Granted by the Office of the President of Nazareth University for the first-time ever at the Nazareth Centennial Jubilee, the Nazareth University Presidential Medallions of Excellence recognize those who have graced Nazareth's campus, impacted lives, and made Nazareth and the world better.
The medallions are hand-crafted by Rochester artisans. They feature an oak leaf, representing the tree most prevalent on the Nazareth campus, many of which were planted by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The leaf symbolizes the growth and strength of Nazareth as an institution.
Presidential Medallion for Impact & Lasting Legacy
The Linehan & Wilmot Families
The Linehan and Wilmot families have had a long and robust relationship with Nazareth University for decades. Judy Wilmot Linehan ’76 was the first woman and alumna to chair Nazareth’s board of trustees. Her father, James P. Wilmot, was a trustee and a major benefactor; and her uncle Gerald Wilmot, brother Tom Wilmot, and sister- in-law Colleen Linehan Wilmot ’71 have all served on the board. The Paul and Judy Linehan Chapel on the first floor of Nazareth’s Golisano Academic Center, the Lorette Wilmot Library, and Wilmot Recital Hall at the Arts Center are prominent places on campus that bear the Linehan and/or Wilmot name in honor of the families’ generous support. Others include Linehan Terrace and Wilmot Colonnade outside Peckham Hall. The families’ scholarships provide ongoing support to students in music, education, the honors program, and others in need of financial assistance.
Presidential Medallion of Excellence in Service of Nazareth's Mission
Sister Barbara Lum ’58
Sister Barbara Lum’s education and training as a nurse took her to Selma, Alabama, after her graduation from Nazareth. She was among the Good Samaritan workers who cared for the Bloody Sunday protestors in the aftermath of that infamous 1965 attack.
Sister Barbara’s career has included nursing positions at Good Samaritan School of Practical Nursing in Selma, St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing, University of Rochester, and the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center. She has also done extensive volunteer work at St. Joseph’s Northside in a northwest Rochester neighborhood affected by homelessness, drugs, prostitution, and violence. Sister Barbara continues to live in Rochester, actively committed to nursing, educating, and being a dedicated community servant.
Presidential Medallion of Excellence in Public Service & Advocacy
Christopher Hilderbrant ’99
Injured in a diving accident at age 14, Hilderbrant has served as an eloquent and effective advocate for people with disabilities for more than two decades, helping to expand rights at the local, state, and national levels. During his 14-year tenure at the Center for Disability Rights, Hilderbrant rose from a part-time position working with clients to chief operating officer, managing a budget of more than $20 million across three agencies with more than 800 employees. He was arrested more than 20 times during efforts to bring attention to reforms that could help individuals with disabilities live fuller and more independent lives. In 2019, Hilderbrant became executive director of the Rochester Spinal Association. To do something about our nation’s gun violence epidemic, even if small, Hilderbrant and RSA have focused on meeting the needs of underserved people paralyzed due to acts of gun violence. RSA has inspired a national conversation about health equity.
He founded, plays on the team, and serves as board president of the nonprofit Wreckers — Western New York’s only wheelchair rugby team. He also has served on multiple boards related to advocacy, health care, and housing. Hilderbrant is married and has two nearly grown children. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Nazareth.
Presidential Medallion of Excellence in the Arts
Jack Allocco ’72
In addition to being a member of the Class of 1972, Jack Allocco is a trustee emeritus. One of America’s foremost composers, conductors, and music directors, Allocco is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning composer and record producer whose career spans television, film, concert works, and theater. He has been the composer for Sony Pictures Television’s The Young and the Restless and CBS Television’s The Bold and the Beautiful — which were among the most-watched daytime dramas with a daily audience of 26 million viewers in 98 countries.
