Indiana University South Bend honored six distinguished alumni at its first annual Alumni of the Year luncheon. The inaugural event recognized alumni from each of IU South Bend’s five colleges and schools and the Franklin D. Schurz Library. They are:
Chris Bradford
The Alumnus of the Year from the Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics is Christopher Bradford. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from IU South Bend and currently is the lead tax partner of the Indiana practice of RSM US, the fifth largest accounting firm in the world.
Brandon Briggs
The Alumnus of the Year from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts is Brandon Briggs. Brandon earned a bachelor’s degree of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting from IU South Bend. He is currently a full-time Instructor in Drawing and Painting at Bowling Green State University.
Seianna Giden McCray
The Alumna of the Year from the Franklin D. Schurz Library is Seianna Giden McCray. Seianna worked at the Schurz Library circulation department while she was earning her bachelor’s degree in Education at IU South Bend. She is currently an educator at the Xavier School of Excellence and entrepreneur, starting a food-based tutoring program in the community called “A is for Apple Pie.” Seianna is among eight siblings who graduated from IU South Bend.
Amy Hazelwood
The Alumna of the Year from the Vera Z. Dwyer College of Health Sciences is Amy Hazelwood. Amy is a graduate of the IU South Bend Dental Hygiene program. Amy and her family established the Angela Hazlewood Murat Memorial Scholarship at the IU School of Dentistry to honor their daughter Dr. Angela Hazlewood Murat who passed away at the age of 37 after a courageous battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Amy also was the driving force in the creation of Dr. Angie’s Dental Health Exchange in South Bend, a non-profit organization that coordinates donated dental care for members of the underserved in
the community.
Mark Royer, M.D.
The Alumnus of the Year from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is Mark Royer. Mark graduated from IU South Bend with a bachelor’s of science degree in Chemistry. Mark went on to earn his medical degree from the IU School of Medicine and now serves as the Regional Health Physicians Medical Director at Columbus ENT & Allergy in Columbus, Indiana.
Carmen Williams
The Alumna of the Year from the School of Education is Carmen Williams. Carmen graduated with distinction from IU South Bend with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Currently, she is the principal of Jefferson Intermediate Traditional School in South Bend and active in statewide educational issues. Under Carmen’s leadership, Jefferson received an “A” score from the Indiana Department
of Education for academic growth.