Distinguished Alumni Awards
The Distinguished Alumni Awards are the most prestigious awards conferred by the College of Fine Arts at Boston University. Since 1986, awards have been presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves with outstanding achievements in their careers, communities, and in service to the arts.
2023 Alumni Awards
The 2023 CFA Distinguished Alumni Awards were hosted in the Boston University Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre Yan Luo Lobby on Thursday, September 21, 2023, as part of BU’s Alumni Weekend celebrations.
Award Recipients
Distinguished Alumni Awardees • Joseph Pereira (CFA’96) and Adrienne Elise Tarver (CFA’07)
Dean’s Arts & Humanities Awardee • Chay Yew (COM’92)
Get to Know the 2023 Honorees
Get to know these exceptional honorees, explore their work, and read about their accolades.
Read More
Past Award Winners
Please note, awardee professional affiliations and/or titles reflect their positions at the time of the award.
School of Music Distinguished Awards
2022 – Valerie Coleman (CFA’95, BUTI’89), Flutist and Composer
2019 – Morris Robinson (CFA’01), Bass
2018 – Kelly Kaduce (CFA’99), Soprano
2017 – Missy Mazzoli (CFA’02), Composer; co-founder, Luna Composition Lab
2016 – Beth Morrison (BUTI’89, CFA’94), Producer; Founder, Beth Morrison Projects
2015 – Uzo Aduba (CFA’05), Actor
2014 – Phyllis Elhady Hoffman (CFA’61,’67) Professor, Boston University School of Music
2010 – Salvatore Rabbio (CFA’56), Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Principal Timpanist, 1958-1998 (retired)
2009 – Albert Sherman (CFA’75,’76), Stage Director, New York City Opera
2008 – Edward Avedisian (CFA’59,’61), Clarinetist, Boston Ballet
2007 – Amy Lynn Barber (CFA’71), Percussionist, Professor, Former Dean at DePauw University
2006 – Ted Atkatz (BUTI’89, CFA’93), Percussionist
2005 – Sandra Nicolucci (CFA’68,’69, SED’77), Music Educator
2004 – Sylvia Alimena (CFA’82), French Horn, National Symphony Orchestra
2003 – Ronald Feldman (CFA’76), Cellist, Conductor
2003 – H.C. Robbins Landon (CFA’47, Hon.’69), Musicologist, Composer
2002 – Ikuko Mizuno (CFA’69), Violinist
2001 – Eugene Izotov (CFA’95), Oboist
2000 – Lan Shui (DIP’90), Conductor
1999 – Lauren Flanigan (CFA’81), Soprano
1998 – Anthony Tommasini (CFA’82), Classical Music Critic, NY Times, Author, Pianist
1997 – Zheng-Rong Wang (CFA’89), Violinist
1996 – Dominique LaBelle (DIP’89), Singer
1995 – Klaus George Roy (CFA’47), Composer
1994 – William Schwann (CFA’37), Publisher
1993 – Dr. Wilbur Fullbright (CFA’60), Professor; Retired
1992 – Dr. Robert Holmes (CFA’54, GRS’55,’60), Dean, College of Arts and Architecture, Pennsylvania State Univ.
1991 – Dr. Anthony Newman (CFA’67), Associate Professor of Music at SUNY Purchase
1990 – Dr. Charles Fowler (CFA’64), Director/Writer/Consultant to the National Cultural Resources, Inc
1989 – Dr. Dino Anagnost (CFA’65), Music Director, Little Orchestra Society of New York
1988 – Anthony Paratore (CFA’66), Concert Pianist
1988 – Joseph Paratore (CFA’70), Concert Pianist
1987 – Walter Charles (CFA’68), Actor/Singer
1986 – Samuel Adler (CFA’48), Chairman, Composition Department, University of Rochester
School of Theatre Distinguished Awards
2022- Michelle Hurd (CFA’88), Actor, Activist
2019 – Brooke Karzen (CFA’84), executive vice president and head of Warner Horizon Unscripted Television
2018 – Katy Rubin (CFA’07), founder and Executive Director of Theatre of the Oppressed NYC
2017 – Kim Raver (CFA’91), Actor
2016 – Peter Paige (CFA’91), Actor, Producer
2015 – Greg Hildreth (CFA’05)*, Actor
2014 – Peter Del Vecho (CFA ’80) Producer
2010 – Bob Avian (CFA’59), Choreographer, Director, Producer
2008 – Robin Bartlett (CFA’73), Actor
2007 – Jess Goldstein (CFA’72), Costume Designer
2006 – Brad Oscar, (CFA’86), Actor
2005 – David Kneuss, (CFA’70), Executive Stage Director, The Metropolitan Opera
2004 – Michael Chiklis, (CFA’86), Actor
2003 – Paula Plum, (CFA’75), Actor
2002 – David Garrison, (CFA’74), Actor
2001 – Michelle Hurd, (CFA’88), Actor
2000 – Luoyong Wang, (CFA’89), Actor
1999 – Stewart Lane (CFA’73), Broadway Producer
1998 – Geena Davis (CFA’79), Actor
1997 – Michael Murray (CFA’55), Director
1996 – Wynn Thomas (CFA’75), Set Designer
