{"681896":{"#nid":"681896","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ivan Allen College Celebrates 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts celebrated students, faculty, and alumni at the 11th Annual\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/community\/distinguished-alumni-awards\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Distinguished Alumni Awards\u003C\/a\u003E on April 17.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe cocktail hour and awards ceremony at the Georgian Terrace recognized graduates from each of the six Schools in Ivan Allen College and the three ROTC units. This year\u2019s winners have forged exceptional careers in public health, policy, business, and the Armed Forces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe event also included the Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Awards, honoring a standout graduate student, undergraduate student, and faculty member, as well as the Dean\u2019s Appreciation Award, celebrating extraordinary contributions to the College\u2019s advancement, reputation, and mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E2025 Dean\u2019s Appreciation Award\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis year\u2019s recipient of the Dean\u2019s Appreciation Award is\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAmy Phuong, a 2005 graduate of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/strong\u003E and a 2014 MBA from the Scheller College of Business. Among Phuong\u2019s many contributions to the Atlanta community is a clear dedication to her alma mater \u2014 she served as student body president in her senior year, is the chair of the Ivan Allen College Advisory Board, and has volunteered with the Nunn School and Georgia Tech Alumni Association boards, as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award winners come from many backgrounds and careers but have one important thing in common: a dedication to service, leadership, and excellence in their fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAir Force ROTC: Maj. Gen. Kelly K. McKeague (Ret.)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB.S. Industrial Engineering 1981, M.S. Industrial Engineering, 1987\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMcKeague has served as director of the Defense POW\/MIA Accounting Agency since 2017, overseeing efforts to account for missing U.S. personnel from past conflicts. He leads research, recovery, and identification operations worldwide, ensuring the fullest possible accounting for families and the nation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArmy ROTC: Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock (Ret.)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB.S. Civil Engineering, 1987\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOver 38 years of service, Blackstock served in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, South Korea, Honduras, and the country of Georgia. He remains active in the Georgia Tech ROTC Alumni Network and the Ivan Allen College Alumni Leadership Team.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENavy ROTC: Maj. Gen. Larry Taylor USMC (Ret.)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB.S. Industrial Management, 1962\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn 2008-09, Taylor served as a State Department contractor in Iraq, managing a program for Civilian Police International. He is active with the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, the USO Council of Georgia, the Reserve Forces Policy Board, and the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Greater Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Wylder\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB.S. Economics, 1973\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWylder was a member of the first class to graduate with Economics degrees at Georgia Tech. Now retired, he worked with SunTrust Bank, Hewlett-Packard, PwC, and Microsoft during his career.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWilson A. (Arnie) Garrett\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB.S. History, Technology, and Society, 2024\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGarrett is a retired Air Force systems analyst with decades of experience in information technology. After failing to complete a computer science degree in 1982, Garrett returned to Georgia Tech after his retirement to earn a degree from the School of History and Sociology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJessica Cox\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB.S. International Affairs, 2000\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECox serves as director for defense plans and policy at the U.S. Mission to NATO, where she is responsible for advocating U.S. defense policy within the NATO alliance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMolly Heacock\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB.S. Science, Technology, and Communication 2010\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHeacock is the managing director and CEO-elect of UnTold, a public health nongovernmental organization supporting people affected by AIDS in East and Southern Africa.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYvonne Ploder\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB.S. International Affairs and Modern Languages \u2014 French, 2015\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPloder leads a Trust and Safety team at Snapchat, dedicated to maintaining platform safety and user protection in New York.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELynn Austin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPh.D. Health Policy and Management, 2000\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAustin managed operations for organizations with budgets up to $5 billion over the course of her career, holding positions at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, among others. Since retiring she has provided executive coaching to more than 500 professionals.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E2025 Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Awards\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESanghyun Han\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eis a Ph.D. student in International Affairs, Science and Technology. He specializes in emerging technology, statecraft, international security, and political economy. He co-founded the STAIR (Science, Technology, And International Relations) workshop and was a research assistant at the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJinxia Loo\u003C\/strong\u003E is an undergraduate student majoring in History, Technology, and Society and minoring in Computer Science. They are a committed member of the Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, involved with undergraduate research and first-generation student initiatives, and have served as the president of Georgia Tech\u2019s Asian American Student Association.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJanet Murray\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eis the Distinguished Professor of Digital Media in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication. She is a pioneer researcher and teacher in women\u2019s studies, digital humanities, interaction design, and game studies. Throughout her career, Murray has focused on how changes in cultural narrative can expand our understanding of what it means to be human. Her best-known work is\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EHamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECongratulations to our 2025 winners!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe cocktail hour and awards ceremony at the Georgian Terrace recognized graduates from each of the six Schools in Ivan Allen College and the three ROTC units. This year\u2019s winners have forged exceptional careers in public health, policy, business, and the Armed Forces.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The cocktail hour and awards ceremony at the Georgian Terrace recognized graduates from each of the six Schools in Ivan Allen College and the three ROTC units. "}],"uid":"35766","created_gmt":"2025-04-18 12:30:58","changed_gmt":"2025-04-21 15:37:37","author":"dminardi3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676875":{"id":"676875","type":"image","title":"DAAalumni.jpg","body":null,"created":"1744979598","gmt_created":"2025-04-18 12:33:18","changed":"1744979598","gmt_changed":"2025-04-18 12:33:18","alt":"Headshots of the eight Distinguished Alumni Award winners from 2025","file":{"fid":"260722","name":"DAAalumni.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/18\/DAAalumni.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/18\/DAAalumni.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":851119,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/18\/DAAalumni.jpg?itok=6l6JgcmR"}}},"media_ids":["676875"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"1282","name":"School of Economics"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"},{"id":"1283","name":"School of Literature, Media, and Communication"},{"id":"1284","name":"School of Modern Languages"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dminardi3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDi Minardi\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dminardi3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}