Three alumni will return to campus on Friday, February 14, to be honored as Alumni Achievement Award winners. The ceremony, part of Knox’s annual Founders Day celebration, begins at 5:00 p.m. in the Muelder Reading Room of Henry M. Seymour Library. The campus community and the public are invited to attend.

Dr. William Hiatt ’72 is a board-certified cardiologist; a professor of medicine at University of Colorado School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology; and chief science officer for CPC Clinical Research, a university-affiliated nonprofit that specializes in cardiovascular and clinical trials research. In 2018, he received the Clinical Research Prize from the American Heart Association for his work understanding and treating peripheral artery disease. He graduated from Knox with a degree in English before earning a medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Denise Roza ’83 joined the World Institute on Disability in 1994 as director of its Moscow office to help people with disabilities in Russia lead independent, fulfilling lives. When funding for the program ran out in 1997, she established a new nonprofit serving the same audience, Perspektiva, where she continues to serve as executive director. In addition, she started Best Buddies Russia, a chapter of the global Best Buddies International organization. At Knox, she majored in modern languages (Russian) and was a three-sport varsity athlete in tennis, basketball, and softball.

Stefano Viglietti ’91 is a self-taught chef who owns and operates four restaurants in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in partnership with his wife, Whitney Witt Viglietti ’92. In spring 2018, Viglietti was nominated for a James Beard Award in the category of best chef in the Midwest, for his restaurant Trattoria Stefano. A history major at Knox, he learned to cook authentic regional Italian food during travels to Florence and across Italy.

Due to scheduling conflicts, two additional honorees, Amy Carlson ’90 and Young Alumni Achievement Award winner Melati Nungsari ’10, will not be able to attend this year's ceremony. They will receive their awards at Founders Day Convocation in 2021.

The Knox College Alumni Achievement Award, established in 1938, recognizes outstanding career achievements by graduates who attended Knox or Lombard College for at least one full academic year. Honorees are nominated by fellow alumni. The deadline for next year’s Alumni Achievement Award nominations is July 15, 2020.