Announcing the 2026 National Alumni Award recipients

The Central Michigan University Alumni Association proudly announces the recipients of the 2026 National Alumni Awards. These honors recognize extraordinary alumni and friends of the university whose lives and work embody CMU's core values of integrity, leadership, service and excellence.

Distinguished Alumni Award: Amy Thompson, ’97 

Amy Thompson, ’97, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Oakland University, is a nationally recognized public health scholar and higher education leader who traces her start to CMU. A first-generation graduate, she has led academic affairs at Oakland, Wright State and the University of Toledo while building a national research profile and serving as president of the Society for Public Health Education and national president of Eta Sigma Gamma. She gives back to CMU as a guest lecturer, donor and mentor, and now partners with CMU’s provost to build new collaborations between the two universities. Her scholarship and continued service distinguish her as a true CMU Chippewa. 

Dick Enberg CMU Alumni Commitment Award: Gary Collins, ’69, M.S. ’71, and Cathy Collins,  ’98 

Gary and Cathy Collins have been devoted CMU Chippewas since the day they arrived on campus — where they met, married and started their family. A former Inter Fraternity Council president and Tau Kappa Epsilon member, Gary has served on the CMU Advancement Board for 25 years, chaired the Annual Giving Committee and participated in both of the university’s capital campaigns. Gary was an ROTC cadet and was commissioned an infantry officer in the U.S. Army Reserves upon graduation. Together, he and Cathy have supported CMU through philanthropy and the Gary and Cathleen Collins Endowed Scholarship for students who study abroad — and their family’s connection to CMU now spans three generations. 

Corporate Partner Award: SAPA Transmission

As the inaugural partner in CMU’s Industrial Affiliate Program, SAPA Transmission has built a relationship with Central Michigan University that spans mentorship, scholarships, internships and advisory board service. SAPA engineers who are also CMU alumni mentor the Senior Design Capstone team, and the company’s commitment includes the InSciTE scholarship and a dedicated internship fund. Led by CMU alumnus and president Darren Werner, ’89, SAPA Transmission has made investing in CMU students — and in Michigan’s engineering pipeline — both a personal mission and a business priority.

Student Life Dedication and Service Award: Damon Brown, M.S. ’06

Damon Brown created the IMPACT program and managed the MAINSTAGE program at CMU — student experiences that have helped thousands find confidence, connection and community on campus. A CMU master’s graduate who spent two decades at Central — rising from graduate assistant to director of student activities and involvement — Damon now serves as vice president for student experience at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and continues to invest in CMU students through mentorship and his lifelong commitment to the university he calls home. 

Honorary Alumni Award: John Hunter 

Though John Hunter didn’t earn his degree from CMU, he has been one of its most loyal friends and community partners for years. As co-owner of Hunter Brands — the family behind the Wayside, the Cabin, O’Kelly’s, Hunter’s Ale House and several other Mount Pleasant staples — John’s company has spent more than 50 years building businesses that serve the CMU community. His commitment extends well beyond hospitality: he developed youth halftime programming at CMU Athletics events, launched Pizza 4 Hope during the pandemic, serves on CMU President Neil MacKinnon’s community relations committee and the Downtown Development Authority board, and has directed significant family and business philanthropy toward CMU students, programs and facilities. He invests in CMU not because it is convenient, but because he believes in it — and in the people who call it home. 

Alumni Service Recognition Award: Michael Hull, ’08, M.S.A. ’11 

Michael Hull found his calling in CMU’s Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services program and has spent his career honoring it. After completing two degrees, he served as CMU’s assistant director of Admissions for five years, then spent eight years as regional executive director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the Great Lakes Region. Now serving as president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Michigan, Mike leads a team that grants more than 500 wishes a year to children facing critical illness. He remains an active CMU partner, mentoring students and welcoming CMU interns as a way of paying it forward for what the university gave him. 

Future Alumni Leader Award: Carolina Hernandez Ruiz, ’26 

A first-generation international student from Spain who taught herself English at age 15, Carolina Hernandez Ruiz made history at CMU as the first international student body president in 104 years. She earned dual degrees in neuroscience and finance, was part of the first CMU team to win the statewide ACG Cup — twice — and served as one of four University Innovation Fellows collaborating with Stanford. She founded the TEDx CMICH registered student organization, helped institutionalize the campus scholarship fair and spent four years in Residence Life building community. Now working as an AI product analyst at Royal Bank of Canada in New York, she continues to champion the cycle of opportunity that shaped her own journey at CMU.