The Regina Russo Hammel ’41 Recent Graduate Award honors a recent graduate, not more than 10 years ago, who has exhibited professional achievement and/or contributions to community life and who had demonstrated loyalty to the University.

In 1999, The Regina Hammel ’41 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award was created by Gary and Laura Hammel Dicovitsky in honor of Mrs. Dicovitsky’s mother.

Nominate An Alum For This Award

2024 Award Winner

President Marylou Yam and Jolisse Gray

Jolisse Gray '23

After graduating from Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in international relations in December 2022, Jolisse Gray immediately entered the workforce as a defense contractor for the U.S. Navy supporting security cooperation programs.

Gray was recognized as a leader and innovator in arms transfers, and she recently accepted a new role as a Senior Foreign Military Sales Analyst. She has been praised by her clients and partner nations across the world for her commitment to advancing national security and foreign policy interests.

Gray recently started her first year working towards a master’s degree in the prestigious Security Studies Program at Georgetown University, the top school in the world for security studies.

During her free time, Gray dedicates time to her parish, Epiphany of our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Annandale, Va., and she volunteers throughout the Northern Virginia community. Gray is the daughter of John and Lissette Gray of Byram Township, N.J., and she firmly believes her accolades cannot be praised without recognizing the hard work, dedication and sacrifices that were made by her parents

Past Winners
Year Winner
1999 Milda Motekaitis DeVoe ’90
2000 Theresa Giardina Wiseman ’90
2001 Theresa O’Keefe Armiger ’90, M’98
2002 Wendy Tribaldos – DePuy ’92
2003 Marianna Russell C’94
2004 Elizabeth Higgins Frost ’97
2005 Colleen Manley Sisolak ’96
2006 Roxanne Gladden Miller W’99
2007 Michelle Lizardo Kuntz ’97
2008 Veronique Gugliucciello ’98
2009 Julie Kline Rybczynski ’99
2010 Christina Hood Gray ’00, M’01
2011 Pamela Walters ’01, M’03
2012 La Vida Cooper ’03
2013 Lorna K. Hanley M'06
2014 Lauren Ackerman '08
2015 Nicole Kotulak '09 Ph.D.
2016 Monique L. Turner '03, PharmD. '15
2017 Lori Anderson Pollack '08
2018 Erin Smyth Tielsch '09
2019 Queenstar Akrong '14
2020 John G. Boyle M'16
2021 Kirby Gaddy ’13
2022 Lyndsay Rehak Wright '19 M’22
2023

Nephthalee Edmond Tefera Pharm.D.'13
Micah Castelo '18