The University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation (UMAF) has announced the 2026 UMass Alumni Honors Awards recipients.

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The awards are presented annually by the UMass Amherst Foundation to recognize outstanding alumni who have translated their UMass experience into professional success and meaningful service across different career stages and fields. Honorees will be celebrated at an Oct. 8 event sponsored by the UMass Amherst Alumni Association in the Campus Center Auditorium.

“It is inspiring to celebrate the remarkable achievements of this year’s Alumni Honors Awards honorees,” says UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier A. Reyes. “Across their professions and communities, these alumni are addressing challenges, creating opportunities, and improving the lives of others. Their successes are proof that public higher education is vital to advancing the common good.”

“I am proud to recognize alumni who exemplify the UMass Amherst mission,” says UMass Amherst Foundation President Arwen Duffy. “Their accomplishments are a powerful reminder of what investing in this university and its students can make possible. As champions for the university, these honorees help carry its mission forward, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of a UMass Amherst education.”

The 2026 UMass Alumni Honors Awards recipients are:

• Ida Cole ’68, – founding director, Social Venture Partners, the first female vice president in Microsoft history, who has spent decades supporting the arts and expanding opportunities for women in STEM.
• Leslie-Burl McLemore ’71 Ph.D. – professor emeritus of political science, Jackson State University, and civil rights activist, scholar, and political leader whose work as a student organizer in Mississippi helped raise awareness of Black voter disenfranchisement.
• Efosa Guobadia ’07, ’24 M.B.A. – CEO, Move Together; founder, FFITT Collective, who has worked as a physical therapist and movement health clinician to create the Global PT Day of Service and expand access to movement health across the world.
• Zaileen Janmohamed ’05 M.S., M.B.A. – president and CEO, Bay Area Host Committee, who has led the Bay Area’s unprecedented slate of global sporting events, including the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup, NBA All-Star Game, and NWSL Championship.
• The Honorable William P. Hadley ’80 – first justice, Holyoke District Court, who has increased access to treatment for substance use disorders and improved drug prevention and education for young people in Holyoke.
• María Sucher ’18 – senior marketing manager for conference and event strategy, VitalSource; founder, Latinos of UMass Alumni Network, whose work and volunteer leadership build community and support the growth and development of individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

“This year’s honorees highlight the remarkable breadth of talent, leadership, and service within the UMass Amherst alumni community,” said Michelle-Kim Cohen ’03, president of the UMass Amherst Alumni Association. “They continue to bring the spirit of UMass Amherst into their communities, professions, and the world, while inspiring students and peers to make their own mark.”

Past recipients have included Charles M. Sennott ’84, award-winning journalist and founder of The GroundTruth Project; Marian L. Heard ’76, ’01 Hon, philanthropist and community advocate who spent decades as a leader for United Way; and Kenneth R. Feinberg ’67, ’02 Hon, nationally recognized attorney whose work in victim compensation has included the September 11^th Victim Compensation Fund.

For more information about the 2026 distinguished alumni, visit the UMass Amherst Alumni website.