Let your voice be heard! Make nominations for 2025 Alumni Awards

The Ohio University Alumni Association (OUAA) is calling for your nominations of deserving graduates for the 2025 Alumni Awards.

Alumni, students, faculty and staff can make nominations until the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline. Winners will be announced during 2025 OHIO Homecoming festivities.

These annual awards recognize exceptional OHIO alumni and friends’ personal and professional achievements. Often, those who go above and beyond are those least expecting recognition. Act today to ensure extraordinary Bobcats receive their earned accolades.

"The Alumni Association's Awards program has recognized the accomplishments and contributions of outstanding Bobcats for nearly 85 years,” says Jennifer Shutt Bowie, BSJ ’94, MS ’99, associate vice president of alumni relations and annual giving, and executive director of the OUAA. “From artists and athletes to scientists and entrepreneurs to public servants and physicians... the University celebrates grads from all fields and from all over the globe.”

You can submit nominations here.

The 2025 award winners will also have the privilege of participating in the 85th year of the Alumni Awards program. The Metal of Merit was first awarded in 1940, making this long-standing Bobcat tradition one of the greatest alumni honors.

Awards calling for nominations:

• Alumnus of the Year 
• Metal of Merit
• Distinguished Service
• Charles J. and Claire O. Ping Recent Graduate Award
• Honorary Alumni Award
• The Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame (nominations accepted by Intercollegiate Athletics)

The 2024 Alumnus of the Year, Dell Robinson, BSEd ’88, notes that receiving an honor like this from OHIO is more than an acknowledgment of past achievements; the awards also deepen and strengthen current and future alumni connections.

“These awards start the conversation about how alums can become active with the University and grow service within the Bobcat community,” Robinson says. “I am very proud to have been nominated and to receive the Alumnus of the Year award. Since receiving the honor, many alums have talked to me about the work they do and set personal goals to also receive the honor from our alma mater.”

Robinson recently committed to OHIO by becoming director of the AECOM Center for Sports Administration in the College of Business.

Each Alumni Award has specific criteria that nominees should possess. Review the talents and achievements that each award recognizes, and match to exceptional grads or to potential honorary alumni. The OUAA also recognizes those who do so much for the University but are not graduates. These individuals are eligible for the Honorary Alumni Award. 

“It's the Association's honor and privilege to recognize grads doing amazing work in their professions as well as those dedicating their time, talent, and treasure to OHIO,” Bowie added. “Nominations are welcomed from the entire Bobcat community, and we look forward to learning about all of this year's outstanding nominees!"

Curious about the 2024 winners? Take a look at who took home an award.