During Homecoming, the Baylor University Alumni Association recognized five individuals with the W.R. White Meritorious Service Award and five graduates as recipients of the Herbert H. Reynolds Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

The W.R. White Meritorious Service Award, named for Baylor's ninth president, has been given annually since 1977 by the BAA to recognize individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the university. This year's honorees were:

• Howard Dudgeon III, BBA '65, BAcc '66, the university treasurer from 1974-2003 and a member of President Herbert Reynolds' cabinet;
• Madelyn Gaines Jones, a registrar at Baylor for 25 years until her retirement in January of this year;
• David Malone, BA '73, a former president of the BAA and a member of the BAA's Executive Committee since 2000;
• Ann Reed, whose nearly 39 years of service to Baylor included 32 years as Reynolds' personal assistant; and
• Bill Underwood, a Master Teacher who served as Baylor's interim president and is currently president of Mercer University.

The Herbert H. Reynolds Outstanding Young Alumni Awards are given annually by the Alumni Association to recognize professional achievement and distinguished service by Baylor alumni 40 years old or younger.

This year's recipients were:

• Dr. Ali Azizzadeh, BS '94, director of endovascular surgery at the Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute in Houston;
• Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, BS '93, director of parenting education and development for the Mindsight Institute in Los Angeles;
• Collin J. Cox, BA '97, a partner at the law firm of Yetter, Warden & Coleman in Houston and a member of the BAA's Board of Directors;
• Kimberly Hightower, BS '99, MS '08, a special education teacher at Waco's G.W. Carver Academy; and
• David Phelps, BM '92, a Christian singer/songwriter best known for his eight-year stint as lyric tenor and soloist in the Gaither Vocal Band.