W&J honors three notable alumni Distinguished alumni representing the fields of cancer research, integrated circuit technology and national security and intelligence operations were presented with Washington & Jefferson College’s highest honors during the annual Homecoming & Reunion dinner in October. The award winners were recognized for their dedication to their professions as well as to their communities and alma mater. – KERRI DIGIOVANNI LACOCK ’09
Tori Haring-Smith (right) congratulates alumni award winners, from left, Guy DuBois, Amanda Boehm and Larry Sumney.
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
ALUMNI AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Amanda Boehm ’02
Larry Sumney ’62
McClellan “Guy” DuBois ’70
Amanda Boehm ’02, Ph.D., is making a name for herself in the field of cancer research as a senior editor at the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In this role, Boehm works closely with authors and experts in the field to communicate original research in a publication that is internationally acclaimed as one of the most-cited journals of its kind. Alice Lee, Ph.D., chairman of the biology department, recalls the double biology and English major as being one of her top students. “Dr. Amanda Boehm is someone who really embraces what it means to be a President: to dream, to discover, and to do,” Lee said. “I am very honored to be given this award,” Boehm said. This isn’t just an award for me; this is an award for my entire family because, without them, I could never have done the things I have done.” After graduating from W&J, Boehm earned her doctorate in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at the National Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C. Her work on therapeutic cancer vaccines was published in two journals, and she served as an editor for the National Institutes of Health. A volunteer for W&J’s Alumni Mentor Program, she also advised the Kappa Alpha Theta chapter at W&J.
As president and CEO of the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), Larry Sumney ’62 has played a significant role in advancing integrated circuit technology, leading to the improvement of products from cellphones and iPods to sophisticated military defense systems. Under Sumney’s guidance, the SRC has grown into the world’s largest and most successful university research force to support the rapid progress of the semiconductor industry. “It is no surprise that Larry’s company stands beside eBay, IBM and Xerox as a recipient of the National Medal of Technology, an honor granted by the President of the United States to our nation’s greatest innovators of new and important technology,” President Tori Haring-Smith, Ph.D., said. Sumney’s graduation from W&J in 1962 launched his 20-year career with the federal government. Selected as an Edison Scholar at the Naval Research Laboratory, Sumney went on to earn his master’s in engineering administration from George Washington University. His last major government assignment was at the Pentagon, where he managed a multi-million-dollar technology program for the Department of Defense. “I have had several types of career positions,” Sumney said. “Throughout each of these, I have learned the impact of my education from W&J. The foundation that was provided to me has been a major component of my success.”
“You have guided our students as alumni mentors, you have given your time and your financial support to this College, you have been our best representatives.”
A leader in the field of national security and intelligence operations, McClellan “Guy” DuBois ’70 remains committed to his alma mater as a trustee and mentor. As general partner of The DuBois Group, he calls on his extensive experience with Raytheon and the Central Intelligence Agency to consult on national economic and security issues. At Raytheon, DuBois was the vice president of operational technologies and solutions, working with clients ranging from the Department of Defense to foreign government agencies. Previously, he worked for the CIA as a member of the agency’s Senior Intelligence Service. “For me, it has been a journey of discovery in the sense that I graduated from here and, by sheer chance, ended up at the Central Intelligence Agency largely because a former professor here was a scout for the CIA,” DuBois said. “The one thing that really stood out in my 26 years with the agency was that W&J alumni were playing a huge role in what was going on at the time.” During the course of his career, DuBois has mentored W&J students as interns at Raytheon. Now in his second term on the Board of Trustees, he also has participated in presidential search committees and focus groups and helped develop the College’s Computing and Information Studies program. DuBois first volunteered for W&J 42 years ago as a Phonathon caller for the W&J Fund. Invested in the future of W&J, DuBois and his wife, Lynn, have established a Charitable Gift Annuity and developed the Class of 1970 Faculty Development Fund. Their children Megan DuBois ’09 and David DuBois ’11 are also graduates of W&J.
– TORI HARING-SMITH, PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE
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