Monumental Alumni
Monumental Alumni
2021 marked the 200th anniversary of the founding of the George Washington University. To honor this historic occasion, we proudly introduced the Monumental Alumni Award, a special recognition of GW’s living alumni who have made an impact on the world through their work and service and who embody the ideals of the university.
Recipients of this award have made enduring contributions that offer inspiration and exemplify the potential of a degree from GW. The Monumental Alumni Award is the highest form of recognition given by the university to a GW graduate.
GW's Monumental Alumni
Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley
B.A. ’80
Diplomat
Elizabeth Acevedo
B.A. ’10
Award-Winning and Best-Selling Author and Poet
Amina Al-Rustamani
B.S. ’93, M.S. ’96, D.Sc. ’01
Business Executive
Anousheh Ansari
M.S. ’92
Engineer, Businesswoman, Space Explorer
Michele Anthony
B.A. ’77
Entertainment Executive
Serena Maria Auñón-Chancellor
B.S. ’97
Physician, Engineer, NASA Astronaut
Josh Balk
B.A. ’02
Nonprofit Executive, Entrepreneur
Dana Bash
B.A. ’93
Anchor, Chief Political Correspondent
Rodger Gregory Berman
B.B.A. ’90, M.B.A. ’91
Business Executive, Entrepreneur
Mary-Michael Brown
D.N.P. ’11
Nurse, Healthcare Executive
Ruth Cooper Burg*
A.A. ’45, B.S. ’45, J.D. ’50
Judge, Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals
Martin Burt
M.A. ’83
Social Entrepreneur, Author,
Educator, Politician
Eric Cantor
B.A. ’85
Former United States Representative and United States House Majority Leader, Investment Banking
Nelson A. Carbonell Jr.
B.S. ’85, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’21
Engineer, Entrepreneur, Business Executive
Gilbert Ray Cisneros Jr.
B.A. ’94
Undersecretay of Defense, Former United States Representative, Military Veteran, Education and Veterans’ Advocate, Philanthropist
Christine S. Collins
J.D. ’98
Olympic Medalist, Attorney
Tom Cortese
B.A. ’02
Entrepreneur, Business Executive
Christine M. Darden
D.Sc. ’83, Honorary Doctor of Science ’19
Mathematician, Aerospace Engineer, Member of the Senior Executive Service
Sidney Oliver Dewberry*
B.S. ’51
Engineering Executive
Tammy Duckworth
M.A. ’92, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’17
United States Senator, Military Veteran
Henry “Ric” C. Duquès
B.B.A. ’65, M.B.A. ’69
Business Executive
Aicha Evans
B.S. ’96
Engineering Executive
Hossein Fateh
B.B.A. ’90, M.S. ’97
Business Executive, Real Assets
Emilio Fernandez
M.E.A. '76
Visionary, Inventor, Entrepreneur
Mary Hatwood Futrell
M.A. ’68, Ed.D. ’92, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’84
Educator, Organization Leader
Sara Goldrick-Rab
B.A. ’98
Sociologist, Author, Nonprofit Founder, Educator
Rose Gottemoeller
M.A. ’81
Diplomat, Scholar
Joyce Hens Green
J.D. ’51, Honorary Doctor of Laws ’94
Judge, United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Frederick D. Gregory
M.S. ’77
Pilot, Military Engineer, NASA Astronaut and Administrator
Joneigh S. Khaldun
M.P.H. ’13
State Government Health Executive, Physician
Gail Lebovic
M.D. ’86
Oncoplastic Surgeon, Inventor, Entrepreneur
Hee-beom Lee
M.B.A. ’87
Politician, Executive, Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Organizer
Mark D. Lerner
B.B.A. ’75
Real Estate Developer, Major League Baseball Owner
Theodore N. Lerner*
A.A. ’48, Bachelor of Law ’50
Real Estate Developer, Major League Baseball Owner
Randy Levine
B.A. ’77
Major League Baseball Team President, Attorney
Carlos F. Lucero
J.D. ’64
Senior U.S. Circuit Judge
William P. Magee Jr.
