Professional Achievement Award

For outstanding achievement in any professional field

“Melina Kibbe is one who seeks out knowledge at all levels to be the best she can be and to have her department be the best that it can be. She is a champion for women in medicine at all levels, including the highest possible levels of leadership. She is articulate, a ‘go-getter,’ and shares the spirit of the University of Chicago wherever she goes or speaks. She thinks highly of the University and all of the experiences and opportunities it provided her. Her research speaks for itself, as does her teaching acumen.”

“Jennifer Levi has always had a deep set of skills to accompany her instinct for justice. She is a careful, deliberative thinker who has the creative vision that is essential for law-reform work, together with the grounded knowledge to build out the doctrinal infrastructure needed to win a case. Like other great architects of our nation’s civil rights jurisprudence, Jennifer has that almost magical combination of vision, insight, and nuts-and-bolts knowledge that is crucial for understanding what arguments will work in the present, while maintaining a commitment to a fully just future.”

“Emilie Townes is a premier scholar at the intersection of Christian ethics, theological ethics, womanist ethics, and social systems. She is a scholar of remarkable depth, an astute administrator, a trustworthy colleague, and an empathetic peer-mentor. Drawing on almost four decades of experience in theological education, she is attentive to dynamics of race, gender, class, orientation, identity, and other social constructions that influence how one both reads texts and listens and responds to sociocultural issues that inform notions of justice. Townes’s teaching and research continue to influence the academic study of religion while remaining accessible to nonacademicians.”

Early Career Achievement Award

For professional achievement or creative leadership by alumni who have graduated within the last 20 years

“In less than a decade since graduating from the College, Sarah Langs has risen to become a prolific and trusted voice in the world of baseball. Her masterful ability to bring baseball stories to life by weaving together statistics, history, and research has earned her regular appearances on major sports broadcasts and in publications, and distinctions from prominent baseball organizations like the Society of Baseball Research and the Baseball Writers Association of America.”

“Mastery of the history and science of wine helped Jane Lopes easily become a sommelier at a young age; however, the profession requires both theory and practice, and it is in the public sharing of her vast knowledge that she truly excels. Jane is deeply invested in educating the public about the science and culture of wine: Whether she is engaging one-on-one with patrons or as an author, Jane brings levity, light, and intelligence to the dissemination of culinary knowledge.”

Recent Alumni Service Award

For service to the University by alumni who have graduated within the last 15 years

“Aaron Guo has shown an exemplary dedication to serving the University by providing extensive and strategic career development opportunities to current students and recent graduates. His efforts to build networks and share resources have made him an invaluable member of the University’s volunteer community. In addition to his board service, he generously contributes his time and guidance as a Career Advancement volunteer, spending his Saturday mornings conducting virtual coffee chats and résumé reviews with current students interested in careers in investment banking.”

“Tom Sutrinaitis’s key achievement is his creation of a program that connects the alumni community and raises funds for the Odyssey Scholarship Program. He headed a volunteer committee that produced two virtual 5Ks and a hybrid virtual and in-person 5K. He was the first volunteer to tie in fundraising and events systematically. The Alumni Club of Chicago, seeing the success of his method, has created additional signature programs. Tom is the best type of volunteer: one that inspires, commits, and produces.”

Norman Maclean Faculty Award

For extraordinary contributions to teaching and student life by emeritus or very senior faculty

“Steve Pruett-Jones takes mentorship seriously. Mentorship to Steve meant helping his students explore our passions, work toward our own goals, and follow a timeline and trajectory that worked for us. It meant giving us a broad overview of different possible careers in ecology and related fields, and practical tips about how academia and graduate school admissions worked. It also meant providing us with life advice and perspective to help us stay sane in the sometimes-difficult process of pursuing our dreams. I would not be surprised if many students chose to explore research opportunities because of him, as his enthusiasm for the content he taught is contagious.”

“Donald G. York’s service to astronomy and the University of Chicago is unmatched. He was the founding director of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which revolutionized individual scientific fields and how astronomy research itself is conducted. In doing so, Don advised numerous undergraduate students using data from the Sloan Survey and allowed us to conduct research activities typically reserved for graduate students. As the founder of the Chicago Public Schools/University of Chicago Internet Project and leader of numerous projects building curricula for the Chicago Public Schools, he exemplified the dual role faculty can play in University education and more general community service.”

All photos courtesy the award recipients. 

These excerpts from the awardees’ nominations have been lightly edited. Find awardees’ complete biographies and nominate someone for a future award.