Outstanding alumni
Hastings, Duff presented Outstanding Alumni Awards by UDAA
1:25 p.m., Nov. 3, 2014--Shanté Stargell Hastings and Shawn Duff are the 2014 recipients of the University of Delaware Alumni Association Outstanding Alumni Award.
Hastings graduated from UD in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and Duff graduated in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Honors Stories
National Medal of Science
Warren Award
Presented annually over Homecoming weekend by the UD Alumni Association, this award is given to alumni who have exhibited exceptional volunteer work on behalf of the University and/or the UDAA.
Hastings has served in numerous volunteer capacities since graduating from UD in 2000. She served a term on the UD Alumni Association board of directors and served as its president from 2007-09. She currently serves as the president of the University of Delaware Kent and Sussex Counties Alumni Club, a position she has held since 2009.
She also volunteered as a mentor for the Civil Engineering Senior Design course at UD and has served on the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s External Advisory Council for the past four years.
Hastings has also taken an active role with her class reunions, serving on the committee for her 10th and again for the 15th reunion. She was the president of Sigma Kappa sorority during her senior year at UD and has been an active alumna serving on the board that manages the sorority house on campus and as an adviser to the chapter vice president of finance.
Hastings is a Double Del whose husband Jason received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2000 and a master’s in 2001.
Duff is president of the UD Men’s Crew Alumni Association, a position he has held since 2011. After graduating from the University in 2008 he became active with the association, serving as a director.
Over the past couple of years, Duff has been instrumental in growing outreach to fellow men’s crew alumni, parents and students. He takes the lead in planning several annual events throughout the year such as the Alumni and Family Day Event in October, the Winter Social and Auction in March and the Dad Vail Regatta Alumni Tent in May.
In addition, he supports the Boston Alumni Club effort with the Head of the Charles post-race alumni event.
These events bring over 200 Blue Hens together each year and for many alumni this is their connection to the University. He also helps organize an active alumni racing team that competes at both the Head of the Charles Regatta as well as Head of the Schuylkill.
Duff coordinates outreach through the men’s crew alumni website, monthly email updates, social media and annual newsletter to help keep alumni connected. In addition to his work with men’s crew, he has participated in the Blue Hen Leadership Program events and has served on his class’ 5th Reunion Committee. Duff is also a proud Double Del with his wife Cortney, a 2007 graduate.
“Shanté and Shawn are both great examples of what it means to be Blue Hens Forever,” said UDAA President Ken Jones, a 1980 graduate, speaking following a halftime ceremony at the Fightin’ Blue Hens football game during which the Outstanding Alumni Award recipients were honored.