College Celebrates Student Service at Annual Durkin Awards
Middlebury honored excellence in public service at the 2026 Patrick J. Durkin, Class of 1979, Public Service Leadership Awards hosted by the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) at Middlebury College. The May 4 ceremony at Wilson Hall recognized Middlebury students, alumni, educators, and community partners for their commitment to a wide variety of organizations.
President Ian Baucom welcomed the crowd in his opening remarks. “Tonight we celebrate what is made possible when our community comes together and works selflessly to advance education, to celebrate cultures, to understand history, and to enrich the lives—individually and collectively—of the citizens in this place we call home.”
Baucom noted the longstanding collaboration between the College and the town of Middlebury and his appreciation for discovering how that relationship “manifests in service” during this first year as president. He reflected on his own upbringing and his parents’ missionary work running adult literacy programs in apartheid South Africa—an experience that instilled in him the value of public service and an understanding of the power of education to lift people and build a “democracy of peers.”
Keynote speaker and Addison Central School District (ACSD) Superintendent Dr. Wendy Baker drew connections between ACSD’s vision and Middlebury College’s mission to prepare students to enrich their communities.
“More than ever, public school employees need your international mindset, appreciative energy, and dedication to innovation grounded in humanity that represent hallmark qualities of Middlebury College students,” said Baker. She advised students to continue building connections with the public sector “regardless of the paths each of you may take from here, especially if your professional efforts become devoted to the private sector. The crafting of community through our connections to each other is the most valuable opportunity before all of us.”
The following students, alumni, educators, and community partners were honored at the 2026 Patrick J. Durkin ’79 Public Service Leadership Awards. The Center for Community Engagement staff presented the awards with the assistance of several guest co-presenters.
The John M. McCardell Jr. Public Service Leadership Award—which recognizes a student who best exemplifies efforts that bring Middlebury, both the College and the town, closer together for public benefit—was presented to Brooke Dolan ’26.
The Bonnie McCardell Public Service Award is awarded to a student who exemplifies outreach in youth and family services, literacy, and/or the special needs of middle and early high schoolers. This award was presented to Casey Nguyen ’27.
The Dana Morosini Reeve ’84, P’14 Endowed Memorial Public Service Award is given to the student “who best exemplifies Dana’s spirit and determination as she tirelessly and selflessly devoted her life to caring for her husband Christopher Reeve and, through the Christopher Reeve Foundation, to her work as an advocate for all those with spinal cord injuries.” Claudia Lopez ’26 received the first award co-presented by Lilian Prime ’25. The second award went to Changchang Ma ’26.
The CCE staff, with support from co-presenters Daniel Houghton, Neel Shah, Professor Olga Sanchez Saltveit, and Heidi Lacey, then awarded six general Patrick J. Durkin, Class of 1979, Public Service Leadership Awards to the following students:
- Caleb Boateng ’26
- El Fahey ’26
- Kseniia Lebid ’26
- Isbeth Bustos ’26
- Mary Elliot ’26
- Ignacio Gamero ’26, Joseph Jacobson ’27; Lucas Basham ’28; Erik Ghalib ’28.5
CCE Director Kailee Brickner-McDonald took a moment to honor two educators and former PSLA winners who are departing their roles at the College. Pam Berembaum, professor of the practice in global health, and James Calvin Davis, George Adams Ellis Professor of Liberal Arts, professor of religion.
The CCE wrapped up the evening with awards for educators who make community-connected learning accessible for students, alumni who have demonstrated their dedication to public service years after graduating, and community partnerships that exemplify the power of collaboration for advancing the public good.
Two Community Engaged Teaching and Scholarship Awards recognized Middlebury College educators for high-quality work integrating community engagement into their teaching and/or research through long-term, collaborative, community-engaged partnerships that address a community-identified need or priority. Professor Olga Sanchez Saltveit received the award co-presented by Nancy Rivera ’26; Megan Brakeley ’06 received the award co-presented by Changchang Ma ’26.
The Patrick J. Durkin Public Service Alumni Leadership Awards were presented to three Middlebury College graduates who “demonstrate a dedication to the common good through significant collaborative contributions in public service and leadership after graduation.” The first award, co-presented by Dan Tumwine ’29, went to Francoise Niyigena ’21. Next, Meg Sears ’19.5 and Jack Carew ’20 were jointly awarded. Alumni winners attended the ceremony on Zoom.
The final award category honored exceptional educational partnerships between Middlebury College and a community organization to address community needs with the Tiffany Nourse Sargent ’79 Engaged Partnership Award. This year, there were two partnerships recognized. The first award went to the Henry Sheldon Museum. Ellery Foutch, associate professor in American studies, co-presented the award to Coco Moseley, the executive director of the Henry Sheldon Museum.
The second Tiffany Nourse Sargent ’79 Engaged Partnership Award was given to Mary Hogan Elementary School in Middlebury. Women’s hockey coach Doug Mandigo co-presented the award to Mary Hogan Principal Jen Kravitz and Julie Altemose, the school’s librarian and media teacher.
About the Patrick J. Durkin ’79 Public Service Leadership Awards
Patrick J. Durkin was a member of the Class of 1979 and founder of the Public Service Leadership Awards. Durkin, who died by suicide in the summer of 2020, understood the importance of public service and helped Middlebury build collaborative relationships with local, national, and international communities. He helped Middlebury celebrate service and civic leadership and aimed to provide the same recognition for students dedicated to public service as those who achieve excellence in academics, athletics, or the performing arts. In Durkin’s honor, the awards were officially renamed the Patrick J. Durkin, Class of 1979, Public Service Leadership Awards in 2021.
With support from the Durkin Fund, the CCE will make $500 donations on behalf of each award winner to a nonprofit organization of their choice. The Durkin Fund supports these awards and other CCE programs that foster student public service leadership. As of this year, the CCE will have recognized a total of 294 students through these awards and distributed $100,000 to nonprofit organizations designated by the award recipients.
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental illness, please seek support from Middlebury Counseling and MiddTelehealth, or the National Suicide Life Line and the Crisis Text Line.