UGA opens nominations for prestigious Footsteps Award
The University of Georgia is accepting nominations for its Footsteps Award, an annual honor celebrating UGA graduates carrying forward the pioneering spirit of three trailblazers who helped to integrate UGA — Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63), Hamilton Holmes (BS ’63) and Mary Frances Early (MMED ’62, EDS ’67).
UGA alumni, faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to nominate deserving graduates by completing the online form at alumni.uga.edu/footsteps-award. Nominations close February 13, and the recipient will be announced in late spring.
The award recognizes a graduate whose influence extends across multiple areas of their community. A committee of UGA faculty, staff, alumni, and students will select the honoree, who will be formally recognized during the 1961 Club Celebration this summer.
Now in its fourth year, the Footsteps Award has honored leaders including Eugenia Harvey in 2022, Richard Dunn and Xernona Thomas in 2023, Justice Robert Benham in 2024, and most recently, Marti Health founder and CEO Dr. Michael V. Smith.
“Our alumni continue to inspire us with the ways they lead, serve, and uplift their communities,” said Adam Roell, UGA’s executive director of alumni relations. “The Footsteps Award shines a light on those who extend the legacy of Hunter-Gault, Holmes, and Early, proving that the Bulldog spirit reaches far beyond campus.”
Questions about the award can be emailed to alumni@uga.edu.
