Setting up for the NYU Alumni Awards event Group photo at the NYU Alumni Award ceremony Group of nicely dress people posing for photo with NYU Alumni award Tom Healey recieving New Volunteer of the Year award Photo of three nicely dressed people posing at a table at the NYU Alumni event Man and two women taking photo on stage

NYU Alumni Association Awards

The NYU Alumni Association is proud to recognize outstanding graduates for their exceptional personal and professional achievements.

Nominate Distinguished alumni awards Alumni Volunteer Awards

Recent Honorees

These honorees exemplify NYU's spirit through their contributions to their communities and around the world.

  • Christy Turlington Burns in a white sweater
    Meet Christy

    Distinguished Alumni Award

    Christy Turlington Burns

    GAL ’99

    Founder and President, Every Mother Counts

    Christy Turlington Burns is the founder and president of Every Mother Counts (EMC), an organization that has invested more than $27 million in programs focused on making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere.
  • Eduardo D. Rodriguez
    Meet Eduardo

    Distinguished Alumni Award

    Eduardo D. Rodriguez

    DEN ’92

    MD, DDS

    Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS, serves as the Helen L. Kimmel Professor of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and as Chair of the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone, specializing in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
  • Quemuel Arroyo
    Meet Quemuel

    Distinguished Young Alumni Award

    Quemuel Arroyo

    CAS ’12, WAG ’20

    Chief Accessibility Officer, MTA

    Quemuel “Q” Arroyo joined the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in 2021 as the organization's first agency-wide Chief Accessibility Officer. In this capacity, Arroyo leads the implementation of policies, initiatives, and programs that reimagine and advance accessibility throughout the organization.
  • Jennifer Curry
    Meet Jennifer

    Distinguished Young Alumni Award

    Jennifer Curry

    WAG ’07, STEINHARDT '14

    Founder, Change Impact

    Jennifer Curry, EdD, founded Change Impact in 2017 to help social impact organizations achieve results and advance equity.
  • Rabbi Alvin Kass
    Meet Rabbi Alvin

    Eugene J. Keogh Award for Distinguished Public Service

    Rabbi Alvin Kass

    STEINHARDT ’76

    Chief Chaplin, NYPD

    Chief Chaplain Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass was appointed to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in 1966, making him the most tenured chaplain in the NYPD.
  • NYU Korean Alumni Association
    Meet the NYU Korean Alumni Association

    Event of the Year

    NYU Korean Alumni Association

    Reunion Day

    The Korean Alumni Association’s (KAA) annual, alumni-led NYU Reunion Day drew in over 200 alumni for a fun-filled night of mingling, drinks, and music.
  • NYU Latinx Alumni Network
    Meet the NYU Latinx Alumni Network

    Innovation of the Year

    NYU Latinx Alumni Network

    Breathe, Restore, Explore Series

    In 2023, the NYU Latinx Alumni Network launched Breathe, Explore, Restore, a series of six programs centered in culturally relevant knowledge sharing, restorative grounding practices, and accessible wellness tools to care for Latinx alumni and their circles.
  • Leighton Gordon
    Meet Leighton Gordon

    Volunteer of the Year

    Leighton Gordon

    CAS ’06

    NYU Alumni Club in the Bay Area

    Co-Presidents of the NYU Alumni Club in the Bay Area Leighton and Tammy have gone above and beyond, hosting 30 events engaging over 300 local alumni in 2023.
  • Tammy Dang
    Meet Tammy Dang

    Volunteer of the Year

    Tammy Dang

    CAS ’00

    NYU Alumni Club in the Bay Area

    Co-Presidents of the NYU Alumni Club in the Bay Area Leighton and Tammy have gone above and beyond, hosting 30 events engaging over 300 local alumni in 2023.
  • Barb Hickey
    Meet Barb Hickey

    New Volunteer of the Year

    Barb Hickey

    TSOA ’15

    NYU Alumni in Portland

    Barb Hickey became an official NYU regional ambassador in late 2022 and has single-handedly organized and hosted six events for her small but mighty local alumni community.
  • Kelly Kennedy Mack
    Meet Kelly Kennedy Mack

    Meritorious Service Award

    Kelly Kennedy Mack

    STERN ’02

    A longstanding alumni volunteer, Kelly is a proud member of the NYU Board of Trustees and committee member for the Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at NYU Langone Health.
Group of nicely dress people posing with an award

Distinguished
Alumni Awards

The NYU Alumni Association is proud to recognize outstanding graduates for their exceptional personal and professional achievements. Awardees are selected through a comprehensive nomination and evaluation process by the Awards Committee of the NYUAA Board. Their contributions to their communities and around the world exemplify NYU’s spirit. Each spring, honorees are recognized at the NYU Alumni Awards luncheon in New York City.

Learn more about Distinguished Alumni awards

Woman on stage accepting an NYU Alumni Award

Alumni Volunteer
Awards

When alumni volunteers give of their time and their talent, they demonstrate what it means to have Violet Pride! As a way to celebrate our alumni volunteer community, the NYU Alumni Association celebrates and recognizes the exemplary commitment of officially-recognized clubs, groups and individuals through seven distinct award categories.

These awards are given to officially-recognized clubs, groups, and volunteers who have effectively engaged their alumni constituency and fulfilled or furthered the mission of the NYU Alumni Association through innovative events and community-building strategies, sustained leadership in engaging alumni, and cultivating the spirit of NYU pride.

Honorees are selected by fellow alumni volunteers and celebrated at the NYU Alumni Association's annual volunteer recognition event.

Learn more about Alumni Volunteer awards

Nominations

Nominations will be accepted on a rolling basis. Submit your nominations today!

Nominate

Past Honorees

View past NYUAA award honorees from 2014 to today. To reset filters, scroll back to the default title (i.e., if using the Industry filter, navigate back to the word Industry at the top of the filter.)

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