Distinguished Alumni Awards

Sam Bencheghib ’19 is co-founder of Make A Change World, a media outlet and environmental organization dedicated to promoting sustainability as well as solutions and innovations to plastic pollution. He also co-founded Sungai Watch, an environmental organization with operations throughout Bali and in Java, Indonesia.

About the Young Alumni Award
The Young Alumni Award is presented to an individual who has graduated within the past 15 years and has achieved extraordinary success or recognition by colleagues and peers for outstanding leadership and professional accomplishments.

Krystal Kaʻai ’10 is the executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. She was appointed by President Biden as the first Native Hawaiian to serve as head of the WHIAANHPI.

About the Dr. Costel Denson ’56 Award
The Dr. Costel Denson '56 Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated leadership in increasing diversity in the American workplace and educational institutions.

Karen G. Shihadeh Schaufeld ’83 ’15P ’17P is CEO of SWaN Hill Top House Hotel LLC and Altor Locks. She is also the founder and president of 100WomenStrong, a granting organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of residents in Loudoun County, Virginia, and co-founder of All Ages Read Together, a school readiness program for low-income preschoolers.

About the Public Service Award
The Public Service Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated either outstanding success in a career in the public sector or extraordinary contributions in the charitable, nonprofit, or civic arena.

Stephen S. Tang ’85G ’88G ’22P is the former president and CEO of OraSure Technologies, Inc., a medical device company whose products include diagnostic testing kits. He is currently a board member of Life Sciences Pennsylvania, the statewide trade association for the commonwealth’s life sciences industry.

About the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award
The Outstanding Entrepreneur Award is presented to an individual or team who has demonstrated professional achievement of the highest caliber in the management of an enterprise.

Judy Marks ’84 ’13P is the chair, CEO, and president at Otis Worldwide Corporation, the world’s leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, and service. She has been an advocate for diversifying talent in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and ensuring STEM programming and opportunities get introduced early in underrepresented communities around the world.

About the Excellence in Industry Award
The Excellence in Industry Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated professional achievement of the highest caliber in the management of a for-profit organization.

Murray H. Goodman ’48 ’88H has a long-established legacy of generosity and commitment to Lehigh. He is the founder and chairman of Goodman Properties, Inc., a real estate development and investment business specializing in retail commercial properties. Goodman is a trustee emeritus, serving on Lehigh’s board of trustees from 1979-2000. His philanthropy at Lehigh includes endowing the Dean of Athletics chair and gifts to develop and maintain the athletics campus, now named the Murray H. Goodman Campus. Additional contributions have led to the construction of the Murray H. Goodman Stadium, Lewis Tennis Center, and the creation of the Murray H. Goodman Men’s Basketball Coach position. He also established Lehigh’s Goodman Center for Real Estate.

About the Lifetime Commitment to Lehigh Award
The Lifetime Commitment to Lehigh Award is presented to an individual whose integrity, dedication, and engagement demonstrates lifelong leadership and service to Lehigh University.