Alumni News

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Tannaz Haddadi, BA Philosophy '99, MS Conflict Analysis and Resolution '05, with the Distinguished Alumni Award in philosophy. Haddadi is a deputy associate director at the Federal Reserve Board and a senior executive with more than two decades of leadership across government, private, and nonprofit sectors.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Jay Trainer, MA History '95, with the Distinguished Alumni Award in history and art history. Trainer serves as chief operating officer for the National Archives and Records Administration, overseeing public-facing organizations including presidential libraries, museums, legislative archives, agency and research services, and the federal register.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Sean McAlister, DA '99, with the Distinguished Alumni Award in higher education. McAlister serves as chief learning officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce, leading professional development for more than 48,000 employees across 12 bureaus in 120 countries.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Séléna Batchily-Amon, BA Global Affairs '17, with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award in global affairs. Batchily-Amon is a project management officer in the office of the CEO at Orange Côte d’Ivoire, where she drives executive strategy and digital transformation for one of Africa’s leading telecom companies.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Michael Carrigan, BA English '98, with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award in English. Carrigan serves as branch chief for the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative at the Health Resources and Services Administration’s HIV/AIDS Bureau. He leads a team supporting jurisdictions across the country in delivering innovative care and treatment for people with HIV. 

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Shauna Rigaud, PhD '24, with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni award in cultural studies. Rigaud is a cultural studies scholar whose work explores the intersections of race, gender, identity, and freedom within the Anglophone Caribbean.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor David Huchler, BS Law Enforcement '91, CERG Administration of Justice '04, MPA '06 with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award in criminology, law and society. Huchler served with the City of Alexandria Police Department for 26 years before being appointed chief of police for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority in April 2018.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Steve Gladis, MA English '84, PhD Education '95, with the 2025 CHSS alumni service award. A leadership speaker and executive coach, Steve Gladis is an authority on the topic of leadership.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Zavin Smith with the 2025 School of Integrative Studies/Bachelor of Individualized Studies Distinguished Alumni Award. Smith is a dedicated professional with a robust background in higher education advancement.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Kira Clark, BA Foreign Languages; Russian Studies '03, with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni award in Russian and Eurasian studies. Clark is the founder the nonprofit organization, K9s Serving Vets, and a U.S. Army veteran.