Honorees at the 2024 UT Dallas Awards Gala include (from left) Derrick D. Morgan BA’99; Richard Kurjan MA’82; Sejal Desai MBA’99; Dr. Navzer Engineer MS’02, PhD’04; Elaine Padovani PhD’77; Charmaine Solomon BA’01; Dr. Sulman Ahmed BA’01; and Katie Robbins, president and CEO of Hoblitzelle Foundation.

The University of Texas at Dallas celebrated distinguished alumni and supporters at the UT Dallas Awards Gala on a night marking the 20th anniversary of the event.

Held at the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center on April 13, just days after students, faculty, staff and friends gathered on campus to view the once-in-a-generation total solar eclipse, the evening fittingly opened with a tribute to the University’s first distinguished alum: astronaut James Reilly BS’77, MS’87, PhD’95.

Shanon Patrick, associate vice president for development and alumni relations, holds a pennant taken to space by astronaut James Reilly BS’77, MS’87, PhD’95, the University’s first Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

President Richard C. Benson unveiled a UT Dallas pennant that accompanied Reilly to space during his final mission in 2007. Other items from Reilly’s spaceflights were displayed during the event in Texas Instruments Inspiration Hall in the alumni center.

Kyle Edgington PhD’13, vice president for development and alumni relations, noted the conjunction of the gala’s anniversary and the rare celestial phenomenon.

“After this week, when nearly all of us turned our eyes to the sky to witness the total solar eclipse, we are reminded of just how high our Comets can soar,” he said. “We’re excited to welcome new honorees into the distinguished community that began with Jim Reilly 20 years ago.”

Benson, who is also the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership, said: “When you consider that UT Dallas will turn 55 this year, it is remarkable that we have such a distinguished alumni base and supportive community. It speaks volumes to our rapid climb to excellence and to the caliber of those who have chosen to join in our mission.”

Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

The Hoblitzelle Foundation, an active partner of UT Dallas since the 1970s, received the Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award. During the University’s early years, the foundation donated 275 acres that is now the western section of campus. When UTD was first authorized to admit freshmen in the early 1990s, the foundation funded some of the University’s first scholarships, which in turn helped increase enrollment. In more recent years, the foundation has supported research at the Center for BrainHealth and the Callier Center for Communication Disorders.

“We feel like UT Dallas is just a crown jewel of North Texas and the public education system. They are attracting such high-quality students to our area,” said Katie Robbins, president and CEO of Hoblitzelle Foundation. “Mr. Hoblitzelle would be so pleased that his original gift of land has impacted so many lives in North Texas. His investment was so catalytic.”

Founded by entrepreneur Karl Hoblitzelle and his wife, Esther, in 1942, the foundation has given more than 3,400 grants and $258 million to support Texas nonprofit organizations, primarily in the Dallas area. Robbins said the foundation supports capital projects related to medicine, education, social services, civic infrastructure and the arts.

More Awards Gala Coverage

See additional photos from the event at utdallas.edu/gala.

Former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, who serves on the foundation’s board, said UT Dallas is a natural partner for the foundation’s vision for a flourishing North Texas.

“The tradition of Dallas is one of great businessmen and women who saw the needs for our city in the future,” Rawlings said. “There’s an obligation we have to continue that for the next decades. UT Dallas does that. The Hoblitzelle Foundation does that — thinking about our region’s long-term needs. That’s what makes the North Texas area, and Dallas in particular, very special.”

Green and Orange Award

Sejal Desai MBA’99, executive director of the Akanksha Education Fund, a nonprofit that runs 26 public-private partnership schools in India for children from low-income communities, received the Green and Orange Award for her service to the University.

A passionate advocate for education, hunger relief and women’s issues in the U.S. and India, she has been a mentor for UTD students since her graduation from the Naveen Jindal School of Management. In 2023, she was the Jindal School’s first alumni commencement speaker.

“I count my wealth through the relationships I’ve amassed over time, and many of those relationships began very early on during my time at UT Dallas,” Desai said. “Even though I’m not an entrepreneur anymore, I carry that spirit in the work I do. It’s the spirit that was instilled in me at UT Dallas.”

She is a member of the Jindal School’s council for New Dimensions: The Campaign for UT Dallas. She also has established two endowments: one that supports MBA students and a second for Dallas Independent School District participants in the Jindal School’s Young Scholars Program.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

The Distinguished Alumni Award is given to graduates who have achieved great renown in their careers. This year’s winners are esteemed in the fields of science, business, public policy and social services.

Each honoree was recognized at the gala with a video celebrating their accomplishments.