The University of Chicago has a long tradition of honoring distinguished and committed alumni who have shaped the world and strengthened their global alumni community.
The University of Chicago Alumni Association and the Alumni Board have announced the recipients of the 2023 Alumni Awards, and TWO of the 2023 alumni so honored are Psi Upsilon brothers of the Omega chapter!
Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Alumni Service Medal and Ken Ono, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Professional Achievement Award
The Professional Achievement Award recipients are accomplished people in any professional field. These alumni’s achievements have brought distinction to themselves, credit to the University and benefit to their communities. The Alumni Service Medal recognize the achievements of individuals working on behalf of the University through service in alumni programs, on advisory committees and through efforts made to ensure the welfare of the institution.
Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Alumni Service Medal
Douglas Jackman began his volunteer service to the University even before his graduation from the College by chairing the Senior Class Gift of 1989. His leadership was recognized at graduation with the Howell Murray Award. As a young alum working in New York, he was active in the New York Alumni Club, serving on the New York Centennial Dinner Board and interviewing prospective students for the College Admissions office.
Jackman served on the Visiting Committee to the College (now called the College Advisory Council) for two terms. In 1995, he was elected to the University’s Alumni Board of Governors and served six years on that board, including serving as an officer and chairing the board’s Nominating Committee. He continued to work on board initiatives as a founding sponsor of the Externship Project, which offered undergraduate students a chance to shadow alumni in various professions. He was also actively involved in the Metcalf Internship Program from its inception 25-plus years ago. He served on the inaugural committee to select the first class of the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.
Ken Ono, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Professional Achievement Award
Ken Ono is a mathematician at the University of Virginia, where he is the STEM Advisor to the Provost, fellow of the Shannon Center for Advanced Studies, and the Marvin Rosenblum Professor of Mathematics. He is well known for his research in mathematics, specializing in algebra, combinatorics, and number theory.
Ono has received many awards for his research, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Packard Fellowship and a Sloan Fellowship. In a ceremony at the White House in 2000, Bill Clinton awarded Ono a Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering. In 2005 he was named the National Science Foundation’s Distinguished Teaching Scholar, the foundation’s highest honor for excellence in teaching and research. He is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. His professional service has included leadership roles in various professional organizations, such as vice president of the American Mathematical Society and chair of the Mathematics Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is the founder and director of the Spirit of Ramanujan STEM Talent Initiative, which supports emerging engineers, mathematicians, and scientists who lack traditional institutional support through financial grants and mentorship opportunities.