Old Dominion presented Distinguished Alumni Awards to six graduates at the annual Founders’ Day luncheon in October.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are given to ODU graduates in recognition of outstanding service to the community, state, nation or mankind, or for outstanding accomplishments in their profession. The 2008 recipients are:
• Maj. Gen. John Bednarek ’75, biology – Commander of the Army’s 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, Bednarek is a product of the ODU Army ROTC Battalion. He later completed a master’s in personnel management from Troy State University and has attended the Army War College.

• Michael A. Franklin ’95, health sciences – President and CEO of Atlantic General Hospital Corp. in Berlin, Md., Franklin continued his education at Virginia Commonwealth University, graduating in 2001 with a master’s degree in health administration.

• Larry Kittelberger (M.B.A. ’75) – Senior vice president, technology and operations, Honeywell Corp., Kittelberger earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Penn State. In 1997, as a result of his dedication to the Virginia Council on Information Management and his efforts to improve Virginia, Gov. George Allen declared Feb. 18 as Larry Kittelberger Day.

• Shamina Singh ’91, political science – Chief operating officer and director of communications and strategy for Citi’s Global Community Relations Division, Singh earned a graduate degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin.

• George T. Singley III (M.E. ’77), mechanical engineering – A member of the Commission on Army Acquisition and Program Management in Expeditionary Operations and a vice chairman of the Association of the U.S. Army and consultant to the Army Science Board, Singley received an M.B.A. from the College of William and Mary and B.E.A. in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware.

• Tommy Smigiel ’00, interdisciplinary studies-elementary/middle school education – Assistant principal at Granby High School in Norfolk, Smigiel was selected as Norfolk Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year in 2007 while on the teaching staff at Norfolk’s Norview High School. He subsequently was named 2008 Virginia Teacher of the Year and was one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year honors.