The American University Alumni Awards have been presented since 1948. In 1989, the awards were broken into two categories, Alumni Achievement and Alumni Recognition. The Rising Star Award was added in 2006 to recognize outstanding young alumni, and the Alumni Eagle Award in 2011 to honor outstanding service to the university and/or alumni association. In 2016, the Alumni Achievement Award became the Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award, in honor of the president emeritus and his lifelong dedication to American University. In 2022, the university added a Global Alumni Leader Award to recognize the impacts of alumni on communities worldwide.

Previous Award Winners:

2023

His Excellency Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio, SIS/MA ’99, SIS/MIS ’01 - Global Alumni Leader Award 
Dr. Dambisa Moyo, CAS/BS ’91, Kogod/MBA ’92, Hon. DHL ’22 - Global Alumni Leader Award 
Dr. Fanta Aw, Kogod/BSBA ’90, SPA/MA ’94, CAS/PhD ’11 - Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
Anne Caprara, SPA/BA ’01 - Alumni Recognition Award
Amy Lampert, SOC/BA ’94 - Alumni Eagle Award
Dr. Katherine Grill, CAS/MA ’16, CAS/PhD ’17 - Rising Star Award

2022

Valerie Guarnieri, SIS/MA ’96 - Inaugural Global Alumni Leader Award 
Alisyn Camerota, SOC/BA ’88 - Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
Mark Bucher, SPA/BA ’90 - Alumni Recognition Award
Loren Danielson, Kogod/BSBA ’80 - Alumni Eagle Award
Sam Cho, SIS/BA ’13 - Rising Star Award

The Alumni Awards program was paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

2019

Dorothy Toth Beasley, WCL/LLB ’64 - Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
Dr. Edmund Wyatt Gordon, SPA/MA ’50 - Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
Jimmy Lynn, SOC/BA ’85, Kogod/MBA ’89 - Alumni Recognition Award
Gary Jacobs, SPA/MPA ’76 - Alumni Eagle Award
Dr. Sara Nieves-Grafals, CAS/BS ’75, CAS/MA ’79, CAS/PhD ’80 - Alumni Eagle Award
William Hubbard, SPExS/WSP ’10, SIS/BA ’11 - Rising Star Award
Charlie Wachtel, SOC/BA ’08 - Rising Star Award

2018

Andre Ingram, CAS/BS ’07 - Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
Jack Rasmussen, CAS/MFA ’75, CAS/MA ’83, CAS/MA ’91, CAS/PhD ’94 - Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
Rebecca Geller, SPA/BA ’02, WCL/JD ’07 - Alumni Recognition Award
Brandon Krapf, SIS/BA ’14 - Alumni Eagle Award
Sarah McBride, SPA/BA ’13 - Rising Star Award

2017

David Aldridge, SOC/BA '87 - Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
Penny Pagano, CAS/BA '65 - Alumni Recognition Award
Ann Kerwin, CAS/BA '71 - Alumni Eagle Award
Andrew MacCracken, SPA/BA '11, SPA/MA '14 - Rising Star Award
Tara Palmeri, SOC/BA '08 - Rising Star Award

2016

Neil Kerwin, SPA/BA '71 - Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award
John Boyer, SPA/PhD '89 - Alumni Recognition Award
Janethe Peña, SIS/BA '02 - Alumni Eagle Award
Sandra Walter, Kogod/BSBA '86 - Alumni Eagle Award

2015

David C. Wajsgras, Kogod/MBA '89 - Alumni Achievement Award
Claiborne Haughton, Jr., SPA/MPA '80 - Alumni Achievement Award
Robyn Rafferty Mathias, CAS/BA '64, WCL/JD '67 - Alumni Recognition Award
Chazeman S. Jackson, CAS/MA '04 - Alumni Recognition Award
Erin Fuller, SPA/BA '93, SPA/MPA '94 - Alumni Eagle Award
Jason Gold, SOC/BA '05 -- Rising Star Award
Christopher A. Obermeyer, CAS/MEd '13 - Rising Star Award

2014

Barry J. Josephson, SPA/BA '78 - Alumni Achievement Award
Monica Jeffries Hazangeles, CAS/MA '96 - Alumni Achievement Award
Jolene Hope McNeil, SPA/BA '97 - Alumni Eagle Award
Mark Bergel, CAS/MS '87, CAS/PhD '96 - Alumni Recognition Award
Daniel P. Maree, CAS/BA '08 - Rising Star Award

