As alumni, family and friends prepare to gather for the Wofford community’s biggest celebration of the fall, Homecoming, Nov. 2-4, the college’s Alumni Association prepares to recognize four graduates for leadership, service and professional achievement.
Alumni awards will be presented at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Pavilion (near Wightman and Lesesne Halls).
In addition to reunions for classes ending in 3 and 8, Homecoming weekend also includes milestone reunions for Wofford’s chapters of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. There also will be a reunion of show choir alumni, who will perform the alma mater before the football game.
The full Homecoming schedule, registration information and a list of who’s coming can be found HERE.
Alumni Association award winners
Dr. Nicole Redmond ’96 will receive the Pride of Wofford Award, which is presented to a member of the Wofford College Alumni Association who has brought honor and distinction to the college through outstanding professional achievement. Redmond is chief of the Clinical Applications and Prevention Branch within the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. As a medical officer in the branch since 2016, Redmond has developed an extensive portfolio in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment, with interests in the importance of community engagement and addressing structural and social determinants of health to mitigate health disparities. She also has a strong commitment to mentoring and career development, particularly for clinician-scientists and groups underrepresented in biomedical research.
Jim Hackney ’77 will be honored with the Charles H. Gray ’72 Distinguished Service Award for dedicated service and commitment to the college. He graduated from Yale Divinity School in 1979 and served Wofford for eight years in the Office of Advancement. His fundraising career included stops at the Mint Museum and Alexander Haas, where he helped clients raise over $2 billion. The U.S. State Department appointed Hackney as an arts envoy to Greece in 2011. Hackney is currently on the Reynolda House National Advisory Council, a trustee of the Penland School of Craft and a member of Wofford’s President’s Advisory Council. Hackney and his husband, Scott Haight, sponsor the Hackney Haight Fellowship at Wofford for a studio art major to attend a summer workshop at Penland each year. Hackney has two children, John ’04 and Ann. The Hackneys have established the Hackney Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to increase diversity at Wofford.
Catherine Codispoti ’03 will receive the Rising Star Award, which is presented to members of the Wofford College Alumni Association who have demonstrated professional accomplishment and continued growth as emerging leaders in their communities. Codispoti assumes the role of senior vice president and chief people officer at Mercy in St. Louis, Missouri, on Dec. 1. Mercy is one of the largest health systems in the United States. Previously, Codispoti served as executive vice president and chief people officer at Children’s National Hospital. She is active in professional and leadership organizations, including CHIEF, a membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders, and the CNBC Workforce Executive Council. She has been recognized on several lists, including Washington Business Journal’s “40 under 40,” and Women We Admire’s “Top 100 Women in Medicine” and “Outstanding Mothers of 2022.”
The Distinguished Citizen Award is presented to a member of the community who has served a distinguished career and has contributed extraordinary service to humanity, reflecting honor upon both the recipient and Wofford College. This year’s winner is Gary McCraw ’77. McCraw received degrees from Spartanburg Methodist College, Wofford College and the University of South Carolina, where he earned a master’s of music in piano performance. He has been employed by Wofford College since 1982 and received full professorship in 2018. He teaches the history of American music, music appreciation, world music and music theory. McCraw conducts Men’s Glee Club, Concert Band and Wofford Singers. He has been affiliated with the Spartanburg Little Theater for 50 years, serving as pianist and director of 72 shows. He has been in church music ministries for 53 years, 37 of them at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he serves as organist, pianist, choir director and handbell choir director. McCraw will retire at the end of the academic year.