Meet the 2027 Alumni Award Winners

Happy Phatak

For Happy Phatak (Neur, Psych’27), being a Buff means making a difference in her campus community. 

“I have always tried to live by the mantra, ‘Leave the world a better place than you found it,’” Phatak said. 

Phatak is this year’s Forever Buffs Student Award recipient, which recognizes her extraordinary service to the university and beyond. She has supported nearly 1,800 residents through her work in CU’s Residence Life, amplified voices through her involvement with TEDxCU and dedicated years to supporting children affected by pediatric cancer and blood-related illnesses at Camp Braveways. 

She is among the eight recipients of the annual Alumni Awards, one of the university’s longest traditions. Each will be celebrated at the Alumni Awards Ceremony on April 10, 2027, at the Limelight Hotel and Conference Center in Boulder. 

Darrell Zechman of the Leeds School of Business and Waleed Abdalati (PhDGeog’96) of the geography department and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences received the Robert L. Stearns Award, which recognizes the exceptional service of CU Boulder faculty and staff. Philip Caragol (Comm’75) and Shari Sapp (Fin’84) received the Alumni Recognition Award for their leadership, dedication to CU Boulder’s mission and positive impact on the university community. Obinna Onyeali (Comm’10) received the Leanne Skupa-Lee Award, which honors Alumni Association volunteers whose service embodies the Forever Buffs spirit. And Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan (EngrPhys’16; MPhys’16) received the Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Graduate Award for her career and community achievements. 

Ken Rutherford played for the CU football team in the 1980s.

Kenneth Rutherford (PolSci’85; ExecMBA’93) is the George Norlin Award recipient, which honors a lifetime of professional excellence and service to society. Rutherford is a humanitarian who is internationally recognized for his efforts to combat the effects of landmines and other explosive remnants of war. 

“CU gave me more than an education,” he said. “It gave me lifelong friends, a community, a family connection and the courage to follow a path I could never have imagined when I first walked onto campus.”

Learn more about the recipients. The Alumni Awards Ceremony is part of Alumni Weekend, April 9–10, 2027. 

Photos courtesy Ken Rutherford; Happy Phatak