From the Nominator

In 2022, the University of Iowa's (UI's) Eight Over 80 Award and Luncheon launched. This new event serves to recognize eight alums age 80 and over who are making a positive impact in their communities, giving back through lifelong service and sharing of knowledge. They’re leaders in their professions, generous with their time and talent and making an impact well beyond retirement. We strive to honor these Iowa alums who carry the Hawkeye spirit of achievement and continue to help others. This population of our constituencies can often be overlooked, and this award recognizes them and highlights that age really is just a number. In our first year, seven of the eight award recipients  were able to attend. To make the experience memorable, we offered a private tour of the UI campus, captured photos of the event and sent prints to the recipients, and videoed the luncheon. We compiled biographies for recipients that were read at the luncheon, shared on our website, and published in Iowa Magazine. Overall, we received positive feedback from the University of Iowa Center for Advancement and UI staff that attended the event, as well as from the recipients and their families. We awarded six individuals and two couples in 2023 and will award another eight individuals in 2024. Relationships with the university have deepened for many of the recipients.

From the Judges

The panel was impressed by how this initiative connected back to Iowa's mission and touched a constituency that is often forgotten. We liked the supporting materials that showed how sophisticated and lively the initiative felt. They clearly had a successful first year, and this initiative would be easily replicable across a variety of institutions.