2013

Dean Jay Factor, Kogod/BSBA '97 - Alumni Achievement Award
Michael Kempner, SPA/BS '81 - Alumni Achievement Award
Kevin L. Hagan, SIS/MA '97 - Alumni Recognition Award
Judi Byers, Kogod/BSBA '04, CAS/MS '12 - Alumni Eagle Award
David W. Simnick, SPA/BA '09 - Rising Star Award
Jonelle Williams, SPA/BA '09 -Rising Star Award

2012

Neale F. Lunderville, SPA/BA '96 - Alumni Achievement Award
Genna Griffith, CAS/BA '01 - Alumni Recognition Award
Ron Vogel, CAS/BA '72 - Alumni Eagle Award
Richard Golaszewski, Kogod/BSBA '07 - Rising Star Award

2011

David M. Gregory, SIS/BA '92 - Alumni Achievement Award
Karen L. Bune, CAS/BA '76, SPA/MS '78 - Alumni Recognition Award
Brian F. Keane, SPA/BA '89 - Alumni Eagle Award
Talila A. Lewis, SPA/BA '07 - Rising Star Award

2010

James M. Brady, SOC/BA '89 - Alumni Achievement Award
Richard A. Hocker, KSB/BS '68, KSB/MBA '70 - Alumni Recognition Award
Kevin D. Malecek, SPA-CAS/BA '01, SPA/MA '02 - Rising Star Award

2009

Robert Cerasoli, SPA/BA '69 - Alumni Achievement Award
Tom Lewis, SPA/BS '75 - Alumni Recognition Award
Lindsay Webster, SOC/BA '03 - Rising Star Award

2008

Jim McGovern, CAS/BA '81, SPA/MPA '84 - Alumni Achievement Award
Ronald "Boots" Nissenbaum, KSB/BS '68 - Alumni Recognition Award
Carmen Iezzi, SIS/BA '00, SIS/MA '01 - Rising Star Award

2007

James T. Brett, SPA/BA '73 - Alumni Recognition Award
Ken Biberaj, SPA/BA '02 - Rising Star Award

2006

Tony Perkins, SOC/BA '81 - Alumni Achievement Award
Neal Sharma, SPA/BA '98 - Rising Star Award

2005

Lonnie Bunch, CAS/BA '74, CAS/MA '76 - Alumni Achievement Award

2004

Jack C. Cassell, SOC/BA '77 - Alumni Achievement Award
C. Payne Lucas, SPA/MA '61 - Alumni Recognition Award

2003

Susie Kay, SPA/BA '86 - Alumni Recognition Award

2002

George Collins, KSB/MBA '70 - Alumni Achievement Award
George Whitehouse, KSB/BSBA '69 - Alumni Recognition Award

2001

Bob Edwards, SOC/MA '72 - Alumni Achievement Award
Gayle Abbott, SPA/BA '76 - Alumni Recognition Award

2000

Jack Elliott Corbett, SIS/PhD '67 - Alumni Achievement Award
Pam Deese, SPA/BS '80, WCL/JD '83 - Alumni Recognition Award

1996

Ed Walker, CAS/BS '54 - Alumni Achievement Award
Steven Leifman, SPA/BA '81 - Alumni Recognition Award

1995

Patricia Dorn, DCE/BGS '75 - Alumni Recognition Award

1994

Ethel Smith, CAS/BA '31, CAS/MA '33 - Alumni Achievement Award
Russell Williams II, SOC/BA '74 - Alumni Recognition Award

1993

Charles Corddry, Jr., CAS/BA '41 - Alumni Achievement Award
Brian Johnson, KSB/BS '76 - Alumni Recognition Award

1992

Edward R. Carr, KSB/MBA '62 - Alumni Recognition Award

1991

Robert F. Cowdrey, SPA/BA '71 - Alumni Achievement Award
Robert A. Edwards, SOC/MA '72 - Alumni Recognition Award

1990

Sam Keker, CAS/BA '39 - Alumni Achievement Award
Sherry Mueller, SIS/BA '65 - Alumni Recognition Award

1989

Charlie Kligman, '49 - Alumni Achievement Award
Peggy Brooks-Smith, CAS/BA '52 - Alumni Recognition Award

1987

Grace Chavis Butler, CAS/BS '54, CAS/MA '55
Hubert H. Humphrey III, SPA/BA '65
Raymond F. Keith, SOC/BA '62
Henry Lampe, KSB/BS '52
Richard J. Pennington, SPA/BS '76

