatively, live ethically—ensuring that those recognized exemplify the highest standards of excellence, integrity, and impact.

2024 alumni award recipients

Gretchen L. Birbeck

Distinguished Alumni Award

B.A. ’90, Chemistry, Psychology

Gretchen L. Dike-Birbeck is the Rykenboer Professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester.

Read more about Gretchen L. Dike-Birbeck

John and Wendy Kindig

Old Crescent Award

B.S. ’72, Biological Sciences (John), B.A. ’73, Chemistry (Wendy)

John and Wendy Kindig are retired medical doctors, with John having practiced cardiology and Wendy having practiced nephrology.

Read more about John and Wendy Kindig

Mark Leonard

Distinguished Alumni Award

B.S. ’77, Astrophysics, M.A. ’79, Geology

Mark Leonard is president of Leonard Exploration, which he founded in 2008 after retiring from a long career at Shell Oil.

Read more about Mark Leonard

Patrick A. Shoulders

Distinguished Alumni Award

B.A. ’75, English

Patrick A. Shoulders has practiced law in his hometown of Evansville, Ind., for 46 years.

Read more about Patrick A. Shoulders

Laysha Ward

Distinguished Alumni Award

B.A. ’91, Afro-American Studies, Journalism

Laysha Ward is an accomplished C-suite executive with nearly 33 years of leadership experience at Target. Her upcoming book, Lead Like You Mean It: Lessons on Integrity and Purpose From the C-Suite, will be released in February 2025.

Read more about Laysha Ward

Elyssa Campodonico-Barr

Outstanding Young Alumni Award

B.A. ’09, Political Science/Philosophy, Spanish

Elyssa Campodonico-Barr is a program director in the community development division at Lilly Endowment.

Read more about Elyssa Campodonico-Barr