Friday, Sep 05, 2025 • Cristal Gonzalez : Contact

On the eve of The University of Texas at Arlington’s 130th anniversary, more than 400 alumni, administrators, faculty, staff and friends gathered in the University Center’s Bluebonnet Ballroom for the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

This year’s honorees—Trey Yelverton, Linda and Dan Dipert, Xavier Egan and the late Allan Saxe—were celebrated for their professional and civic achievements, community engagement and support of UTA.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are the highest honor bestowed upon UTA alumni and friends. Recipients have made significant contributions to the community, and their accomplishments reflect the University’s legacy of excellence.

Guests heard remarks from President Jennifer Cowley; Marie Schultz, vice president for development and alumni relations; and Eric Nedderman, son of UTA’s longest serving president, Wendell Nedderman.

“Our alumni are the living proof of UTA’s mission fulfilled. They’re the voices of the courtrooms and classrooms, the leaders in city halls and hospitals, the innovators in labs and studios,” Dr. Cowley said. “They’re the ones who carry UTA’s name and reputation into the world and elevate it with every step they take. That’s the story of the alumni that we are honoring here tonight.”

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Yelverton (’88 BA, Political Science), Arlington’s city manager since 2012, received the Distinguished Alumni Award for his longtime impact on the community and his profession, including guiding many of the city’s most significant projects, such as AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, and Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center.

“It’s been 40 years—130 for the University—but 40 years for me that I showed up on this campus in 1985,” Yelverton said. “I’m grateful to be able to do what I do in a place I really love. But let’s also celebrate what this University and students do for the city and the great state of Texas. I’m proud to see the impact the University has on our communities all across the region.”

Xavier Egan (’11 BBA, Finance), founder and president of Capital Asset Equities in Arlington, received the Rising Star Award, honoring graduates 40 years old or younger who have demonstrated high achievement and impact in their early careers and in their commitment to strengthening UTA’s community development. He chairs the Arlington Mayor’s Black Advisory Council and leads UTA’s Black Alumni Chapter, mentoring students and bolstering alumni connections.

“Being recognized as a distinguished alumnus is a profound honor, and I’m incredibly grateful for being a part of this great class,” Egan said. “This award belongs not just to me, but to all the professors who challenged me, to the friends who stood beside me, my fraternity brothers who stood with me and to the alumni whose courage carved the paths that we have walked today.”

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Linda (’01 BBA, Marketing) and Dan Dipert were recipients of the Alumni Service Award, recognizing exceptional service to UTA and its community through the donation of time, treasure and talent. Linda founded Women Inspiring Philanthropy and has dedicated her career to advancing community engagement and education. Her husband, Dan, built a small Arlington travel agency into Dan Dipert Coaches and Tours.

Together, they established the Dan Dipert Family Fund and have supported community projects across the region.

“To be recognized by UTA, an institution that shapes lives, fuels innovation and strengthens our community is an honor beyond words,” Linda Dipert said. “For me, service isn’t about titles and awards, it’s about showing up, giving back and lifting others. This recognition simply reminds me that I’m on the right track.”

Dan Dipert added that UTA and the greater Arlington community have given his family “so many friendships, memories and opportunities over the years that have enriched their lives in ways far beyond what they could have planned.”

Beloved UTA faculty member Allan Saxe was posthumously awarded the inaugural Distinguished Philanthropist Award. The award was accepted by his widow, Ruthie Brock.

Brock entertainingly recounted how Dr. Saxe would teach classes almost nonstop when others took vacation time to earn money that he would then generously give back to the community in numerous ways.

The evening also celebrated 130 years of UTA’s existence—starting with one building and 75 students and growing to its stature today as a Carnegie R1 research institution with more than 41,000 students and a network of over 280,000 alumni.

“130 years ago, we had just one building and a handful of students. Today, we have more than 280,000 alumni spread across the globe, making their mark in every imaginable corner,” said Cowley. “That’s the ripple effect of this place and why tonight matters.”

About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)

Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 41,000, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.