Each Homecoming, the University of Montana Alumni Association honors outstanding alumni with Distinguished Alumni Awards. University alumni and friends are invited to nominate, on an individual basis, a graduate or former student for this award.
Recipients of the award are individuals who have distinguished themselves in a particular field and who have brought honor to the University, the state or the nation. The University of Montana Alumni Association Board of Directors Awards Committee focuses on career achievement, professional honors, professional membership/directorship, community service and UM or UMAA recognition or service in selecting recipients. Read more about the criteria and nominating procedures.
For questions, contact Jodi Moreau by phone 877-UM-ALUMS or email jodi.moreau@umontana.edu.
The UM Alumni Association strongly encourages nominations that reflect the diversity of our alumni.
2026 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients
Jennifer "Jen" Marangelo, '98, MIS '08
Jen Dacy Marangelo has spent much of her life helping people see what they have overlooked. As founder and executive director of the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, she has turned a lifelong curiosity about the natural world into a one-of-a-kind science museum that invites visitors of all ages to look closely at the small creatures... read more
Sara Scott, '79, PhD '14
Dr. Sara Alicia Scott has spent more than four decades helping Montanans see what lies beneath the surface: the trails, campsites, rock art and artifacts that reveal how people moved through and adapted to this landscape for thousands of years. An accomplished archaeologist, interpreter and preservation advocate, she has built a career on the quiet, patient work of protecting cultural resources and bringing... read more
Dr. James "Jim" Souza, '88
Dr. James “Jim” Souza’s career has been built on the intersection of medicine and communication. The skills required to care for critically ill patients and steer one of Idaho’s largest health systems through immense change were first honed at the University of Montana. A pulmonologist and critical care physician by training, he now serves as System Chief Physician Executive at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, where he leads clinical strategy, quality and physician engagement across eight hospitals, hundreds of clinics and more than a thousand... read more
Dayna Swanson, '93, MPA '95
Dayna Swanson has built a life around the belief that public service is both a vocation and a responsibility. From her roots in Anaconda to leadership roles in the U.S. Senate, health care, and local government, she has devoted her career to strengthening communities, expanding access to public institutions and mentoring the next generation... read more