The UAB National Alumni Society has selected Dr. Catherine Daniélou, Senior Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, as its recipient of the 2017 Honorary Alumni Award.
The Honorary Alumni Award is presented to a member of the UAB family who has made exceptional contributions to UAB and its programs. For 25 years, Dr. Daniélou has been an integral part of UAB. She joined the faculty of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in 1990 and during her tenure, has amassed a long list of academic and administrative accomplishments, including directing the International Studies Program, establishing CAS Academic Advising, and serving as interim chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. She has successfully shepherded the College of Arts and Sciences through the SACS accreditation process and has been named the SGA Faculty Member of the Year and Faculty Advisor of the Year. She’s been awarded with the UAB Conner Prize for the History of Ideas and the UAB President’s Excellence in Teaching Award. She has also been a longtime member and current chair of the UAB Athletics Advisory Committee.
Dean Palazzo said in his nomination letter, “While her administrative skills are exceptional, her relationships with faculty, staff, and students are what make her special and remarkable. She loves UAB deeply and works tirelessly to help others achieve their personal and professional goals. She has the institutional memory that helps guide us as we make decisions, as well as the enthusiasm for the future to propel us forward in our plans. She is a beloved member of our faculty and one of the most trusted people in the entire College of Arts and Sciences. She has a servant’s heart, and her service is, first and foremost, to UAB.”
Other nominators noted, “She will do anything for her ‘dear old UAB’ no matter how many late nights at her desk, no matter how many weekends at recruitment fairs, no matter how many sporting events, or performances, or exhibits, or lectures. She is always there—encouraging, cheering, clapping, supporting, embracing—because she is so proud of this place and the people who make it the special place that it is.”
Dr. Daniélou, along with the recipients of the recipients of the Honorary Lifetime Alumni award, the Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, were honored at the Alumni Awards and Recognition Luncheon on September 29, 2017 at the UAB National Alumni Society House.
Congratulations to Dr. Daniélou!