The Rochester native, recently inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame, has won 13 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards in the category of Most Performed Themes and Underscore on Television and has worked as a composer and producer for a wide range of established music artists. He has toured as music director and conductor with numerous theatrical productions and symphonies and has performed in concerts at Carnegie Hall, Buckingham Palace, the Grand Ole Opry, and The White House. A special composition by Allocco was the first piece of music performed in Nazareth’s Beston Hall in 2018. Music students today benefit from his support of the Jack Allocco Film and Media Scoring Studio on campus, and performances and gatherings take place on the Angelo and Catherine Allocco Terrace in front of the Glazer Music Performance Center.
Presidential Medallion of Excellence in Education
Walter Cooper
Scientist, humanitarian, activist, and educator, Walter Cooper received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Rochester in 1956, the first African-American to do so there. During his 30 years as a research scientist at Eastman Kodak Company, he became deeply involved in community development, civil rights, and educational issues. His local leadership included the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Urban League, Baden Street Settlement, Action for a Better Community, the United Community Chest, and the Rochester Area Foundation, among others. Nationally, he chaired the Ralph Bunche Scholarship Committee and consulted for the Small Business Administration. He has served as regent and regent emeritus for the State of New York since 1988.
In recognition of his work in community development and education, Dr. Cooper has received numerous awards, including Nazareth University’s Woerner Kollmorgen Award, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce Social Work Civic Development Award, the Charles T. Lunsford Award, the University of Rochester Hutchison Award, the F. Ritter and Hettie L. Shumway Distinguished Service Award, the University of Rochester Frederick Douglass Award, honorary doctorates from SUNY Geneseo and Nazareth, and a Distinguished Service Award and an honorary doctorate from Washington and Jefferson College. In 2009, Rochester School 10 was named the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy.
Presidential Medallion of Excellence in Athletics
Neal Powless ’98
A member of the Nazareth lacrosse team and a three-time All-American, Powless led the team to the 1996 Division III National Championship. He later enjoyed a successful professional lacrosse career including a National Lacrosse League Championship in 1997 with the Rochester Knighthawks. He was inducted into the Nazareth Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
A member of the Onondaga Nation Eel Clan, Powless has helped bridge Native American ideals and culture all over the world, teaching courses and presenting across the country about Indigenous culture and value systems. He has been involved with several film projects, including Crooked Arrows and the Emmy-nominated The Game of Life: Heart and Spirit of the Onondaga, which explores the significance of lacrosse to the people of the Onondaga Nation.
Presidential Medallion of Excellence in Science, Technology & Math
Gail Evans ’86
Gail Evans held a bachelor’s degree from Nazareth and an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School. She also proudly held an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Nazareth. As executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer for Disney Experiences, Evans led a dynamic team of technologists, designers, project managers, innovators, and storytellers to bring Disney’s iconic characters to life for millions of fans and families around the world. Evans had decades of experience transforming leading organizations by leveraging the power of technology to drive growth, affect digital transformation, and build new business models. She served as Mercer’s first chief digital officer and held senior leadership positions spanning various industries, including at Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Bank of America, and Eastman Kodak.
Sadly, Gail Evans passed away suddenly several weeks after receiving her Presidential Medallion of Excellence. Evans believed strongly in Nazareth and supported the university generously in the decades since she graduated. Her life was an inspiration to all. Nazareth University was grateful to have had the opportunity to bestow this honor to Evans, and the Nazareth community will miss her dearly.
Presidential Medallion for Trailblazing
Georgia Youngblood ’48
The late Georgia Conner Youngblood was an extraordinary person; a strong woman of great intellect, kindness, grace, and full of love for her fellow human beings. At age 15, Georgia Youngblood traveled to Rochester, far from her home of Austin, Texas, and earned a bachelor’s in biology, a minor in chemistry, and cum laude distinction in philosophy. She was the first African American to graduate from Nazareth.
She went on to attain an advanced degree in medical technology at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in Staten Island and worked at Howard University’s Freedom Hospital. Her commitment to inclusion, intelligence, and leadership, her pioneering spirit, and her courage exemplifies what Nazareth looks for in its students. Nazareth University’s Georgia Connor Youngblood Scholarship was named in her honor.
Georgia Youngblood’s family accepted her Presidential Medallion of Excellence in her honor.