Alumni Awards

Young Alumni Achievement Award

The Young Alumni Achievement Award recognizes alumni, 40 years old or younger, who have achieved excellence in their chosen field and/or in their community. Nominations for the Young Alumni Achievement Award are open to anyone who is a graduate of CAES and is 40 years old or younger as of December 31, 2025.

  • Nominations are open for the 2025 Young Alumni Achievement Award. The ceremony will be Friday, March 21, 2025 at the Classic Center in Athens. Applications will close on July 1, 2024.

Alumni Award of Excellence

The Alumni Award of Excellence recognizes alumni who have achieved excellence in their chosen field and/or in their community. Nominations for the Alumni Award of Excellence are open to anyone who is a graduate of CAES and is 41 years old or older as of December 31, 2025.

  • Nominations are open for the 2025 Alumni Award of Excellence. The ceremony will be Friday, March 21, 2025 at the Classic Center in Athens. Applications will close on July 1, 2024.

Award Winners


The 2024 Young Alumni Award Winners holding up their awards2024 Young Alumni Award Winners from Left to Right: Chris Chammoun, Whitney Kizer Murphy, Zachary Taylor Murphy
2024 Award of Excellence Winners holding up their awards2024 Award of Excellence Winners from Left to Right: Lohitash Karumbaiah, Todd Callaway, Larry Lykins, Jr., Phillip M. Brannen

2024

Young Alumni  — Chris Chammoun, Whitney Kizer Murphy, Zachary Taylor Murphy
Award of Excellence — Phillip M. Brannen, Todd Callaway, Lohitash Karumbaiah, Larry Lykins, Jr.

2023

Young Alumni — Jessie Turk Bland, Chad Paulk and Tyson Strickland
Award of Excellence — Derek Eberhart, Michelle Samuel-Foo and Carla Wennberg

2022

Young Alumni — David Cromley, Samantha Kilgore, Anna Reddish and Lanie Riner
Award of Excellence — Swagata "Ban" Banerjee, Jimmy Blitch, Garth Boyd and Joy Carter Crosby

2019

Young Alumni — Sara Dunn, Tamlin Hall and Franklin West
Award of Excellence — Charlie Broussard, Ken Foster, Jaime Hinsdale Foster and Andrea B. Simao

2018

Young Alumni — Nick Chammoun, Sara Webb Hughes and Linda Brothers Purvis
Award of Excellence — Donya C. Lester, Krishna Prasad Paudel, Calvin D. Perry and Jody Tyson Strickland

2017

Young Alumni — Madison "Matt" Coley, Trey Cutts, Farrah Hegwood Newberry and Tracey D. Troutman
Award of Excellence — Jimmy L. Hill, J. Keith Kelly and Dennis J. Sheppard

2016

Young Alumni — Luke Lanier, Allison Perkins and Cliff Riner
Award of Excellence — D. Wayne Akins Jr., Charles H. Bronson Jr. and Lowry "Whitey" Weyman Hunt Jr.

2015

Young Alumni — Carmen Benson Byce, Megan Mullis Green and Travis Moore
Award of Excellence — James (Jimmy) Forrest Jr. and Donald (Bo) Warren

2014

Young Alumni — Jed Evans, Jim Faircloth and Rachel McLocklin Santos
Award of Excellence — Larry Cunningham, Ron Holt, Scott NeSmith and Floyd Shockley

2013

Young Alumni — Edith Deann Akins-Lewenthal, Betsy MacMillan McCorkle, Sydne Moody Smith and Robert L. Stewart Jr.
Award of Excellence — Stanley Coley and Michael Rasher

2012

Young Alumni — Bret Caudell, Susannah Lanier, Becca Turner and Abby Needham
Award of Excellence — Chigozie Asiabaka and Brian Tankersley

2011

Young Alumni — Joel McKie and Christy Cromley Seyfert
Award of Excellence — Polly Ligon O’Grady, Lucy Reid and Arch Daniel Smith II

2010

Young Alumni — Marianne Shockley Robinette, Christopher Stripling, Sam Watson and Clay Ward
Award of Excellence — Bruce Kotz and Chuck Williams

2009

Young Alumni — Beth Bland, Carrie Lynn Fowler, Clint Tolbert and Rachel M. Walters
Award of Excellence — Kristen McWhorter, Dixie Truelove and John Wilkinson

2008

Rising Star — Sarah Masoero
Young Alumni — Brent Dykes, Elliott Marsh and Yvette Smith
Award of Excellence — Will Harris III

2007

Rising Star — Mia Morgan
Young Alumni Achievement Award — Laci Banks and Chris Hopkins
Award of Excellence — Steven C. Turner

2006

Rising Star — Amanda Redden
Young Alumni Achievement Award — Amber Davis Collins, Steven Meeks, Billy Skaggs and Emily H. Watson
Award of Excellence — Argene Claxton and Anastassios Haniotis

2005

Rising Star — Lisa A. Last
Award of Excellence — Charles “Randy” Nuckolls
Young Alumni Achievement Award — John R. Hayes, Mary Ann Parsons and Marie Katherine Truesdell
Faculty Award — Joe West

2004

Rising Star — Joel McKie
Award of Excellence — Gary Black
Young Alumni Achievement Award — Megan H. Morris, Joy Carter, Marionette Holmes and Jennifer Pedrotty               
Faculty Award — John C. McKissick

2003

Rising Star — Brian Lance
Award of Excellence — Fred Harrison Jr. and Steve Newton
Faculty Award — Jerry Johnson

2002

Rising Star — Carol Lea Spruill Lawrence
Award of Excellence — Gaylord Coan and Dr. Hsi-huang Chen
Faculty Award — Keith J. Karnok

2001

Rising Star — Mary Ann Davis Parsons
Award of Excellence — Laura Meadows, Gary Tankersley, Al Pearson and Emmett Reynolds Jr.
Faculty Award — Allan Armitage and Roger Wyatt

2000

Rising Star — Donna Leanne Stalvey
Award of Excellence — Chip Blalock, Stephen J. Brannen and Paul Broun
Faculty Award — Paul Thomas

1999

Rising Star — Megan Howard Morris
Award of Excellence — Ed Brown, Wilbur Mull and Lawrence Risse
Faculty Award — Estes Reynolds