Alumni Award Winners

Alumni Award Winners

The School of Public Policy (SPP) Alumni Council, in collaboration with School faculty and staff, solicit nominations for and select Alumni Award recipients. Graduates from the then-Department of Public Policy (DPP) and School of Public Policy (SPP) are eligible for nomination annually. Please note – alumni who’ve previously received an award are not eligible to win that same award a second time.

History

Though the amount of awardees has shifted periodically over the last twenty five years, the goal remains the same – to honor the efforts of DPP/SPP alumni for their work in academia, the public sector, nonprofit sector, and beyond. At present, there are two existing Alumni Award categories:

  • Distinguished Alumni Award: Recognizes an SPP alumnus who has made broad career achievements in their field, and has demonstrated strong leadership and influence while maintaining high ethical standards.
  • Alumni Impact Award: Recognizes SPP alumni at any stage in their career who have made a significant contribution to their field within the last 12 months. Examples may include but are not limited to: driving an meaningful program outcome, contributing to new legislation, innovating a process or program, achieving a fundraising goal, brokering a partnership, etc.

Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

2025: Alyssa Goduti (MPA ’02) 2024: Shawn Morris (MPA ’12) 2023: Chief Lynn Malerba (MPA ’08) 2022: Natalie Braswell (MPA ’02) 2021: Admiral Karl Schultz (MPA ’92) 2020: Damara Cockfield (MPA ’05) 2019: Seth Brohinsky (MASR ‘7) 2019: John Simoncelli (MPA ’13) 2018: Melissa McCaw (MPA ’14) 2017: Jason Jakubowski (MPA ’01) 2017: Stephanie Marken (MASR ’09)
2015: John Destafano (MPA ’79) 2015: James Hannigan 2014: Paul Potamianos (MPA ’90) 2014: Ignacio Calceran (MA ’91) 2014: Maria Capriola (MPA ’03) 2013: Tara Spain (MPA ’08) 2013: Scott Simoneau (MPA ’94) 2013: Lydia Said (MA ’97) 2012: James C. Trainor Sr. (MPA ’93) 2012: Chrissy Rocco-Carvolo (MPA ’04) 2012: Holly Heline (MA ’95) 2011: Julie Savin (MPA ’04) 2011: Christopher Johnson (MPA ’82) 2011: Brad Fay (Ma ’11) 2010: Mark McGovern (MPA ’96)
2010: Lynn Malerba (MPA ’08) 2008: Barry Simon (MPA ’92) 2008: Bob Ross (MPA ’04) 2008: Chase Harrison (MA ’95) 2007: Patrick McMahon (MPA ’94) 2006: Matthew Hart (MPA ’98) 2005: David Crompton (MPA ’77)

Alumni Impact Award Recipients

2025: Andrea Comer (MPA Fellows ’23), Kristen Dudanowicz (MPA Fellows ’23), Trever Rogers (MPP ’21) 2024: Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens (MPA ’17), Dana Begin (MPA Fellow ’20), Michael Keyes (MASRDA ’23) 2023: Jessica Muirhead (MPA Fellow ’20), Chelsea Ross (MPA ’11), Shub Dhakal (MPP ’19) 2022: Kelly McElwain (MPP ’19), Yahaira Escribano (MPA ’19), Tara Downes (MPA Fellows ’20), Christopher Barnes (MASRDA ’98)  

Interested in Nominating an Alumnus?

SUBMIT A NOMINATION

School Representatives

School Director

Angela Eikenberry
angela.eikenberry@uconn.edu

Director of Graduate Programs

Eric Brunner
(959) 200-3795
eric.brunner@uconn.edu

Chair – Alumni Council Awards Committee (AC) (25-26)

Christopher Brechlin ’18 MPP
Director of Data and Digital Systems
COMPASS Youth Collaborative