M.D. ’72
Plastic Surgeon, Nonprofit Founder and Executive
Ellen R. Malcolm
M.B.A. ’84
Nonprofit Founder, Executive, Activist
Liz McCartney
M.A. ’06
Nonprofit Executive, Social Entrepreneur, CNN Hero of the Year
Julie A. Monaco
B.A. ’85
Finance Executive
Darla Moore
M.B.A. ’81
Investor, Philanthropist
Kenneth Paul Moritsugu
M.D. ’71
Physician, Retired Rear Admiral USPHSCC, Military Leader, Corporate Executive
Nathaniel Ryan Morris
B.A. ’03
Entrepreneur, Business Executive
Charles E. Mullins
M.D. ’58
Retired Pediatric Cardiologist, Health Care Pioneer
Lloyd Warren Newton
M.P.A. ’85
Retired United States Air Force 4-Star General, Military Leader
Alex Nyerges
B.A. ’79, M.A. ’82
Art Museum Director
Yvonne Anuli Orji
B.A. ’05, M.P.H. ’08
Actress, Author, Producer, Comedian
Peter Pace
M.S. ’72
Retired United States Marine Corps 4-Star General, Military Leader
Christopher “Chip” Paucek
B.A. ’92
Entrepreneur, Business Executive
Colin L. Powell*
M.B.A. ’71, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’90
Retired 4-Star General U.S. Army, Former U.S. Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff and National Security Advisor
Michael Punke
B.A. ’86
Writer, Diplomat, Policy Analyst
W. Russell Ramsey
B.B.A. ’81, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’14
Financier, Philanthropist
Michael S. Regan
M.P.A. ‘04
National Environmental Leader
Harry Reid*
J.D. ’64, Honorary Doctor of Laws ’05
Former United States Senator and Senate Majority Leader, Attorney
Jerry M. Reinsdorf
B.A. ’57
Business Executive,
National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball Team Owner
John F. W. Rogers
B.A. ’78
Business Executive
Mary L. Schapiro
J.D. ’80
Attorney, Financial Regulator
Traci A. Scott
M.A. ’96
Communications Strategist
Mark R. Shenkman
M.B.A. ’67
Investor
Joanna Shields
M.B.A. ’87, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’16
Business Executive
Albert H. Small*
ATT ’47 to ’48, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’16
Real Estate Developer, Philanthropist
Carol A. Smith
B.A. ’71
Publishing Director, Media Executive
Clarice Smith*
B.A. ’76, M.F.A. ’79, Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts ’12
Artist, Philanthropist
Marla Lerner Tanenbaum
J.D. ’83
Nonprofit Executive, Major League Baseball Owner
Robert Tanenbaum
J.D. ’82
Real Estate Executive, Major League Baseball Owner
Elana Meyers Taylor
B.S. ’06, M.T.A. ’11, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’18
Olympic Medalist
Charles “Chuck” Todd
ATT '90 to ’94
Moderator, Political Director, Television Journalist
Kathy Warden
M.B.A. ’99
Business Executive
Mark R. Warner
B.A. ’77, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’03
United States Senator
Elizabeth Warren
ATT ’66 to ’68
United States Senator
Kerry M. Washington
B.A. ’98, Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts ’13
Emmy-Winning Actor, Director, Producer, Activist
Daniel H. Weiss
B.A. ’79
Museum Executive, Art Historian, Educator
Nadja West
M.D. ’88, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’17
Physician, Retired United States Army Lieutenant General, National Military and Medical Leader
Bill Charles Westenhofer
M.S. ’95
Academy Award-Winning Visual Effects Supervisor
Irving A. Williamson
J.D. ’75
Attorney, International Trade and Economic Policy Expert
Ellen Zane
B.A. ’73
Healthcare Executive, Educator
Ya-Qin Zhang
D.Sc. ’90
Scientist, Business Executive
Rachel Zoe
B.A. ’93
Entrepreneur, Executive, Creative Director, Philanthropist, Author, TV Personality
*deceased