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Recipients of 2024 Alumni Awards

Alumni Awards

Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University recognizes and honors Golden Flashes who have made exceptional contributions in their professions, communities and at Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State through their leadership, character and hard work. 

Sponsored by the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State Alumni Association, the Alumni Awards are highly prestigious honors presented each year to outstanding alumni, alumni staff and students. 

Categories

Awards are presented in seven different categories each year.

Please read through each of the award categories and provide as much information as possible on why the nominee should receive that specific award. For applications, resumes and supporting documents are strongly encouraged.

Award Descriptions

Alumni Award Categories

Outstanding New Professional Award

The Outstanding New Professional Award honors the achievements of recent graduates. This award spotlights future leaders who show continued potential in their profession, commitment to their community and dedication to Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University. To be eligible for this award, nominees must have obtained a bachelor's or advanced degree, consecutively, no more than five years ago.

Professional Achievement Award

The Professional Achievement Award pays tribute to the accomplishments of alumni in their chosen profession. This includes any and all professions, from business to healthcare to education to the arts. This award showcases a record of remarkable achievements, complemented by a history of outstanding contributions to their profession throughout their career.

Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State Advocacy Award

The Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State Advocacy Award honors alumni who contribute significant time and talent to Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University or the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University Alumni Association on a consistent basis, thus bringing favorable attention to the university.

Distinguished Citizen Award

The Distinguished Citizen Award honors alumni for their extraordinary service to the public through a nonprofit organization or community service. This award recognizes individuals who have unselfishly and generously contributed their time and talents for the enrichment of others and the betterment of their community.

Distinguished Alumni Award

The Distinguished Alumni Award is the most prestigious award given by the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University Alumni Association. It honors highly exceptional alumni who have made outstanding contributions in their chosen profession and demonstrated extraordinary service to Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University, the community, the state, the nation and/or the world.

Golden Flash Award

The Golden Flash Award recognizes a student who promotes Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University spirit, pride and tradition. The recipient of this award serves as a positive role model, inspires other students and participates in campus activities, organizations and community service. To be eligible for this award, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.75.

Outstanding Staff Member Award

The Outstanding Staff Member Award recognizes Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State alumni who are currently serving in full-time staff roles at the university and contribute significantly to the success of Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University and its programs, as well as the community and their profession. This individual goes above and beyond the demands of their role, providing considerable support to their peers, the university community and beyond. The alumni association also has a special award program called the Glenn Frank Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) to honor faculty members. 

Friend of Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University Award 

The Friend of Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University Award recognizes an individual who did not receive a degree from Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State, but has demonstrated extraordinary support for the university, contributing to Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State’s mission through philanthropy, volunteerism or other significant involvement that strengthens the university’s community, reputation or future success.

Nominate a Golden Flash

Let a fellow Flash know you think they’d be a great candidate for one or more of Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State’s Alumni Awards by nominating them for an award.

A nomination does not provide Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State with enough information to consider someone for an award. For alumni, students or staff members to be considered for an Alumni Award, an application must also be submitted.

Nominations can be anonymous. Nominees will receive an email asking them to complete an application. Applications will require fields such as contact information, employer information, career history, achievements and awards, résumé, supporting documents, etc. 

The university is revamping the Alumni Awards for the 2026 cycle! Nominations will open in the spring. Please check back here for more information. 

 

Important Eligibility Information
  • Current Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State full-time staff members who are alumni are only eligible for the Outstanding Staff Member Award.
  • Alumni who are previous Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State staff members will not be considered for another Alumni Award category sooner than five years after the individual’s separation from Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State as an employee, and consideration of eligibility, accomplishments and service for any given award shall be for the time period after separation from the university as an employee.
Judging Information

Judging is done by the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State Alumni Association. The alumni association will review and make determinations for all award categories and reserves the right to suggest alternate awards based on the nominee’s qualifications and experience.

Additional Information

If you have additional questions about the Alumni Awards, please visit our frequently asked questions page.

Alumni Awards Frequently Asked Questions

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