Graduate students holding cupcakes with candles displaying 100

Graduate School Celebrates Centennial Scholars

As part of its centennial celebration, The University of Alabama Graduate School has recognized 100 master’s and doctoral alumni who continue to bring distinction to the Capstone and their academic programs through their many professional accomplishments.

Graduate Centennial Scholars were selected through a collaborative process between UA’s academic colleges and schools and Graduate School.

“On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Graduate School, we wanted to ensure that the impact of our master’s and doctoral alumni was being appropriately recognized,” said Dr. Susan Carvalho, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School. “We realized that there was no single location where these outstanding graduates could be viewed collectively, so we decided to create an alumni gallery for the purpose of showcasing these advanced degree holders.

“We recognize that one of the best recruitment magnets, for future scholars, is the career success of past scholars, so the Centennial Graduate Scholars gallery showcases both the graduate degree earned at UA and the current professional status of these awardees.”

Graduate Centennial Scholars include Marillyn Hewson, retired chairman, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation, who earned her master’s degree in economics in 1979, and Royce Dickerson, director of office management with the White House, who earned his master’s degree in business administration in 2023.

“We have heard from many of the award recipients about their appreciation for how their UA graduate education contributed to their professional development, and that is exactly the kind of feedback we hoped to hear,” said Carvalho. “There were many expressions of gratitude to the professors and programs that were foundational to their current success.”

Learn more about each Graduate Centennial Scholar on the Graduate School website.