Awards Criteria

The 2026 awards will be presented during Homecoming and Family Weekend in the fall of 2026 (date to be announced in March). Nominations for our 2026 awards program are open until Friday, February 6, 2026. 

The Capen Award recognizes notable meritorious contributions from alumni to the university and its family, including those that influence the growth and improvement of UB and inspire others to give their active interest and material support to the university.

The Walter P. Cooke Community Leadership Award is presented to an alumnus in recognition of outstanding accomplishments that make our university and/or their community a better place. Honorees influence the growth and improvement of the community and inspire others to give their active interest and material support.

The George W. Thorn Award is given to University at Buffalo alumni under 40 who have made outstanding contributions to their career fields or academic areas.

The late Mrs. Furnas established this award to be presented annually to a graduate of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences or of the College of Arts and Sciences in a natural sciences or mathematics discipline. The recipients will have distinguished themselves in a field of science, thereby bringing honor to the university.

The International Distinguished Alumni Award is given to an alumnus who resides and works outside of the United States in recognition of exceptional career accomplishments, community or university service, or research and scholarly activity.

The Philip B. Wels Outstanding Service Award is given to individuals and groups whose contributions advance the University at Buffalo for a specific purpose or who have advanced UB’s quality of life by serving in a voluntary capacity for a significant period of time.

These awards are given in recognition of exceptional career accomplishments, community or university service, and research and scholarly activity.

The Community Leadership Award is presented in recognition of outstanding accomplishments that make our university community a better place to live and work. Whether a UB alumnus or not, anyone who has made one or more outstanding contributions to the community is eligible.

The award is named in honor of the late Richard T. Sarkin, EdM ’98, an accomplished pediatrician renowned for his teaching expertise, his work improving faculty and medical residents’ teaching skills, and his efforts to strengthen physicians’ communication with patients. The award acknowledges outstanding achievements by UB alumni who have earned distinction as educators at accredited institutions of higher education.