Seven distinguished alumni recognized with 2025 awards

The 2025 Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Award winners highlight leaders in their industries, creating new ways of conducting business, collaborating on innovations, maintaining their curious nature and making an impact in their communities and around the world. This January we introduced the Franklin Spark - characteristics that unite us across the arts and sciences. These traits are undeniably ambitious, exceptionally curious, wildly creative, incredibly innovative and tomorrow's leaders. It's the spark that happens when the arts and sciences come together – fostering academic excellence and collaboration across disciplines, that lead to solutions in new, innovative ways. Our 2025 Alumni Award winners exemplify the Franklin Spark in every way.

Congratulations to this year’s winners: 

• Young Alumni - John “Jack” Hartpence (AB ’15 English)
• Mid-Career - Steve Yockey (AB ’01 Drama)
• Lifetime - Jeff Shellebarger (BS ’78 Geology)
• Distinguished Alumni - Dr. Sangram “Sam” Sisodia (PhD ’85 Biochemistry)
• College Service - Peggy Galis (AB ’68 History)
• Family - Charlene Benn (BS ’85 Computer Science) and Fraser Family
• Innovation -Sharmin Pathan (MS ’18 Computer Science)

Young Alumni Award 

The Young Alumni award is presented to an individual who brings recognition and honor to the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences through outstanding leadership and service to the college, the community and their profession. The recipient must have graduated UGA within the past 10 years with a major degree from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

John “Jack” Hartpence (AB ’15 English) 

While at the University of Georgia, Hartpence won the 2015 award for “Best Work in the English Department.” In 2020, he was recognized as part of the University of Georgia’s “40 Under 40” by the UGA Alumni Association. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of PowWater, a virtual piped water network and one of the fastest-growing water companies in the world. Hartpence was selected for the 2022 cohort of “Forbes 30 Under 30” published by Forbes magazine.

Mid-Career Award 

The Mid-Career Award honors alumni who have made significant contributions in their respective fields within 10-20 years of graduation from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

Steve Yockey (AB ’01 Drama)

Yockey, a two-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, as well as a producer and screenwriter, began his career in 2014, writing an episode for the MTV series Awkward. He has since gone on to produce and write for the hit series Supernatural. In 2022, Steve signed a multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Television. 

To learn more about Steve and his recent visit to campus Fall 2024, click here! 

Lifetime Award 

The Lifetime Award celebrates Franklin College of Arts and Sciences alumni who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments and sustained impact over their lifetime.

Jeff Shellebarger (BS ’78 Geology)

After graduation, Shellebarger began his career with Chevron as an exploration geologist in New Orleans. He later worked his way up to President of Chevron's North American Exploration and Production Operations, where he was responsible for all of Chevron's crude oil and natural gas exploration and production in the United States. Since retirement, Shellebarger has remained active in his Houston community. He is a member of the American Petroleum Institute's Upstream Committee and serves on the Board of the United Way of Greater Houston.
 

Distinguished Alumni Award 

The Distinguished Alumni Award acknowledges individuals who have attained remarkable success and prominence in their careers or communities since graduation from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Sangram “Sam” Sisodia (PhD ’85 Biochemistry)

Sisodia is currently the Thomas A. Reynolds Sr. Family Professor of Neurobiology in the Department of Neurobiology and Neurology at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular biology of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilins (PS1 and PS2), polypeptides that are mutated in pedigrees with familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD). Among his many contributions, his group was among the first to develop and characterize variants that exhibit amyloid plaques in the brain and develop memory deficits. These models have been instrumental in understanding neuronal vulnerability and the impact of environmental enrichment. Sisodia is author or co-author on 177 peer-reviewed manuscripts. 

College Service Award 

The College Service Award recognizes individuals who have rendered exemplary service to Franklin College, also known as the Dean’s Service Award.

Peggy Galis (AB ’68 History)

A proud longtime resident of Athens, Galis is well-known as a high-energy octogenarian. She actively fundraises, hosts, and promotes numerous events for the University of Georgia’s graduate program in history. Galis is also a founding member and the current vice chair of the UGA Press Advisory Council. Known for her vibrant and social nature, she worked closely with Dale Couch of the Georgia Museum of Art to establish the Henry D. Green Symposium for Decorative Arts, which first convened in 2002. 

Family Award 

The Family Award is presented to a family that demonstrates a history of loyalty to the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. These individuals bring recognition and honor through outstanding leadership and service to Franklin and the community.

Charlene Benn (BS ’85 Computer Science) and Fraser Family 

Charlene Benn is currently the Senior Director of Technology and Operations Strategy at Fiserv. In addition, she serves as the Vice Chair of the Board for the Fortitude Foundation and is a member of the Board of Directors for the UGA Alumni Association. As a proud UGA alumna, Charlene’s family “bleeds red and black”—she, two of her siblings, her goddaughter and her children all attended UGA. Inspired by her deep family ties to the university, she has dedicated herself to giving back. In 2020, she established the Albert and Naomi Johnson Scholarship, a need-based scholarship supporting minority students. Named in honor of her family, this scholarship empowers students who might not have otherwise had the opportunity to attend college.

Innovation Award

The Innovation Award is presented to an alumnus, non-alumnus, or organization who has demonstrated innovative thinking and service to Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

Sharmin Pathan (MS ’18 Computer Science)

Sharmin Pathan is currently a Senior Applied Scientist at Amazon, specializing in research on early diagnosis, aging and disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease. Since 2017, she has contributed to numerous scholarly research and publications. In 2024, she was honored with the AWEsome Technology Innovator Award from Amazon.