By Corey Schaut
From left, Edward Rhodes, dean of the School of Public Policy; Paul J. DeMaio, MS ’05; and Rebecca Perry at the Celebration of Distinction. DeMaio was recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Public Policy. Photo by Evan Cantwell
Fifteen accomplished alumni, one exemplary faculty member and one outstanding student were recognized April 17 at the annual Celebration of Distinction awards ceremony and dinner held at the Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel. Surrounded by family and friends, the recipients were individually recognized for their achievements and impact.
Mason President Ángel Cabrera opened the evening by noting that alumni accomplishments are a key gauge of Mason’s success. “The best measure of a university is the caliber of alumni it produces,” he said.
The Association’s honorees included:
- Alumna of the Year: Patricia Roberts, ’77
- Alumni Service Award: Helen Ackerman, MA ’86
- Faculty Member of the Year: Marion Deshmukh, Robert T. Hawkes Professor of History
- Senior of the Year: Quoc “Ricky” Tran, economics major
The awards were presented by Association President Rodney Turner, JD ’93, and Immediate Past President Tennille Parker, ’97. Additionally, 13 alumni received honors from a representative of their academic unit or alumni chapter. Peter Pober, professor in the Department of Communication and director of the university’s nationally ranked forensics team, served as the event emcee.
Full profiles of the top awardees are available on the Mason Spirit website.
Bios of all academic unit and chapter honorees are available in the event program.