Outstanding alumni

The University of Delaware College of Arts and Sciences honored the accomplishments of six outstanding alumni at its annual Celebrating Achievement and Success event, held Thursday, May 12, in the Roselle Center for the Arts.

Dean George Watson also presented college faculty awards and honored faculty members and students who had previously received University awards this year.

Watson presented college Alumni Achievement Awards to:

Paul A. Fioravanti Jr., who earned a bachelors degree in political science at UD in 1992 and a law degree from the University of Maryland, is a director at the law firm of Prickett, Jones and Elliott in Wilmington, Delaware. He concentrates his practice on corporate and commercial litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery, representing clients in a wide range of matters.

Before attending law school, he was a reporter and editor at KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia. Fioravanti has been a member of the UD Alumni Association Board since 2012 and serves on the executive committee and as chair of the awards committee. 

Dr. Carol Van Dyke Freer graduated in 1968 with a bachelors degree in chemistry and worked as a photographic engineer and in medical research before attending medical school at George Washington University, where she graduated with distinction in 1978.

After a long career in the practice of infectious diseases and medical administration in a community hospital, she was appointed to her current position as chief medical officer and associate professor at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. During her tenure, the hospital has undergone transformational changes in its approach to patient safety and quality. Freer also volunteers for numerous health care organizations. 

Tyron D. Jones earned his bachelors degree in communication in 1992 and a master of fine arts degree in 1995 from UDs Professional Theatre Training Program. A playwright and an award-winning actor in films and on Broadway, he is the producing artistic director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH), where he has led the organization in expanding its programming and in building artistic bridges between communities.

His play Emancipation: Chronicles of the Nat Turner Rebellion premiered for the CTH and received numerous awards. Jones was awarded the Universitys Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement in 2002.

Andrew M. Stern, who received his bachelors degree in political science and international relations in 1970, is chairman and chief executive officer of Dallas-based Sunwest Communications. From 1975-77, he served as staff assistant to President Gerald R. Ford at the White House and then held senior corporate positions before founding Sunwest in 1982.

Active in community affairs, he is chair-elect of the American Hospital Associations Committee on Governance and a board member of Medical City Dallas Hospital. Stern was UDs 2003 Winter Commencement speaker and serves on the advisory council of the Universitys Center for Political Communication.

Mark S. Stewart graduated from UD in 1978 in political science and international relations and received that years Alexander J. Taylor Award as outstanding senior man. He earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and studied at the London School of Economics. Stewart is chair of Ballard Spahr, a national law firm with more than 550 lawyers in 14 offices across the U.S., and is a recognized leader in efforts to bring greater diversity to the legal profession.

He serves on the boards of several community organizations and is chairman of Students Run Philly Style, which promotes good health and life prospects for Philadelphia students.

Joan E. Wainwright earned her bachelors degree in communication at UD in 1982 and later received a master of business sdministration degree from Temple University. She is president for channel and customer experience at TE Connectivity, where she leads a team of nearly 1,000 sales, customer care, pricing and marketing professionals.

She joined TE in 2006 and was named head of the Channel Business Unit in 2009. At UD, Wainwright serves on the CAS Deans Advisory Council and the advisory council for the Center for Political Communication and, with her husband, has established the Theodore and Lillian Wainwright Scholarship in Political Communication.