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Alumni

Announcing Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s 2025 Alumni Award Winners 

By Ìý|Ìý

The Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Alumni Awards are the highest honors presented by the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Alumni Association.

Â鶹Æƽâ°æ alumni are visionaries in their communities and pioneers across many fields.  Ìý

From education to the arts and activism to international relations, Â鶹Æƽâ°æ graduates make an outstanding impact on society through professional, philanthropic, and volunteer accomplishments. The Alumni Awards are the highest honors presented by the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Alumni Association.  Ìý

The Alumni Board and the Office of University AdvancementÌýwill honor the five distinguished recipients of the 2025 Alumni Awards on Thursday, May 15. Please in celebrating these alumni and the Eagle spirit, committed to innovation and service.  Ìý

The 2025 Alumni Award winners are: 

Global Alumni Leader Award Ìý

The Global Alumni Leader Award honors alumni whose substantial impacts on society exemplify Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s tradition of service and leadership in the context of a global community.   Ìý Ìý

Gail Humphries, CAS/MA ’79, SOE/PhD ’02 Ìý
Dean Emerita, College of Fellows of the American Theatre; Dean Emerita, Stephens College; ÌýProfessor Emerita, Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Ìý

Gail Humphries has a career marked with achievements in the arts and a focus on social justice and education. She currently serves as a freelance curriculum consultant. For 30 years, Dr. Humphries taught theater at Â鶹Æƽâ°æ and during that time served as chair of the Department of Performing Arts. She is dean emerita of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre and the School of Creative Performing Arts at Stephens College and served as adjunct faculty at Rider University. Her students have gone on to act, sing, perform, direct, and produce in esteemed performance halls and theaters. She is credited with staging more than 260 performances in academic and professional theaters internationally. Dr. Humphries co-authored the book Arts Integration in Education: Teachers and Teaching Artists as Agents of Change and the original theatrical work Traces in the Wind. Ìý

Rising Star Award 

The Rising Star Award recognizes recent alumni (who received their degree within the last 10 years) who are already making significant contributions to greater society through professional or philanthropic work.   Ìý

Sammie Paul, CAS/BA ’18 Ìý
Executive Director, FoodRecovery.org Ìý

Sammie Paul is Executive Director of FoodRecovery.org, a nationwide communications platform to reroute excess food from restaurants and grocery stores to local food pantries, soup kitchens, and other emergency food providers. Starting as an outreach volunteer, she has served in multiple roles and helped grow the organization to serve all 50 states and recover more than 50 million pounds of food per year. Paul works to create sustainable and just access to nutritious, affordable food for all people. Ìý Ìý

Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award Ìý

Renamed in 2016 to commemorate the successes of Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s first alumni president, the Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award recognizes alumni who distinguish themselves through their professional accomplishments.  Ìý

Khadijat Rashid, SIS/PhD ’04 Ìý
Provost, Gallaudet University Ìý

Khadijat Rashid is Provost at Gallaudet University, leading the Division of Academic Affairs.  At Gallaudet, Dr. Rashid previously served as chair of the Department of Business, chair of the University Faculty Senate, and dean of the former School of Education, Business, and Human Services. Throughout her career, she has served as a mentor to countless students, alumni, and women from around the world. In 2010, Dr. Rashid was named a White House Fellow, becoming the first deaf person to hold this position. She is co-author of the book Citizenship, Politics, Difference: Perspectives from Sub-Saharan African Communities.ÌýDr. Rashid has presented her work internationally, including at the World Bank, the United Nations, the State Department, the US Agency for International Development, the World Federation of the Deaf, and the White House. Her specialty is deaf leadership in the context of international development. Ìý Ìý

Alumni Eagle Award 

The Alumni Eagle Award recognizes alumni who have rendered outstanding service to the university and/or the Alumni Association.   Ìý Ìý

Matthew Warshaw, SIS/BA ’94 Ìý
CEO, D3: Designs, Data, Decisions Ìý

Matt Warshaw’s dedication to the School of International Service is unwavering, from serving as chair of the SIS Dean’s Board of Advisors to generous philanthropic support. Warshaw is CEO of D3: Designs, Data, Decisions, a full-service market and social science research company reaching more than 150 countries. He has hired 19 Â鶹Æƽâ°æ graduates, providing impactful experience in global projects. In his previous role as chief operating officer, Warshaw led the company’s expansion into Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. He also serves as managing director at ACSOR Surveys, Afghanistan’s first full-service market research and public opinion firm, and as director at Infinite Insight, a full- service market research agency operating across Sub-Saharan Africa. Ìý

Alumni Recognition Award Ìý

The Alumni Recognition Award recognizes alumni who inspire the world around them through service to the community or a philanthropic mission.   

Tiffany Williams, SPA/MSOD ’07 Ìý
President and CEO, Martha’s Table, Inc. Ìý Ìý

Tiffany Williams is President and CEO of Martha’s Table. With more than 25 years of experience in education and nonprofit leadership, she has grown Martha’s Table into a community-led organization in Washington, DC. Williams has served in many roles within the organization, helping to grow its offerings, which include high-quality education, healthy food, and family support. Her work in organizational design and development, paired with extensive experience with children and families, aid Williams in centering the voices of the community and driving positive change.