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Honored Alumni Awards

Recognizing Distinction in Alumni Success and Service

UNC alumni are recognized leaders in their careers and communities. And from among our growing network of alumni, UNC honors a distinguished group of graduates whose lifetime of leadership and service inspires all Bears to remain involved and invested in the university.

The UNC Honored Alumni Award is presented annually to UNC graduates in recognition for career success and a commitment of service to the university. The award is the highest honor presented to a UNC graduate by the Alumni Association. 

2025 Honored Alumni Nominations

Thank you for nominating your fellow Bears! Nominations for 2025 are now closed.

To nominate a potential honoree, complete the Honored Alumni nomination form AND submit a biography that does not exceed two pages. Include all significant accomplishments and details that qualify the nominee for this award. Submissions that do not include a current nomination form and biography will not be considered. The most successful nominations include a compelling story of success while keeping a connection to UNC.

Although not required, we strongly recommend nominators also submit letters of recommendation, news articles and any other relevant documents that support your nomination. We ask that you limit supporting documents to 10 pages or less.

A committee of Alumni Board members and past honorees reads each biography and any accompanying information and reviews the below qualifications to select each class of honorees. The committee selects 5 honorees each year. If your nominee is not selected, we encourage you to consider resubmitting the nomination during the next nomination cycle.

Nominations Open: September 30, 2024 | Nominations Close: November 1, 2024

Winners Announced: January 14, 2025 | Honored Alumni Celebration: March 29, 2025

Award Qualifications

The selection committee considers the following factors when selecting honorees:

  • Personal and professional achievement, manifested through lifelong distinguished achievements and/or a one-time significant and distinguished achievement, in one’s chosen field;
  • Significant contributions on behalf of the University of Northern Colorado and/or the UNC Alumni Association, which may include teaching, service, research, volunteerism or philanthropy; and
  • Extraordinary dedication to the University of Northern Colorado through leadership, vision, creativity, generosity and/or by increasing UNC's stature and impact in the larger community.

Current UNC employees and Alumni Board members are not eligible for consideration.

Past Honorees

Since 1947 the University of Northern Colorado has honored outstanding alumni and friends whose service and achievements embody the University's tradition of excellence. When the University of Northern Colorado Alumni Association was established in 1965, the annual awards program was adopted by the Association and continued as a university tradition. Each year the UNC Alumni Association recognizes some of our most distinguished alumni and friends with Honored Alumni awards. See past honorees below.

1960s

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1950s

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 1940s

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2010s 

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2000s

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1990s

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1980s

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 1970s

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1960s

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1950s

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 1940s

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2010s 

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2000s

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Centennial Hall of Fame

In honor of UNC's centennial year, 100 individuals were inducted into UNC's Centennial Hall of Fame in 1989. These alumni were chosen to serve as an example of "the impact this university has had on our society for the past century." View the full event brochure, complete with individual honoree biographies.

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