Six Recognized with Alumni Association Awards at Spring Meeting
The University of Notre Dame Alumni Association honored several outstanding alumni and staff at its annual board of directors meeting in April. Throughout the year, the association presents awards in six key areas that reflect the University’s commitment to excellence: the arts, athletics, service to the Alumni Association, service to the country, service to humanity, and service to the University.
The following six awards were presented on campus April 15 and 16.
Dr. Thomas A. Dooley Award
Alumnus Dr. Ralph Pennino ’75 received the Dr. Thomas A. Dooley Award for his humanitarian work bringing medical care and supplies to underserved communities worldwide.
Since earning his degree from the University of Notre Dame and completing medical training at Georgetown University and the University of Rochester, Pennino has worked to build a distinguished career in plastic and reconstructive surgery, serving as both the Chair of Surgery and later as System Chair of Surgery at Rochester Regional Health.
He also cofounded InterVol, an organization that recovers unused medical supplies and functioning equipment and redistributes them to healthcare providers in need across more than 80 countries. Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Pennino mobilized InterVol and Notre Dame alumni and friends to support relief efforts, coordinating hundreds of medical volunteers to perform surgeries and deliver babies.
William D. Reynolds Award
Established in 1985, this year’s William D. Reynolds Award was presented to Kelly Battle Beck ’08 for her exceptional work with youth for the betterment of their quality of life.
As a former Fighting Irish swimmer, Beck sustained a brain injury that resulted in a lifelong disability. Now as a clinical scientist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, she works to design and expand mental health therapies for autistic youth and adults.
She is a key developer of the Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement (EASE) program, the first evidence-based therapy for autistic youth with severe emotion dysregulation, as well as the founder of the Schools Unified in Neurodiversity (SUN) Collaborative, where she partners with school districts to foster safe and supportive schools for children with developmental disabilities.
James E. Armstrong Award
Dr. Sam Sanchez ’98, ’06 M.A. was awarded the James E. Armstrong Award for his distinguished service to the University as the Associate Director of the Notre Dame Band.
Sanchez has designed the marching bands shows for more than two decades, including the University’s iconic formations such as the “Leprechan,” “Cross and Anchors,” and the “Monogram ND.” He also conducts concerts and basketball bands and leads multiple ensembles, including the flute choir, percussion ensemble, and drumline.
A Double Domer, Sanchez has a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Master of Arts in Musicology, as well as a Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University. He remains dedicated to forming students in heart, mind, and spirit through his work with the Notre Dame Band and beyond.
Dr. William P. Sexton Award
Pamela Jobin received the Dr. William P. Sexton Award for her years of dedicated service to Our Lady’s University and her embodiment of the Notre Dame spirit.
Jobin began working at Notre Dame in 1987 at St. Michael’s Laundry where she spent 24 years greeting customers at the counter. After retiring in 2011, she returned to campus as a South Dining Hall monitor and became a beloved figure to countless students—epecially the young men of O’Neill Hall 4A.
After the pandemic disrupted campus life and employment, Jobin found herself across the street at Saint Mary’s Noble Family Dining Hall, where she again formed close bonds with students, many of whom look to her as a grandmother figure. As a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Jobin’s warmth and care have created a lasting sense of home for students.
Rev. Anthony J. Lauck Award
Melissa DelVecchio ’93 received the Rev. Anthony J. Lauck Award, which recognizes an alum for their outstanding accomplishments or achievements as practicing artists.
As a partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), DelVecchio leads the design of complex academic and institutional projects that blend tradition with innovation. At Notre Dame, she led the design of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, the Stayer Center for Executive Education, and the redesign of the Main Circle. Her broader portfolio includes major projects at Yale, Harvard, and, soon, the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, in addition to several other projects at home and abroad.
Additionally, DelVecchio has taught and served as a visiting critic at leading architecture schools and contributes to the field through her work on major design juries.
Rev. Robert F. Griffin, C.S.C., Award
Michael T. Benson ’11 MNA was presented with the Rev. Robert F. Griffin, C.S.C., Award in recognition for his outstanding achievements in writing.
Benson serves as a professor and the 27th president of West Virginia University. He has spent nearly 25 years as a university/college president and, alongside his leadership, has built a distinguished career as a historian and writer, publishing numerous works including Daniel Coit Gilman and the Birth of the American Research University, named one of the best higher education books of 2023 by Forbes.
In addition to studying and working in Italy, England, and Israel, as well as teaching in five institutions where he has served as president, Benson holds degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Oxford, reflecting his lifelong commitment to scholarship and education.