The Oglethorpe University Alumni Association is pleased to announce the 2025 Alumni Award honorees. The awards will be presented to these exceptional alumni at the Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony on March 28 during Alumni Weekend.
The awards and recognition committee of the Alumni Board of Directors reviews each nomination and makes the award selections at the winter Alumni Board meeting. Congratulations to these outstanding faculty and alumni who have contributed positively to the campus and community in myriad ways:
Carillon Award – John Nardo
Formerly the School Bell Award, the Carillon Award recognizes a member of our alumni network, or past or present faculty member, who has made lasting contributions in education, civic engagement, or innovation. Dr. John C. Nardo currently serves as a professor of mathematics and the Manning M. Pattillo, Jr., Professor of the Liberal Arts. He is the program coordinator for Mathematics, and recently, he created the innovative major in Actuarial Science, which graduated its first cohort in 2024. He teaches courses in mathematics, actuarial science, the Core Curriculum, and interdisciplinary science/mathematics. John has received numerous honors at OU in each decade of his service, including the Lu Thomasson Garrett award for meritorious teaching, the Donald C. Agnew award for distinguished service to the Oglethorpe community, the Omicron Delta Kappa Outstanding Faculty member award, and the Vulcan award for teaching and leadership.
O.K. Sheffield ’53 Young Alumnus Award – Alex Attebery ’16
The O.K. Sheffield ’53 Young Alumnus Award recognizes a graduate of the last 10 years who has shown leadership and inspired other young alumni through participation in career, public service, volunteer, or continuing education activities. Alex Attebery ’16 serves as the director of external affairs for Shift5 in the private sector. After graduating from Oglethorpe in 2016 with a bachelor of science in biopsychology and a business administration minor, Attebery began his career in Congress as a staff assistant for the U.S. Committee on House Administration. He went on to serve in communications roles for several congressional leaders from Georgia and Texas before joining the U.S. House Appropriations Committee as Deputy Communications Director in 2019. He was subsequently promoted to lead the committee’s communications efforts during the 118th Congress.
Belle Turner Lynch ’61 Spirit of Oglethorpe Award – Barbara Bessmer Henry ’85
The recipient of the Belle Turner Lynch ’61 Spirit of Oglethorpe Award is an alumni member who lives by the Oglethorpe motto: Make a life. Make a living. Make a difference., and demonstrates the attributes of a liberal arts education by exhibiting creativity, purposefulness, and a commitment to improving the quality of their community. Barbara Henry is a dedicated alumna and long-time former staff member of Oglethorpe University, whose career and personal journey are deeply intertwined with the institution’s history and community. With over 40 years of connection to Oglethorpe, Barb has served as a mentor, leader and advocate. A proud graduate of the class of 1985, Barb held numerous leadership roles during her undergraduate years, including serving as Junior and Senior Class President and delivering the commencement address. Her professional career spanned 15 years in the Admissions Office, then 18 years in alumni relations and development. Through her time at OU, Barb has exemplified the values of community, leadership, and lifelong learning. Her work is a testament to her belief in the power of connections and the transformative impact of education.
Talmage Award – Cameron Bready ’94
The Talmage Award is given to an individual who contributes time, talent or financial resources to one or more programs of the university and/or is distinguished in the business, philanthropic or professional world. Cameron Bready – chief executive officer and member of the board of directors of Global Payments – is an experienced global business leader who has served in a variety of top leadership roles at public companies over his nearly 30-year career. Cameron also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Electronic Transactions Association, the leading trade association for the payments industry; member of the board of trustees of Pace Academy; member of the board of trustees of the Woodruff Arts Center; member of the board of directors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; and past chairman of the board of trustees of Oglethorpe University.
In addition to the above honorees, the previously announced 2025 inductees to the OU Athletics Hall of Fame will also be honored on March 28.
Registration is open for both Alumni Weekend and the Alumni Awards and Athletics Hall of Fame Reception and Ceremony. To learn more about attending these events, please visit the Alumni Weekend website.
