Association of Yale Alumni Names Yale Medalists

Five Yale University alumni have been selected by the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA) to receive the Yale Medal in 2008.

This year’s recipients are Edward A. Dennis, Linda Koch Lorimer, Roslyn Milstein Meyer, Don T. Nakanishi and William H. Wright II.

Inaugurated in 1952, the Yale Medal is the highest award presented by the Association of Yale Alumni and is conferred solely to recognize and honor outstanding individual service to the University. Since its inception, the Yale Medal has been presented to 267 individuals, all of whom not only showed devotion to the ideals of the University, but also demonstrated their support of Yale through extensive service on behalf of Yale as a whole or one of its many schools, institutes, or programs.

The citations for this year’s award winners follow:

Edward A. Dennis (Class of 1963) has served Yale with distinction and commitment in many volunteer leadership roles. First appointed as an AYA delegate from the Yale Club of San Diego in 1994, he was later elected to the AYA Board of Governors in 1998, and went on to serve as Board Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-Chair and Chair between 2000 and 2006. Dennis still serves on the University Council and has served on the Development and Alumni Affairs Committee of the Yale Corporation as well as the boards of the Yale Alumni Magazine and the Yale Alumni Fund. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Yale Club of San Diego and serves on the Alumni Schools Committee. He received the Yale Club of San Diego Tercentennial Award in 2001 and the Yale Science and Engineering Association Meritorious Service to Yale Award in 2004.

Linda Koch Lorimer (Yale Law School, 1977) has made countless contributions to Yale and the larger community in the time since she earned her JD degree—contributions that extend far beyond her current official capacity as Vice President and Secretary of the University. Her volunteer efforts have touched such diverse parts of the campus as the Women’s Health Research at Yale initiative, the Board of Trustees at the Berkeley Divinity School, and the School of Music Advisory Board. She was elected by her peers to serve as Alumni Fellow of the Yale Corporation between 1990 and 1996. She has been a role model for women leaders and was one of six recipients of the 2008 Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award. In recent years, she has been an exceptional champion and advocate for the growth of the programs and services offered by the Association of Yale Alumni.

Roslyn Milstein Meyer’s dedication extends to many areas of the University and the surrounding community. Dr. Meyer (Class of 1971, 1973 MS, 1977 PhD) is a clinical psychologist and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry as well as a community activist. She has shared her professional expertise as a voluntary member of the faculty at the Yale School of Medicine. Meyer’s interest in medicine has led her to serve as a member of the Volunteer Council for Women’s Health Research at Yale. In addition, Meyer has served as a board member of the Yale University Art Gallery and as a trustee for the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life. She was a co-founder and past chair of New Haven’s International Festival of Arts and Ideas and the Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership program (LEAP). Most recently, her commitment and generosity has supported melanoma research at the Yale School of Medicine.

Don T. Nakanishi (Class of 1971) has been a tireless supporter of the Admissions Office since his undergraduate days and has been a strong advocate for Yale’s diversity efforts in student and faculty recruitment and academic programs. For nearly three decades, he has chaired the Alumni Schools Committee of Los Angeles County, which interviews over 1,200 applicants annually, and has written a highly praised newsletter that helps incoming Southern California freshmen and their parents make the transition to Yale. He has also served as an AYA delegate and an AYA Board member. Nakanishi, son Thomas (Class of 2005), and wife Marsha established a prize that is awarded annually to two seniors who have contributed most to advancing ethnic relations at Yale. Nakanishi is the director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, the leading program of its kind in the nation.

William H. Wright II (Class of 1982) has been involved in the life of the University since his graduation. His enthusiasm and devotion have taken him in many directions including serving as chairman of the reunion gift committees for his tenth, fifteenth and twenty-fifth reunions. He received the Alumni Fund Chairman’s Award in 1992 for setting the record for a tenth reunion gift. In 1993, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Yale Alumni Fund where he served until 2001, ultimately serving as Chair 2004-2006. Wright was appointed to the University Council. He also serves on the Yale Tomorrow Campaign Executive Committee and is a Sterling Fellow. In addition, Wright is Chairman of the University Librarian’s Development Council, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and an Associate Fellow of Morse College.

Additional Contacts:
Ann Griffith 203-432-1940
Mark Dollhopf 203-432-1941