1986

June Lazenby Green, WCL/JD '41
Mark H. Murphy, KSB/MBA '83
Ron Nessen, CAS/BA '59
M. Patricia Shelhamer, SPA/BS '55
Carmen E. Turner, SPA/MA '71

1985

Betsy Ashton, CAS/BA '66
Frank Herzog, SPA/BA '72
Jan C. Scruggs, CAS/BA '75, CAS/MA '76

1984

George Margolies, SPA/BA '68, WCL/JD '71
John D. Fauntleroy, CAS/BS '53
A. Yvonne Russell, CAS/BS '44

1983

Edward Carlough, CAS/BA '55
Robert P. Kogod, KSB/BS '62
Edward B. Wilbur, KSB/BS '57
Kathryn G. Heath, CAS/BA '31, SPA/PhD '51

1982

Stuart Bernstein, KSB/BS '60
Constance Morella, CAS/MA '67
Kermit Washington, CAS/BA '73

1981

Cyrus Ansary, CAS/BA '55
Eddyemae Beards, CAs/BS '54, CAS/MA '62
Edward Lewis, CAS/BA '46, HD '67

1980

Cynthia Crocker Brooker, CAS/MA '33
Charles W. Corddry, Jr., CAS/BA '41
Willard H. Scott, Jr., CAS/BA '55

1979

Mary Morse Brown, CAS/BA '39
Betty Southard Murphy, WCL/JD '58
Edward H. Walker, CAS/BA '54
Melvin Wheatley, Jr., CAS/BA '36

1978

Fred Carl, CAS/BA '47
W. Donald Calomiris, KSB/BA '63
Irene Pollin, DCE/BGS '71

1977

Paul L. Berry, CAS/BA '43
Ethel Smith, CAS/BA '31, CAS/MA '33

1974

Denver Haymond, KSB/BS '63
Phyllis Peterson, CAS/BA '53
John Williams, CAS/BA '33

1970

Eva B. Adams, WCL/JD '48
Emory S. Bucke, CAS/BA '35

1969

Leslie A. Bryan, KSB/PhD '30
Josephine Baker, SOC/BA '62, SOC/MA '63
Seymour David Wolf, KSB/MBA '64

1968

Hirsch L. Gordon, WCL/LLM '25
Ralph C. John, SPA/PhD '50
Sherman E. Lee, CAS/BA '38, CAS/MA '39
Edna Kury Monsees, CAS/MA '66, CAS/PhD '67

1967

Joseph Carlo, CAS/BA '38
William Dublin, KSB/PhD '65
Hyun Chul Kim, CAS/PhD '31
Earl Lindveit, SPA/MA '54, SPA/PhD '58

1966

Mary L. Robbins, CAS/BA '38
George Hartzog, CAS/AA '53, KSB/BS '54
W. Kenneth Hoover, CAS/BA '33

1965

Carol C. Laise, CAS/BA '38
William C. Sullivan, CAS/BA '36
West A. Hamilton, SOC/BS '54, SOC/MA '56

1964

Edwin A. Mooers, Jr., WCL/JD '41
Miles E. Drake, SIS/PhD '32
W. Yule Fisher, CAS/BA '32
Adrian McDonough, KSB/BS '49

1963

Hazel H. Feagans, CAS/MA '26
Michael Musmanno, N/A
Helena Doocy Reed, WCL/JD '14
Roland Rice, CAS/BA '29

1962

Wayne C. Grover, SPA/PhD '46
Donald S. Bittinger, CAS/BA '29
Orris Hamilton, WCL/JD '40
William Leith, CAS/BA '37

1961

A. Edward Tedesco, CAS/BA '36
Raymond A. Spaeth, CAS/BA '30

1960

Robert Parker, CAS/BA '34

1959

Harry J. Anslinger, N/A
Stephen G. Yeonas, KSB/BS '48

1958

Kathryn L. Shook, N/A
James I. Hoffman, CAS/PhD '30

1957

Bryson Rash, WCL/JD '41

1956

Frederich Hugh-Craig Bickford, SPA/BS '32, CAS/MA '34

1955

Cathryn Seckler-Hudson, N/A
Dan S. Terrell, CAS/BA '32

1954

Clyde B. Atchison, N/A

1953

Marjorie F. Webster, SPA/MA '35

1952

Charles Pergler, WCL/LLM '25
Walter A. Foote, SIS/MA '33, SIS/PhD '35

1951

Reuben G. Steinmeyer, SPA/PhD '35

1950

Pauline F. Robbins, CAS/BA '30

1949

Williard S. Paul, SPA/MPA '42

1948

Arthur S. Fleming