Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis recognized six alumni for their achievements, service and commitment to the liberal arts during its Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner, held March 24 at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis.
The awardees were originally scheduled to be recognized in spring 2020. As Feng Sheng Hu, dean of Arts & Sciences, said before recognizing the alumni, “They have been patiently waiting until it was safe enough to celebrate in person.”
Kristina Olson, AB ’03, a professor in the psychology department at Princeton University and a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” winner, received the Early Career Achievement Award, which goes to a graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences who is 45 years old or younger who has made momentous strides in their professional field.
Gayle Jackson, MA ’69, PhD ’79, president and CEO of Energy Global Inc., a consulting firm specializing in corporate development, diversification and government-relations strategies for energy companies, received the Dean’s Medal, which is awarded to an individual who has, through dedication, support, leadership, advice and inspiration, kept Arts & Sciences at the forefront of one of the world’s premier educational institutions.
The four Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, who exemplify the ideals embodied by Washington University through their lives, work and service, are:
- T.R. Bynum, BS ’01, JD ’08, a manager in Wells Fargo’s Litigation Regulatory Enforcement and Investigation section. He and his team advise businesses employing more than 14,000 financial advisers and licensed bankers in branches across the U.S.
- John Green, AB ’90, is a former executive producer of special programming and development at ABC News. Green is a three-time Emmy and Peabody Award winner. He has worked on many of the network’s biggest newscast programs, including “Good Morning America” and “20/20.”
- Joan Kelly, AB ’72, served as group executive of global technology and operations for Mastercard Worldwide until her retirement and has been nationally recognized as one of the “Top 100 Women Leaders in STEM” by the STEMconnector organization.
- Larry Robinson, MA ’81, PhD ’72, is the president of Florida A&M University and is still actively engaged in research as the director and principal investigator of the Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems.
To view videos of the award recipients or a recording of the awards ceremony, visit the Arts & Sciences website.