1995 – Martin Sherman (CFA’60), Playwright
1994 – Olympia Dukakis (SAR’53, CFA’57, Hon.’00), Actor
1993 – Jason Alexander (CFA’81), Actor
1992 – Mary Ann Donahue (CFA’57,’58), Executive Producer/Director WNET-TV
1991 – Craig Lucas (CFA’73), Playwright/Director
1990 – Israel Hicks (CFA’67), Dean Theatre Arts & Film Division at SUNY Purchase
1989 – Douglass C. Wager (CFA’74), Artistic Director of the Arena Stage
>1988 – Peter Donnelly (CFA’60), President Corporate Council for the Arts
1987 – Alfre Woodard (CFA’74), Actor
1986 – David Mitchell (CFA’60), Theatrical Designer
School of Visual Arts Distinguished Awards
2022 – Alexi Worth (CFA’93), Visual Artist and Guggenheim Fellow
2019 – Joe Wardwell (CFA’99), Painter
2018 – Sedrick Huckaby (CFA’97, BUTI’95), Painter
2017 – Brian McLean (CFA’99), Director of rapid prototype at LAIKA Films
2016 – Joel Christian Gill (MFA’04), Illustrator, educator
2015 – David Delmar (CFA’06)*, Executive Director and Founder of Resilient Coders
2014 – Frank Ginsberg (CFA’65) Founder, Chairman, & CEO, Avrett Free Ginsberg
2010 – Gael Towey (CFA’75) Chief Creative and Editorial Director, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
2009 – Clifton Peacock (CFA’75,’77), Painter and Professor, College of Charleston
2008 – Carol Keller (CFA’80), Artist, Professor
2007 – Andrew Raftery (CFA’84), Painter, Engraver, Educator
2006 – Bruce Herman (CFA’77,’79), Painter
2005 – Rick Heinrichs (CFA’76), Production Designer
2004 – Jon Imber (CFA’77), Painter
2003 – Ivan Schwartz (CFA’73), Sculptor
2002 – Caren Canier (BUTI’73, CFA’76), Painter
2001 – Pat Steir, (CFA’60), Painter
2000 – Mary Ellen Doyle, (CFA’62), Painter
1999 – Robert Guillemin aka Sidewalk Sam (CFA’62,’67), Visual Artist, President of Art Street Inc.
1998 – Arnold Glimcher (CFA’61), Art Dealer, Founder of Pace Gallery, NYC
1997 – Robert Freeman (CFA’71,’81), Painter
1996 – Jane Aaron (CFA’69), Animator
1995 – Ira Yoffe (CFA’78), Director of Design; Parade Magazine
1994 – Brice Marden (CFA’61, Hon.’07), Painter
1993 – Penelope Jencks (CFA’58), Sculptor
1992 – Lorraine Shemesh (CFA’71), Painter
1991 – Sidney Hurwitz (CFA’59), Professor of Art at Boston University
1990 – Rick Meyerowitz (CFA’65), Illustrator
1989 – Paul S. Kahn (CFA’67), Psychotherapist at Beth Israel Hospital
1988 – Ben Frank Moss (CFA’63), Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of Iowa
1987 – Richard Yarde (CFA’62,’64), Professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
1986 – Phyllis Berman (CFA’73,’75), Painter
Other Awards
Distinguished Service to the College of Fine Arts
2010 – Saul Cohen President and Co-Founder, Hammond Real Estate, and Founder, Hammond Performing Arts Series
2009 – Judith Harris (CFA’74), Jungian Analyst and Philanthropist
2006 – Judith Flynn, Former Assistant Director, School of Theatre
2004 – Mary Ann Milano (CFA’66), owner, The Union Oyster House
2003 – Luo Yan (MFT’90), producer, actor
2000 – Anne-Marie Soulliere, former CFA Advisory Board Member
1999 – Janice Miller, philanthropist, owner of Art for Industry
1998 – Esther Kahn (Wheelock’55, Hon.’86, BUTI’93), former CFA Advisory Board Member, Philanthropist
Distinguished Service to the Profession
2009 – Marian Morash Television Chef, Author, Restaurateur; Vice President, Morash Associates, Inc.
2007 – Ronna Kress (CFA’81,’84), Freelance Casting Director
2005 – Fred Bronstein (CFA’78), CEO, Dallas Symphony Association
2002 – Russell Morash (CFA’57), Public television director and producer
2002 – Tony McLean (CFA’79), VP of Domestic Touring, Disney Theatrical Productions
1997 – Nina Tassler (CFA’79), Senior Vice President, Warner Brothers Television
1995 – Sid Bennett (DGE’52, COM’54, CFA’55), Professor, Light Design, School of Theatre (retired)
1994 – Marvin Schofer (CFA’56), President, Schofer/Gold Associates, Ltd. (retired)
Dean’s Arts & Humanities Award
1994 – David Hays (CFA’55) Founder and Director, National Theatre of the Deaf
1993 – Dr. Rita Simo (CFA’75), Music Director, The People’s Music School
1992 – Dr. Jane Schwartz (CFA’70, MED’88), Psychiatry Resident, Massachusetts Mental Health Center
1991 – Stephen Mindich (CFA’65, COM’67), Publisher/Chairman, Phoenix Media Communication Group
1990 – Paul Michael Glaser (CFA’67), Actor, Director
