The Alumnus of the Year award is the highest honor the Alumni Association bestows. It recognizes outstanding graduates who have made significant contributions to their community, state or nation through public service, distinguished themselves in their professional careers and demonstrated a belief in the mission of UofL.
The Alumni Fellows awards are presented annually to graduates who have proven themselves to be exemplary ambassadors for their UofL schools or colleges through their contributions to their professional fields and their communities. Alumni Fellows are nominated by their respective UofL schools or colleges, and final selection is made by the Alumni Association.
Mitzi B. Friedlander 52A, 71G--College of Arts and Sciences
A well-known figure in Louisville's theatrical world, Mitzi B. Friedlander has performed with Actor's Theatre Louisville, the Kentucky Opera Association, the Louisville Children's Theatre and the Louisville Ballet. She has taught theater arts at UofL and Indiana University Southeast. Friedlander is best known for her outstanding work as a Talking Book narrator at the American Printing House for the Blind, for whom she has worked for over 45 years. She has narrated more than 1,500 titles for the program, which serves the visually impaired worldwide.
Friedlander received her B.A. in English in 1952 from UofL. In 1971 she became the first person to earn an M.A. in theater arts at UofL.
Charles P. Denny 75B, 80GB—College of Business
Charles “Chuck” Denny was named regional president of Kentucky, Tennessee and Southern Indiana banking during the recent acquisition of National City by PNC. Before this, he served as president of National City–Kentucky Banking. In his 29 years at the bank, Denny held numerous positions, including executive vice president and chief credit officer.
He has been chair of the board of Greater Louisville Inc., chair of UofL’s board of overseers and chair of the Every1Reads and 2007 Metro United Way capital campaigns. He has served on the board of directors of the College of Business and Baptist Hospital East.
Denny earned a B.S. in finance and MBA from UofL. He is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware.
John N. Williams 80DMD, 87GB—School of Dentistry
Dr. John N. Williams has served as the dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry since 2005. Prior to this, he served as the dean of the UofL School of Dentistry from 1999 to 2005 and as a faculty member in the Department of Community Dentistry.
He has worked in private practice and part-time at the Louisville Memorial Primary Care Center and the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women. He was a co-principal investigator for Kentucky’s first statewide study on oral health.
Williams is a 1974 graduate of Transylvania University and a 1980 graduate of the UofL School of Dentistry. In 1987 he earned his MBA from UofL. He is a lifetime member of the School of Dentistry’s Second Century Society and is a recipient of UofL’s Distinguished Alumni award.
Constance Unseld 70E—College of Education and Human Development
Constance “Connie” Unseld is the founder, owner and director of Unselds' School. The private school, located in Baltimore, Md., educates children ages nine months through eighth grade. It has been acclaimed as a “School of Excellence” and has made a considerable impact on education in the Baltimore community.
Unseld’s professional affiliations include Maryland Society for Sight, McDaniel College, Coppin State Foundation Board, Independent School’s Association, Maryland Childcare Association and Children’s Home Advisory Council. She is a former member of the University of Maryland Medical System’s board and the University of Maryland’s board of regents.
She received her B.S in education from UofL in 1970 and master’s degree in early childhood education from Towson State University.
Benjamin Streepey 78S, 79GS—J.B. Speed School of Engineering
Ben M. Streepey is the vice president and general manager of Business Products at Lexmark International. He is responsible for worldwide research, development and general management of the monochrome and color laser business. He has been with Lexmark since its inception in 1991.
He serves on the finance committee of St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Speed School Dean’s Industrial Board of Advisors, the University of Kentucky’s Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and the Lexington Catholic High School board of directors.
Streepey received his B.S. in 1978 and master’s degree in 1979, both in electrical engineering, from Speed School. In 2005 the school honored him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Jay P. Davidson 91K—Kent School of Social Work
Jay Davidson joined the staff of the Healing Place in 1991 as executive director and chief clinical officer before becoming president and chief executive officer in 2004. The Healing Place helps people gain freedom from homelessness, alcoholism and drug addiction and is a nationally recognized and award-winning model program.
The 436-bed shelter provides a sobering-up center, emergency shelter and recovery program for homeless men, women and children. Davidson oversees finance and administration, fund development, public relations, facilities management, program administration of the recovery programs and supervision of the free healthcare clinic.
He was selected from more than 1,000 nominees to receive the Civic Ventures’ 2008 Purpose Prize for “innovation and extraordinary social contribution in an encore career.”
Lisabeth Hughes Abramson 77A, 80L—Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
Lisabeth Hughes Abramson was sworn in as a justice for the Supreme Court of Kentucky Sept. 10, 2007, after being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the late Justice William E. McAnulty Jr. In November 2008 the voters of Jefferson County elected her to the 4th Supreme Court District.
Justice Abramson served as a Kentucky Court of Appeals judge, a circuit judge for the 30th Judicial Circuit in Division Three of the Jefferson Circuit Court.
She was named the Outstanding Graduate of her 1980 law school class. Before serving as a judge, she practiced law for 15 years, concentrating on business and commercial litigation. She is a past president of the UofL School of Law Alumni Council and is a Master of the Louis D. Brandeis American Inns of Court.
Lawrence E. Gibson 80MD—School of Medicine
Dr. Lawrence Gibson is on the staff at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where he is a professor of dermatology in the College of Medicine. He graduated from the UofL School of Medicine in 1980 cum laude and from Mayo Graduate School of Medicine Internal Medicine Internship Program, followed by residencies in dermatology and dermatopathology.
Dr. Gibson is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology, and immunodermatology. He has authored over 100 peer reviewed articles, published 25 book chapters, and authored numerous other articles on various dermatological topics.
He is on the board of medical examiners in four states and editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Dermatology.
Patrick L. Harbison 77M—School of Music
Patrick Harbison is professor of jazz studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. He previously served on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
He has been on the faculty of Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops since 1976 and has presented hundreds of jazz clinics and workshops around the world. Harbison has released four CDs as leader or co-leader and has appeared as jazz soloist on numerous recordings. He is a well-known jazz clinician and his books are used by trumpeters around the world.
Harbison received his bachelor’s in music education from UofL in 1977 and his master’s in jazz studies from Indiana University in 1987.
Patricia B. Howard 79N—School of Nursing
Patricia “Pat” Howard is a faculty member of the University of Kentucky’s College of Nursing, where she serves as an associate dean for the master’s and doctor of nursing practice programs.
She is the 1991 American Nurses Foundation Scholar and a fellow at UK. She is a founding board member of the International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses.
Howard’s numerous awards include the International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses “Jeanette Chamberlain Award” for overall contributions to the advancement of psychiatric nursing. She has also received publications awards, including Editor’s Choice by the Council of Science and Archives of Psychiatric Nursing.
She earned her bachelor’s in nursing from UofL in 1979, followed by her master’s and Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Kentucky.
Hank Conn is a senior executive adviser for corporations around the world, guiding CEOs and executive teams as they lead their organizations through complex transformation and change. He is the former vice president of the global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney Inc.
