Distinguished Alumni Awards

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes School of Social Work alumni whose achievements exemplify the values of the School of Social Work and who have made an exceptional impact on the profession, the community and/or Social Work education. The award is presented annually to three alumni during the university-wide reunion weekend each fall.*

Submit a Nomination »

Selection Process

A volunteer committee of three to five members of the SSW Alumni Board of Governors is charged with overseeing the nomination and selection process for this Award. The committee will review all nominations and make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Social Work.

Nominations Process

• Any member of the School of Social Work community is invited to submit a nomination.
• Only School of Social Work alumni (excluding current U-M SSW faculty and staff) are eligible to be nominated.
• Nominations are accepted through the online nomination form. The form consists of:
  • Nominator's contact information.
  • Candidate's contact information.
  • Candidate's educational background, professional activities, awards and affiliations.
  • The nominator's personal case for why this candidate should receive this award, including a short synopsis of the candidate's contributions to the profession.
• Nominations are due July 10, 2019 and recipients will be notified by August 15, 2019.

Award Presentation

The 2019 awardees will be recognized by the Dean at the School of Social Work All Class Reunion Lunch on Friday, October 4, 2019. They will also be featured in the SSW Ongoing publication and on the School's website.

* Selected award recipients who are unable to attend the Reunion Luncheon will be carried over to the following year and if they are able to attend will be presented with the award at that time.

Please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at ssw.alumnioffice@umich.edu or (734) 763-6886 with any questions.