At the annual Founders Celebration, Distinguished Alumni award recipients Jerry Dunn, Timothy Green and Richard Winter were honored, along with Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient Evan Garrad (right). (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

At the annual University of Missouri–St. Louis Founders Celebration on Thursday, members of the UMSL community recognized and honored the contributions of four alumni who have left their mark on their respective industries while continuing to support UMSL with their time and talent.

At a ceremony held in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, the UMSL Alumni Association presented its highest honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, to Jerry Dunn, Timothy Green and Richard Winter.

Since its inception in 1987, the UMSL Distinguished Alumni Award has been given annually to esteemed alumni to recognize distinction in their professional accomplishments, community service or both while also representing the highest standards of integrity and character. Their work transforms lives locally in St. Louis, nationally and globally as they drive for change to improve the world around them.

In addition to the three Distinguished Alumni winners, the UMSL Alumni Association named Evan Garrad as the 2024 Outstanding Young Alumni.

Jerry Dunn, MA 1997, PhD 2002, has served as the executive director of Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis for almost two decades, guiding the agencies’ multidisciplinary efforts to respond to and prevent child abuse and neglect throughout St. Louis. CASGSL provides forensic interviews at the request of law enforcement and child protection services for children and adolescents who are victims of alleged sexual abuse or who are witnesses to violent crimes. Under her leadership, UMSL’s CASGSL, the only one in the nation embedded within a university, has grown to offer the broadest array of trauma-focused treatments in the region. Each year the center’s forensic and clinical teams serve approximately 800 children and their families.

“Dunn has transformed the landscape for trauma-informed care in the St. Louis region,” Emily Koenig, executive director of St. Louis Children’s Service Fund, said. “Her life’s work to positively impact the lives of children who have suffered will be felt across the region for decades to come.”

Dunn also is a clinical professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at UMSL and engages in hands-on workforce development efforts as the leader of the Child Advocacy Studies program, which educates approximately 100 undergraduate majors, minors and certificate holders every semester, preparing them to join the youth-serving behavioral-health workforce. Dunn has received approximately $30 million in grant funding from both state and federal agencies to sustain CASGSL’s service delivery operations and academic programming.

Watch the Distinguished Alumni video presentation for Dunn.

Timothy Green, BSBA 1990, made a lasting positive impact on generations of Missourians as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives and then as a state senator. Green worked for more than two decades in collaboration with his colleagues in the legislature on both sides of the aisle. He served as an advocate for labor unions striving to improve the state’s business climate and as a champion for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled to access needed resources.

“Tim’s career and personal life have been dedicated to public service and the betterment of the community and region,” said Joe Blanner, an UMSL alum, attorney and the former president of the UMSL Alumni Association. “This is why he is a passionate advocate and proponent for UMSL in every role he has found himself in.”

Green’s profound impact on UMSL is highlighted by his sponsorship of the Higher Education Capital Fund bill that secured needed capital-building funds for the campus, including Anheuser-Busch Hall. While his service in the legislature has concluded, Green continues to advance the public policy objectives of Missouri’s electrical industry as the director of government affairs for IBEW Local 1 and as executive vice president of the NECA Electrical Connection. He remains an active advocate, promoting UMSL at the Capitol and providing mentorship for UMSL students interested in careers in politics.

Watch the Distinguished Alumni video presentation for Green.

Richard Winter, MBA 1976, has a passion for the arts and a mind for business. Winter taught mathematics for two years at UMSL before building a successful career in finance. For the past 25 years he has served as owner and president of Garden View Care Centers, a private skilled nursing company focused on long-term care. Winter’s company recently launched a clinical training partnership with UMSL’s College of Nursing, providing students the opportunity to explore careers in long-term care. He has a history of service on numerous UMSL leadership and advisory boards and is currently a member of the Chancellor’s Council.

An avid art collector and supporter of the arts, Winter has been involved with the boards of Dance St. Louis, Jazz St. Louis and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, among others. He is a longtime supporter of Doorways, which provides housing and services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

“Rich believes the arts should be available to all and that St. Louis should be a focal point for creative expression that enriches public spaces,” said Andrew Balkansky, dean of the UMSL College of Arts and Sciences.

Watch the Distinguished Alumni video presentation for Winter.

Evan Garrad, BS 2017, is blazing trails in the field of medicine, just as he did as a student-athlete at UMSL. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and biotechnology in 2017, graduating summa cum laude while earning a Pierre Laclede Honors College certificate. Garrad was a defensive standout as a four-year starter on the men’s soccer team, earning spots on the College Sports Information Directors of America and Great Lakes Valley Conference Academic All-American teams. He went on to graduate from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in 2023. Garrad’s list of accomplishments is extensive. He serves as co-chair of the dean’s advisory committee on medical student research, as a student ambassador mentoring underclassmen and as clinic manager of a student-led free health clinic that serves uninsured patients. Garrad, who is currently focused on his medical residency at the University of Illinois-Chicago, has amassed an impressive list of research experiences with some of America’s leading medical institutions and has co-authored nearly a dozen publications, as well as numerous peer-reviewed abstracts.

Watch the Distinguished Alumni video presentation for Garrad.

Learn more by visiting the UMSL Alumni Distinguished Awards website.