Alumni Awards to Honor Chancellor Syverud and Dr. Chen April 23
The Syracuse University Alumni Association will honor Chancellor Kent Syverud and Dr. Ruth Chen, professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, with the George Arents Award, the University’s highest alumni honor, at the 2026 Alumni Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 23, in Hendricks Chapel. The event is free and open to all alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the University.
Check-in begins at 4:30 p.m., with the awards ceremony beginning at 5 p.m. A complimentary reception with food and refreshments follows from 6 to 7:30 p.m. inside the Miron Victory Court.
Chancellor Syverud has led Syracuse University through a period of transformational change over the past 12 years, overseeing record enrollment, a landmark fundraising campaign and the establishment of Syracuse as the nation’s premier private university for veterans and military-connected students. His leadership has reshaped the University’s academic profile, physical campus and national standing.
Dr. Chen has built a distinguished career in environmental toxicology spanning state government, the National Institutes of Health and higher education. Throughout her tenure at Syracuse, she has brought deep expertise and an unwavering commitment to students and the broader University community.
The 2026 Alumni Awards Celebration will also recognize four additional honorees: Ronald J. Taylor ’15, G’16, who will receive the Generation Orange Award for a career spanning education leadership, youth development and technology policy; Daniel A. D’Aniello ’68, H’20, who will receive the Military/Veteran Alumni Award in recognition of his distinguished U.S. Navy service and decades of transformative support for Syracuse University; Akima H. Rogers ’92, who will receive the Volunteer of the Year Award for his deep and enduring engagement with the University community; and Diana Wege ’76, who will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for her loyalty, service and distinguished career as a conceptual artist, curator and activist.
The event is complimentary, but seating is limited. to join the University community in honoring this year’s recipients.
