Alumni Awards: Celebrating the Legacy of Forever Buffs
CU鈥檚 annual Alumni Awards shine a spotlight on high-achieving Buffs who demonstrate excellence, from professional achievements to philanthropic generosity and innovative research.
Each year, a volunteer committee and the Alumni Association review nominations submitted by alumni, faculty, staff, students and community members to select winners for the six award categories.
鈥淲inning this award is not just a personal honor, but a powerful reminder of the enduring impact of community and education on individual success,鈥 said Stephen Hatfield (Bus鈥96), winner of the 2023 Leanne Skupa-Lee Award and a leader in the Boulder Forever Buffs chapter.
The 2024 winners, announced in May, include Paul Beddie (IntlAf鈥89) and Penny E. Patterson (Geol鈥76; MS鈥81; PhD鈥90) for the Alumni Recognition Award, Benny Shendo Jr. (OrgMgmt鈥87) and Tanya Mares Kelly-Bowry (IntlAf鈥93) for the George Norlin Award, Joseph Arora (Mgmt鈥12) for the Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Graduate Award, D.B. Wilson (Hist, Mktg鈥75) for the Leanne Skupa-Lee Award, Chancellor Phil DiStefano, Reiland Rabaka and Christopher Pacheco (Bio鈥88; MEdu鈥16) for the Robert L. Stearns Award, and Manasa Kolavennu (MDataSci鈥24) and Sydney Strecker (Fin, Phil鈥24) for the Forever Buffs Student Award.
The awards highlight that alumni can continue their Buff legacy long after graduation. Hatfield continued: 鈥淚t reaffirms my commitment to uphold and advance the values that define our shared experiences and aspirations at the University of Colorado."
The recognition culminates with the Alumni Awards ceremony and dinner during Homecoming. It鈥檚 an evening of inspiring stories, shared accomplishments, community connection and CU pride.
鈥淲e recognize and honor outstanding individuals in our Forever Buffs family. I am always awestruck by the impressive accomplishments and superb character of our award winners. It is a night that makes you proud to be a Buff!鈥 said Ryan Chreist (Kines鈥96; MPubAd鈥09), assistant vice chancellor of Alumni and Constituent Engagement and executive director of the Alumni Association.
Visit to register for the celebration.
Photos by Stephanie Yves