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Award Winners

Anchor Awards

The Anchor Awards are the University of Hartford's most prestigious alumni awards, recognizing and celebrating alumni who have excelled professionally and made significant contributions to their communities.

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2026 Anchor Award Recipients

Distinguished Alum

Nancy Pantirer '77 (HAS)

Nancy Pantirer is an artist who primarily creates large-scale abstract paintings, establishing what she describes as an ongoing, thought-provoking dialogue between order and randomness.

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Early-Career Professional Award

Shanell Farmer-Rowe '18, MBA (A&S)

Shanell Farmer-Rowe has built a career on turning strategic partnerships into measurable, lasting impact for the communities she serves. A Brooklyn native, she majored in communications and minored in business administration at UHart, building an early foundation in public relations, advertising, and business leadership.

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Early-Career Professional Award

Destynie Medeiros '19 (A&S)

Destynie Medeiros combines her interest in the mind and memory with exceptional research skills to explore critical neurobiological issues in medical science.

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Exceptional Professional Success Award

Steven Anderson '91 (CETA)

Steven Anderson has built a distinguished career at the intersection of engineering, geospatial technology, and innovation. His bachelor's degree in civil engineering, along with his skills and motivation, opened the door to a career where he has led the planning, design, and implementation of various projects, including geographic information systems (GIS), relational databases, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.

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Exceptional Professional Success Award

Deborah Dutcher '91 (Hartt)

Deborah Dutcher is a professional actress, classically trained soprano, and theatrical producer with a global career. In partnership with her husband, she has produced Grease in London’s West End and Back to The Future: The Musical in the West End, on Broadway, the US Tour, Germany, and Japan.

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Exceptional Professional Success Award

Joel Gotler '69 (A&S)

Joel Gotler is arguably one of the nation's top literary agents, serving as the founder and CEO of the Intellectual Property Group in Los Angeles.

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Impact on Social Responsibility & Civic Engagement Award

Lisa Cameron M'03 (Barney)

Lisa Cameron, who has a Master of Science in Taxation (MST) from UHart, is a highly skilled operations leader and financial executive who invests significant effort and time into community-focused activities beyond her corporate responsibilities.

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Impact on Social Responsibility & Civic Engagement Award

Benjamin Fain '02 (HAS)

Ben Fain has built a career at the intersection of art, architecture, preservation, and entrepreneurship. He is the founder and CEO of Nice & Weird LLC, a hospitality and real estate development company dedicated to restoring historic places and creating vibrant, design-driven communities that celebrate craftsmanship and culture.

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Impact on Social Responsibility & Civic Engagement Award

Aisha Miller '00

Aisha Miller has held several notable positions that emphasize her immense capacity to lead and innovate in the public service sector. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology from UHart, then went on to earn an MBA and a Doctorate in Management with a focus on organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix-Massachusetts.

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Impact on the University of Hartford Award

Bobbi McNeil '94 (ENHP)

Bobbi McNeil, a former radiology director at Hartford Hospital, served on the board of directors of The Women's Advancement Initiative, the university’s Board of Regents, Alumni Advisory Council, and the inaugural College of Education, Nursing, and Health Profession’s Board of Visitors.

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Anchor Award Categories

Distinguished Alum

Awarded to an alum who embodies the highest caliber of personal and professional accomplishment, strength of character, and representation of University values.

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Early Career Professional

Recognizes an alum whose demonstrated exceptional early career success and future potential.

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Exceptional Professional Success

Recognizes an alum whose career accomplishments are especially exceptional.

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Impact on Social Responsibility & Civic Engagement

Awarded to an alum whose professional success focuses on improving their community.

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Impact on the University of Hartford

Awarded to an alum who has had a remarkable impact on the University through their philanthropic support and/or service.

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Posthumous Honor

Honors the remarkable achievements and lasting legacy of an individual who made significant contributions to UHart during their lifetime.

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Meet our 2026 Anchor Award Winners

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