Distinguished Alumni Award
Since 1974, Cornell Nursing Alumni have presented a Distinguished Alumni Award at our annual Alumni Day.
Description of the Award, among many Cornell alumni awards
See Award Criteria and how to
nominate an alumnus for the award.
2025 Awardee
Maureen Neus Leahey '70
Intro
by Roberta (Bobbie) Fiske Mildenberger '70
Leahey acceptance
speech
2024 Awardees
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Ruth Dornemann Berry '61
Berry
acceptance speech
.jpg)
Barbara McGarey '79
McGarey acceptance speech
2023 Awardees
Grace Allman Burke '64
Burke
acceptance speech
Catharine Brauer Eten '67
Eten acceptance speech
Karen Kane McDonnell '79
McDonnell acceptance speech
2021 Awardee
Ina Goldberg '76
Intro by Theresa
Yeo
Goldberg acceptance
speech
2020 Awardees
%20Dietz%20'72.jpg)
Elizabeth (Liz) Dietz '69
Gail Rosselot '78
Short bio
2019 Awardees
Linda Vecchiotti Saal '71 (L) with Joan E. Haase ‘69 (R)
Linda Vecchiotti Saal '71 (L) with Ruby Senie ‘75 and Ina Goldberg '76
2018 Awardee
Linda Vecchiotti Saal '71 with Ina Goldberg (l) and Doris Glick (r)
2017 Awardees
Linda Holahan '67
Theresa Pluth Yeo '78
2016 Awardee
Barbara Coombs Lee '70
2015 Awardees
Elaine Dehan Burger '56
Janet P. Brown-Wolff '53
All Awardees
| 2025 | Maureen Neus Leahey '70 |
| 2024 |
Ruth Dorneman Berry '61 Barbara McGarey '79 |
| 2023 |
Grace Allman Burke '64
Catharine Brauer Eten '67 |
| 2022 | No award given |
| 2021 | Ina Goldberg '76 |
| 2020 |
Elizabeth Dietz '69 Gail Rosselot '78 |
| 2019 |
Joan E. Haase '69 Ruby Senie '75 (deceased) |
| 2018 | Linda Vecchiotti Saal '71 |
| 2017 |
Linda Holahan '67 Theresa Pluth Yeo '76 |
| 2016 | Barbara Coombs Lee '70 |
| 2015 |
Elaine Dehan Burger '56 Janet P. Brown-Wolff '53 |
| 2014 |
Dale Johnson ’66 Elizabeth Merrill Varacarolis ‘64 |
| 2013 | Jean Thatcher Shope ‘63 |
| 2012 | Mary Schuett Aruda ‘77 |
| 2011 | Leith Mullings ‘66 (deceased) |
| 2010 | Martha Hare ‘77 |
| 2009 | Joan Fernandez Knecht ‘59 |
| 2008 | Virginia Carrieri Kohlman ‘63 |
| 2007 | Doreen Commor Harper ‘71A |
| 2006 | Doris Dickerson Coward ‘60 |
| 2005 | Doris M. Glick ‘66 |
| 2004 | Kathleen Wheeler ‘76 |
| 2003 |
Margaret Wines ’58 Ruth Zeitlin Fischbach ‘63 |
| 2002 | Gloria R. Gelmann ‘57 |
| 2001 |
Sandra Roberts Byers ’60 Jeanette Dontzow Johnson ‘47S |
| 2000 |
Lois White Lowry ’55 Joyce Edgar Schickler ‘57 |
| 1999 |
Barbara Gessey Valanis ’65 Mary Woods Byrne ‘66 |
| 1998 | Janet R. Sawyer ‘46S |
| 1997 |
Mary Beth Matthews ’65 Anne Sheetz ‘66 |
| 1996 |
Gail Berkson Malloy’56 Nancy R. Adams '68 |
| 1995 |
Carol N. Hosking ’55 Gladys Balbus Lipkin, Feb ’47 |
| 1994 |
Ruth Blatt Merkatz ’61 Virginia Bottone Burggraf ’64 |
| 1993 | Dee Sommerfield Lippman ’65 |
| 1992 |
Frances Farthing ’42 Marie Kurihara ’50 |
| 1991 | Lynn Gates Keegan ’66 |
| 1990 | Dorothy McMullen Pisani ’35 |
| 1989 | Alma Schelle Wolley ’54 |
| 1988 | Jane Van Sickle Feil ‘46S |
| 1987 | Evelyn Clark Gioiella ’59 |
| 1986 | No award given |
| 1985 | G. Maureen Chaisson-Stewart ’62 |
| 1984 | Josephine Kelly Craytor ’38 |
| 1983 | Dorothy Smith ‘47S |
| 1982 | Evelyn Ruth Hayes ’65 |
| 1981 | No award given |
| 1980 | No award given |
| 1979 | Louise Hazeltine ’49 |
| 1978 | Jean Steel ’60 |
| 1977 | No award given |
| 1976 | Barbara Resnik ’50 |
| 1975 | No award given |
| 1974 | Muriel Carbery ’37 |
