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As our University community continues to celebrate 120 years of ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ Pride, alumni from around the country returned to campus on Thursday, June 11, to celebrate Reunion 2026 and mark their own special milestones.

This year’s Reunion festivities recognized alumni from graduating classes ending in 6s and 1s and officially welcomed the class of 2026 to the ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ alumni family. Before celebrations officially commenced at the iconic One ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ Plaza, several school-based receptions were held across ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ’s cutting-edge New York City campus facilities, bringing together dedicated alumni for meaningful reconnections and first-hand updates on ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ’s exciting future from school leaders.

During the event program, the ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ Alumni Association conferred the 2026 Alumni Service Awards to three ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ alumni who embody the ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ mission through their commitment to community advancement. The GOLD Alumni Service Award was presented to Morgan Steadwell ’17 for her far-reaching contributions to ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ’s young alumni programming, and the Emerging Alumni Leader Award was presented to Arlene Thompson ’14 for her steadfast efforts to strengthen the Alumni Association, particularly through her founding and leadership of the Black Alumni Group.

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The Harry D. Mayo III ’61 ’78 Distinguished Service Award, the Alumni Association’s highest honor recognizing alumni service, was presented to Gene Westmoreland ’65 for his decades of leadership, generosity, and tireless dedication to ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ. In addition to being a devoted supporter and champion of the ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ mission, Gene is also a 1999 inductee of the ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ Athletics Hall of Fame. He was ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ’s first-ever four-sport athlete, representing the Setters on the baseball, basketball, golf, and cross country teams. As an alumnus, he went on to serve as head coach of ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ’s basketball, golf, and baseball programs, and served as the assistant athletics director from 1966-1980. Today, Gene remains an active volunteer leader in the ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ Community, particularly through his participation as a mentor to current ÃÛÌÒ¹¤×÷ÊÒ students.