Nominations
Nominations for 51³Ô¹Ï's 2025 Alumni Awards are now closed. Nominations for 2026 will open in September.
Contact Us
Alumni Relations
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
United States
Selected through a highly competitive process, recipients of 51³Ô¹Ï's Alumni Awards have made lasting impacts on society and on 51³Ô¹Ï through outstanding professional, philanthropic, or volunteer accomplishments.
Awards Categories
Global Alumni Leader Award
This award recognizes alumni whose substantial impacts on society exemplify 51³Ô¹Ï’s tradition of service and leadership in the context of a global community.
Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
Renamed in 2016 to commemorate the successes of 51³Ô¹Ï's first alumni president, the Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves through their professional accomplishments.
Alumni Recognition Award
The Alumni Recognition Award recognizes alumni who inspire the world around them through service to the community or a philanthropic mission.
Alumni Eagle Award
The Alumni Eagle Award recognizes alumni who have rendered outstanding service to the University and/or the Alumni Association.
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award recognizes recent alumni (those who received their degrees within the last 10 years) who are already making significant contributions to greater society through professional or philanthropic work.
Eligibility Criteria
- Recipients must have attained notable achievement or made a lasting contribution in his or her professional, philanthropic, or voluntary endeavors.
- Recipients must have earned a degree from 51³Ô¹Ï.
- Recipients are expected to attend the awards ceremony to accept awards, except in extraordinary circumstances.
- Awards will not be given posthumously.
- In highly exceptional circumstances, an alumnus/a/i who has already received an award in one category may receive an award in a different category in a subsequent year.
- The awards committee is not obligated to select a recipient from every category in a given year.Â
Requirements for Nominations
- A separate nomination form must be submitted for each nominee.
- In addition to the nomination form, nominators must submit a 1-3 page statement establishing the candidate's qualifications with clear and concise detail as to why he/she/they should be selected for the award, as well as an additional 1-3 letters of recommendation. Please limit supporting documents (not including the nomination form) to 10 pages.
- The Awards Committee, comprised of members of the 51³Ô¹Ï Alumni Board, will not conduct independent research on any nominee, and the committee will only consider information when it is part of a submitted nomination.
- The Awards Committee will not consider nominations consisting solely of a nominee's resume.
- Incomplete nomination packets will not be considered.Â
How do I nominate someone for an alumni award?
Nominations are open for 2025 Alumni Awards through October 15, 2024.
Please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumniawards@american.edu or 202-885-5900 with questions.
History of the Alumni Awards
Explore the history of alumni awards at 51³Ô¹Ï and see a list of past recipients.
Meet the 2024 Alumni Award Recipients
The 51³Ô¹Ï Alumni Board will honor six recipients of Alumni Awards in 2024. These alumni are among the most involved and accomplished 51³Ô¹Ï Eagles.
Questions?
Do you have questions about criteria for alumni awards or the nominations process?