Campus News
December 5, 2011
Celebrating alumni service
Tania Dowdy '08Ox-'10C is the online services specialist for the Emory Alumni Association.
For more than 75 years, the Emory Alumni Association (EAA) has recognized notable alumni by way of three distinguished honors: the Emory Medal, the J. Pollard Turman Alumni Service Award and the Judson C. Ward Golden Heart Award.
Every year, potential recipients are nominated by their peers and have to meet a unique list of criteria including selflessly serving the community.
In October, the EAA awarded James Turpin '49C-'51T-'55M and Mary Ann Oakley '70G-'74L with the 2011 Emory Medal—the highest University honor awarded exclusively to alumni who exhibit exceptional leadership and service.
Turpin, founder of Project Concern International, has devoted his life to serving the world in places where medical care is limited or nonexistent; and, Oakley, along with being a successful employment lawyer, volunteered her time to fight for the rights of children caught in the middle of divorce conflict.
There’s no doubt that these Emory graduates deserved this honor, and through the new EAA playlist on the University’s YouTube channel and our presence on iTunesU, the Emory community gains access to honorees and an inside look at these special ceremonies.
Learn more about this year’s Emory Medalists and hear Turpin and Oakley express what such an honor means.
More than just awarding individual honors, the EAA, with the help of former Emory Alumni Board president Renelda Mack ’83C and Volunteer Emory, pioneered Emory Cares International Service Day, a day slated for alumni to volunteer with local organizations.
On Nov. 12, the EAA surpassed records for the largest Emory Cares day with more than 1,600 participants volunteering in 81 projects, and more than 40 projects in the Atlanta area alone.
Take a look at what Emory Cares means to alumni, students and the organizations they serve:
As alumni continue to carry on the mission of the EAA by serving the diverse needs and interests of our community, we will continue celebrating their hard work, dedication and service.
The EAA accepts nominations for alumni awards year round. Learn more about these honors and suggest a nominee.
