Meet the 2024 Alumni Grand Award recipients
The MSU Alumni Grand Awards honor outstanding alumni, faculty and students. These prestigious awards recognize individuals for their leadership, impact and embodiment of Spartan values.
Activists. Educators. Philanthropists. Trailblazers. Leaders.
There are a lot of traits shared by this year’s class of distinguished alumni who will be recognized on Nov. 21 during the Michigan State University 2024 Alumni Grand Awards.
But one word connects them all: Spartan.
The Grand Awards are among the university's highest honors for its alumni. Since 1946, the annual ceremony has celebrated the achievements of talented Spartans who profoundly impact their professions, communities and the university itself.
This year, seven awards will be given to eight individuals who define what it means to be a Spartan. They join a noteworthy group of nearly 700 Spartans (and one green frog*) recognized by MSU over the decades.
Their influence has spread the values and mission of the university and changed lives on a scale both large and small. Whether it’s pushing the boundaries of medical science, advocating acceptance or securing safe educational futures, these individuals are engendering far-reaching change.
The awards are handed out in four categories: the Young Alumni Award, the Alumni Service Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Philanthropist Award.
THE YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
Spartans persevere. Perseverance is the cornerstone of success. It enables us to stay committed to our goals, overcoming challenges and setbacks. The Young Alumni Award honors the perseverance of Spartans under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves through a high level of professional accomplishment early in their career.
Felipe Lopez Sustaita
Felipe Lopez Sustaita overcame the odds to arrive in East Lansing. The youngest of eight children in his family, Lopez Sustaita’s parents arrived in the United States as migrant farm workers with little to their name except the will to succeed.
“We experienced a lot of poverty,” he said. “A lot of things happened to us that I, as a little boy, I didn’t understand or could comprehend. In my mind, I was always going to be a farm worker for the rest of my life because that’s all I knew.”
That changed when his sister enrolled at MSU in the late 1990s. Following her example, Lopez Sustaita started to envision a different future. As he said, his sister “planted the seed.” He received his B.A. in Criminal Justice and his M.A. from the MSU School of Social Work before going on to get his Doctor of Philosophy in Education from Ferris State University.
Along the way, he never forgot his roots. Throughout his career, Lopez Sustaita has advocated for Latino and minority students in higher education. He has used his story to drive inspiration and resilience, and prove that nobody is limited by their past.
“When you give somebody an opportunity, it’s almost like a plant,” he said. “And the biggest thing for me is I’m still a farmer, I’m still planting seeds … but I’m doing that in humans instead of in the fields.”
Brian Fiani
Dr. Brian Fiani always felt a clear purpose. He pursued a career in medicine to help people and knew early on that the best way he could do that was as a neurosurgeon.
“For me, I always had a special interest in the spine, the biomechanics of the spine,” Dr. Fiani said. “It’s really gratifying to be able to help patients with their spine because that is quality of life at its core—it’s being able to do the things you want to do.”
Outside of his class-leading academic accomplishments, Dr. Fiani has become an innovator in his field. He has leveraged the growing virtual reality space to host educational seminars, pioneered the use of robotic guidance technology and holds three medical device patents. His expanding library of research publications has helped advance the future of neurosurgery.
And he’s doing it right here at MSU.
“It was something special for me to bring back everything I have learned and have been educated on and have trained on, and bringing that back home here to Michigan,” he said, “and serving the hardworking people here in Michigan.”
LEARN WHY Dr. Brian Fiani returned to MSU as one of the state’s top educators and neurosurgeons.
ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD
Spartans are leaders. Leaders empower and drive positive change. When we become a model for integrity and excellence, we build confidence in ourselves and others. We shape our legacy. The Alumni Service Award goes out to Spartans who have leveraged their leadership in exemplary service to MSU or on a local, state, national or international level.
Rachel Crandall-Crocker
When Rachel Crandall-Crocker came out as transgender in 1997, her life changed. She lost her first marriage, lost her home and was fired from her job. Rather than surrender to hate, Crandall-Crocker turned her pain into purpose.
“I was like, ‘Well, what do I do now?’ And then I came up with an idea,” she said. “I wanted to create a statewide organization so everyone doesn’t have to be so isolated and lonely anymore.”
Using the skills she gained at MSU where she attained her B.A. and master’s in social work, Crandall-Crocker co-founded Transgender Michigan with her now-wife, Susan Crocker, to provide advocacy, support and education. She also founded the International Transgender Day of Visibility, which has been celebrated on March 31 by a growing number of countries every year since 2009.
“That I created something that is all around the world, it really is surreal,” she said. “I’m so proud to be a Spartan. In a lot of my interviews, I mention I’m a Spartan. The School of Social Work is wonderful. It really prepared me for everything I did, and I think it’s very rare that you can honestly say that.”
LEARN MORE about Rachel Crandall-Crocker’s support of the LGBTQ+ and disability communities.
Donnie Haye
Donnie Haye’s career at IBM took her around the world. But her heart was always in East Lansing.
