Distinguished Alumni Awards

Since the late 1800s, the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin has cultivated leaders and innovators in the fields of education, health and sport. Our outstanding alumni are transforming communities, shaping futures and creating meaningful change across Texas and beyond.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards honor these exceptional individuals whose work has made a lasting impact in their fields. Through the Early Career, Distinguished Career and Dean’s Changemaker Awards, we celebrate their excellence, service and unwavering commitment to our college’s core values.

Know a College of Education graduate whose story should be celebrated? Help us recognize their impact by submitting a nomination. Nominations close Nov. 13, 2026.

Nomination Criteria Past Recipients

Submit a Nomination

Celebrating Alumni Impact

Nominations are open for the Early Career and Distinguished Career Awards. The Dean’s Changemaker Award follows a separate review process. If you’d like to recommend someone for Changemaker recognition, please nominate them for the Distinguished Career Award.

Early Career Award

The Early Career Award recognizes College of Education alumni who are 39 or younger on Jan. 1 of the year the award is presented and are already making a meaningful impact in education, health or sport.

Distinguished Career Award

The Distinguished Career Award recognizes alumni with a sustained record of professional achievement, leadership and impact who have earned distinction and respect within their field.

Dean’s Changemaker Award

The Dean’s Changemaker Award recognizes exceptional alumni whose lifelong leadership, advocacy and service have created lasting, transformative change in education, health or sport. This award is reserved for individuals whose impact extends far beyond professional achievement and reflects a truly extraordinary legacy of leadership and service. The Alumni Awards Committee identifies potential Changemaker candidates and recommends them to the Dean, who selects the recipient(s).

Submit a Nomination

Nomination Criteria

Nominees must be living College of Education alumni whose work has helped advance the mission, vision and values of the college.
Nominees should demonstrate integrity, leadership and distinction in their field. They should be individuals whose accomplishments reflect the highest ideals of the College of Education and whose recognition would inspire our faculty, staff, students and alumni.
Graduates from both the college’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs will be considered.
Deadline for submissions: Nov. 13.

Before you nominate someone, please consider writing a formal letter of recommendation for your nominee and submitting a biography or relevant article. These supporting materials will assist the Review Committee.

Selection Process

Nominations will be reviewed by a committee of College of Education students, faculty, staff and alumni. The Review Committee’s recommendations will be submitted to the Dean and recipients are typically announced in early spring. Awardees will be honored at a special awards ceremony on Mar. 4.