Ivan Allen College Celebrates 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Posted April 18, 2025
The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts celebrated students, faculty, and alumni at the 11th Annual Distinguished Alumni Awards on April 17.
The cocktail hour and awards ceremony at the Georgian Terrace recognized graduates from each of the six Schools in Ivan Allen College and the three ROTC units. This year’s winners have forged exceptional careers in public health, policy, business, and the Armed Forces.
The event also included the Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Awards, honoring a standout graduate student, undergraduate student, and faculty member, as well as the Dean’s Appreciation Award, celebrating extraordinary contributions to the College’s advancement, reputation, and mission.
2025 Dean’s Appreciation Award
This year’s recipient of the Dean’s Appreciation Award is Amy Phuong, a 2005 graduate of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and a 2014 MBA from the Scheller College of Business. Among Phuong’s many contributions to the Atlanta community is a clear dedication to her alma mater — she served as student body president in her senior year, is the chair of the Ivan Allen College Advisory Board, and has volunteered with the Nunn School and Georgia Tech Alumni Association boards, as well.
2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award winners come from many backgrounds and careers but have one important thing in common: a dedication to service, leadership, and excellence in their fields.
Air Force ROTC: Maj. Gen. Kelly K. McKeague (Ret.)
B.S. Industrial Engineering 1981, M.S. Industrial Engineering, 1987
McKeague has served as director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency since 2017, overseeing efforts to account for missing U.S. personnel from past conflicts. He leads research, recovery, and identification operations worldwide, ensuring the fullest possible accounting for families and the nation.
Army ROTC: Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock (Ret.)
B.S. Civil Engineering, 1987
Over 38 years of service, Blackstock served in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, South Korea, Honduras, and the country of Georgia. He remains active in the Georgia Tech ROTC Alumni Network and the Ivan Allen College Alumni Leadership Team.
Navy ROTC: Maj. Gen. Larry Taylor USMC (Ret.)
B.S. Industrial Management, 1962
In 2008-09, Taylor served as a State Department contractor in Iraq, managing a program for Civilian Police International. He is active with the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, the USO Council of Georgia, the Reserve Forces Policy Board, and the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Greater Atlanta.
John Wylder
B.S. Economics, 1973
Wylder was a member of the first class to graduate with Economics degrees at Georgia Tech. Now retired, he worked with SunTrust Bank, Hewlett-Packard, PwC, and Microsoft during his career.
Wilson A. (Arnie) Garrett
B.S. History, Technology, and Society, 2024
Garrett is a retired Air Force systems analyst with decades of experience in information technology. After failing to complete a computer science degree in 1982, Garrett returned to Georgia Tech after his retirement to earn a degree from the School of History and Sociology.
Jessica Cox
B.S. International Affairs, 2000
Cox serves as director for defense plans and policy at the U.S. Mission to NATO, where she is responsible for advocating U.S. defense policy within the NATO alliance.
Molly Heacock
B.S. Science, Technology, and Communication 2010
Heacock is the managing director and CEO-elect of UnTold, a public health nongovernmental organization supporting people affected by AIDS in East and Southern Africa.
Yvonne Ploder
B.S. International Affairs and Modern Languages — French, 2015
Ploder leads a Trust and Safety team at Snapchat, dedicated to maintaining platform safety and user protection in New York.
Lynn Austin
Ph.D. Health Policy and Management, 2000
Austin managed operations for organizations with budgets up to $5 billion over the course of her career, holding positions at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, among others. Since retiring she has provided executive coaching to more than 500 professionals.
2025 Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Awards
Sanghyun Han is a Ph.D. student in International Affairs, Science and Technology. He specializes in emerging technology, statecraft, international security, and political economy. He co-founded the STAIR (Science, Technology, And International Relations) workshop and was a research assistant at the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy.
Jinxia Loo is an undergraduate student majoring in History, Technology, and Society and minoring in Computer Science. They are a committed member of the Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, involved with undergraduate research and first-generation student initiatives, and have served as the president of Georgia Tech’s Asian American Student Association.
Janet Murray is the Distinguished Professor of Digital Media in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication. She is a pioneer researcher and teacher in women’s studies, digital humanities, interaction design, and game studies. Throughout her career, Murray has focused on how changes in cultural narrative can expand our understanding of what it means to be human. Her best-known work is Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace.
Congratulations to our 2025 winners! Read more about their work and see past nominees here.