Her dedication to enhancing education for fellow Spartans includes 10 years on the Engineering Alumni Board, 17 years on the Applied Engineering Sciences Alumni Board, and her current role as a member of the MSU Foundation Advisory Board. She has demonstrated unwavering support for women in STEM and students of all stripes in MSU’s College of Engineering.
“I’ve always wanted to in some way give back to Michigan State just because I had such an amazing experience here,” she said. “I think the university truly appreciates any support you can give, be it financial, be it your time, your experience, your wanting to share and help the next generation. That’s just as important and just as appreciated.”
Haye worked for IBM for 34 ½ years, holding numerous leadership roles—including six V.P. positions—in finance, operations and marketing across the U.S., Europe and Asia. She retired in 2017 as vice president of client and channel enablement for IBM’s Integrated Supply Chain.
“I was fortunate enough to have worked in a lot of disciplines at IBM, learning how to take complex problems and break them apart, analyze and think of solutions,” she said. “I credit my background in the College of Engineering here at Michigan State for that.”
LEARN MORE about Donnie Haye’s volunteer contributions to Michigan State University.
Robin Miner-Swartz
Robin Miner-Swartz took charge in the eighth grade, starting a newspaper for her class and setting herself on a path as a storyteller.
“I wanted to be able to tell people what I thought, and I wanted a lot of people to read about it,” she said. “And I was fortunate to grow up in East Lansing with two Spartans for parents, knowing that Michigan State had this fantastic journalism program.”
From volunteering at WKAR as a child to promoting MSU and the arts today, Miner-Swartz’s work connects Spartans across generations. She’s led initiatives like the Wharton Center’s NextGen program and inspired young women as a mentor at Suzy Merchant’s empowHER Leadership Retreat.
“Giving back to Michigan State has always been in my blood because that’s what I was doing from a very early age,” she said. “And it becomes natural because you just want to help. I enjoy getting to know new people that way and having new experiences because of those volunteer opportunities. It’s just fun.”
DISCOVER how Robin Miner-Swartz's commitment to the arts has benefited MSU and East Lansing.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
Spartans are curious. We all have the drive to uncover the unknown; to explore, to understand, to grow. When we combine our curiosity with passion, we are capable of changing the world. The Distinguished Alumni Award is granted to those who have differentiated themselves by obtaining the highest level of professional accomplishment in their field.
Warren Wood
Warren Wood’s curiosity of the world laid the groundwork for a prolific career dedicated to the study of environmental geology, specifically hydrological sciences. He spent 40 years with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) before turning to education, teaching at prestigious institutions around the world, including MSU.
It was as a student at MSU that he discovered his passion. He switched his scientific focus from chemical engineering to geology, inspired by his professor, the late Dr. James H. Fisher.
“I could address the origin of life. I could address the origin of the universe, the origin of the Earth in a scientific way,” he said. “And that was so refreshing and so uplifting to be able to understand what in the world was going on and these very fundamental questions.”
Dr. Wood has led research teams on various critical topics in hydrology, particularly focusing on aquifer systems in arid and semi-arid climates. With over 100 peer-reviewed papers and numerous awards, his groundbreaking work has left a lasting impression on the field.
“Michigan State is my extended family,” he said. “It’s kind of like getting praise from a cherished member of your family that you really think a great deal of. It means more than any of the other awards or trophies or plaques I’ve gotten. … This is really much more meaningful.”
PHILANTHROPIST AWARD
Spartans are supportive. Support empowers us to take risks, embrace challenges and grow beyond our perceived limitations. It guides us through periods of uncertainty and acts as a catalyst for personal and professional growth. The Philanthropist Award which is presented to those with a proven track record of providing major, ongoing financial support to MSU and whose generosity inspires others.
Keelung Hong and the late Stephen O. Murray
Support is the bedrock of the legacy of Keelung Hong and the late Stephen O. Murray whose partnership has left an indelible mark on MSU and the world.
Murray, a ’72 James Madison College graduate, was a renowned anthropologist and activist who dedicated his life to studying sexual and gender minorities across cultures and history. He met his life partner, Keelung Hong, in San Francisco in 1981. Hong is the founder, chairman and CEO of the Taiwan Liposome Company, a biopharmaceutical company. Together they explored the depths of both science and sociology.
Hong and Murray shared a love of libraries as a gateway to knowledge and learning. When Murray passed away in 2019, Hong sought to honor his partner’s extensive scholarly contributions with a donation to MSU Libraries. Their names now grace the Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections, ensuring Murray’s work will continue to inspire and support future generations of Spartans.
“Stephen, if you knew him, he didn’t say much,” Hong said. “He would read and write a lot but wouldn’t say much. I can only think that he would probably have the same good feelings with this because he was good at doing this kind of thing—helping.”
* Kermit the Frog—yes, that Kermit, of “The Muppet Show” fame—was granted the Honorary Alumnus Award and served as the Grand Marshall of the Homecoming Parade in 2006.
