Alumni Awards

Alumni Recognition Ceremony

A group photo of the 2024 Alumni Association Alumni Award Honorees with President James Danko and BUAA President Delia Harris

The Alumni Association awards program honors the achievements of outstanding alumni by presenting exemplary graduates and former students with six prestigious awards: the Butler Medal, the Butler Service Medal, and awards named in memory of graduates Joseph Irwin Sweeney, Katharine Merrill Graydon, Hilton Ultimus Brown, and Robert Todd Duncan. The awards honor individuals for their commitment to the University and to their communities. For a full description and the criteria of each award as well as past recipients, click here.

Nominations
  • Alumni, faculty, staff, and friends are all encouraged to submit nominations online or by contacting alumni@butler.edu to receive a printed nomination form. At a minimum, each nomination should include a letter that states the category of nomination and establishes the candidate’s qualification with clear and concise detail. The letter should include the nominator’s contact information. The nominee’s vita or professional resume, contact information and letters of support from other individuals are strongly encouraged.
Timeline

Nominations are accepted year round. Nominations received by the deadline will be considered for awards recognized the following Homecoming Weekend. Nominations received after the deadline will be considered for the following cycle. Nominations remain active for three years. The deadline for nominations is in late January each year. See the online nomination form for the current cycle’s deadline.

Exclusion from Eligibility

Current members of the Butler University Board of Trustees, Butler University Alumni Association board of directors, and university faculty and staff are not eligible to receive awards. Former employees must be one-year removed from employment at Butler to be eligible for consideration. The BUAA awards committee reserves the right to reassign categories of nomination if deemed applicable.

  • Questions about the awards program should be directed to the alumni office at alumni@butler.edu or 317-940-9946.

2024 Alumni Awards Recipients

  • Butler Medal— Frederic B. Lowrie, Jr. ʼ71
  • Butler Service Medal— Dr. Ena Shelley
  • Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award— Steven L. Roberds ʼ87, PhD
  • Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award— Jody (Harmon) Hurtubise ʼ89
  • Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award— Kelsey C. Coy ʼ13
  • Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award— Bridget A. McGrath ʼ13 MPAS ʼ14
  • Ovid Butler Society Mortar Award — Robert L. Ternik ʼ87 and Laura C. Ternik ʼ87
  • Ovid Butler Society Foundation Award — Mohsin Waraich ʼ20