Since its inception, the Yale Medal, the highest honor presented by the Yale Alumni Association, has been given to over 340 individuals who have shown extraordinary devotion to Yale’s ideals and demonstrated their support through extensive, exemplary services to the university and its schools, institutes, and programs.
The 2024 Yale Medalists are Robert G. “Rob” Greenly ’83 MBA, Constance L. Royster ’72, Elizabeth Sullivan ’74, ’76 MA, Michael B. Tom ’83 MD, and William D. White ’73, ’78 DIV. They will be honored in a special ceremony to be held on campus this fall during the YAA Assembly and Yale Alumni Fund Convocation event.
Please read below for more on each recipient and their essential contributions.
Robert G. “Rob” Greenly ’83 MBA
Rob Greenly’s commitment to Yale has been long, passionate, and varied. He has steadfastly served the School of Management Class of 1983 for the past 40 years in planning activities, fundraising, and making connections. Greenly’s contributions to SOM as a class secretary, reunion planning and gift committee member, and SOM Alumni Advisory Board Member resulted in his receipt of the inaugural SOM Alumni Leadership Award in 2011. From 2013-2015, he served as president, board member, and ex-officio delegate of the Yale Club of Boston, where he re-invigorated and re-activated the club through strategic planning retreats, diverse and inclusive programming, and sustainable leadership planning. In addition to his work with the Yale Club of Boston, Greenly launched the Boston chapter of the Yale Jewish Alumni Association and has been an active member and twice chair of the Yale SOMAA Boston Chapter. Greenly has also lent his time and expertise as a regional site coordinator for Yale Day of Service before becoming co-chair from 2021-2023. Among his many contributions to Yale Day of Service, Greenly is remembered for inaugurating a “collector’s” T-shirt and design competition and improving communication to engage and activate alumni in this highly successful program. Greenly’s dedication and devotion to the university, its alumni, and its students are a model to the entire Yale community.
Constance L. Royster ’72
Constance Royster's leadership, mentorship, and service to Yale spans decades and encompasses many groups across the university. After graduation, Royster was appointed to the first Board of Governors of the Association of Yale Alumni in 1972. She is a leader in the Yale College Class of 1972, where she has organized biannual lunches for the women in her class, is a longtime class agent with service on the Yale Alumni Fund Board, and has served on numerous reunion planning and gift committees, including co-chairing her 50th reunion. Royster also brought her expertise and wisdom to the planning committee for the 50th anniversary celebration of the First Women in Yale College, and the steering committee for the celebration of 150 years of Women at Yale. Royster is a leader in the Yale African American community. She organized a 45th reunion of Yale Black Seminarians; she served on the 45th anniversary committee and as an Honorary Co-Chair and Fundraising Committee Co-Chair for the 50th anniversary of the Afro-American Cultural Center. Her unwavering service continued as a member of the Dwight Hall Board of Directors from 2006-2015, where she was a champion for the Dwight Hall campaign to renovate their building. She also chaired the board and guided Dwight Hall through its 125th Anniversary Celebration, which brought current students and alumni from across the country together. She is a committed Jonathan Edwards College fellow who helps bond and connect the community. Royster’s selfless and consistent service has made the university and broader community stronger and better for all.
Elizabeth Sullivan ’74, ’76 MA
Elizabeth Sullivan is a leader who is more committed to results than recognition. She has made significant contributions to the Graduate School Alumni Association, the YAA Board of Governors, Yale Women’s Crew alumni association, Yale Day of Service, the Alumni Schools Committee, and the Yale Club of Cleveland. In her role as co-chair of Yale Day of Service in 2020 and 2021, Sullivan worked with her co-chair to find creative ways to foster community when in-person gatherings were off-limits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She supported and promoted projects like a letter-writing campaign for seniors experiencing isolation and loneliness and amplified Yale Day of Service virtual programs throughout the broader global alumni community. Sullivan was proactive in seeking feedback from Yale Day of Service leaders; this engagement with the broader volunteer group impacted the trajectory of Yale Day of Service programming moving out of the pandemic and laid important foundations for the program’s infrastructure. Sullivan is particularly respected in her regional community in Cleveland and all of Ohio, where she has reliably and enthusiastically supported and led multiple activities and programs over the years. Her unwavering dedication to getting the job done no matter the circumstances and genuine love for Yale make her an invaluable member of the alumni community.
Michael B. Tom ’83 MD
Michael Tom exemplifies a lifelong commitment to giving back to the university through engagement both on and off campus. He has been involved with the School of Medicine Alumni Fund as an agent since graduating in 1983 and became chair of the School of Medicine Alumni Fund from 2006-2016. When he was elected chair of the university’s Yale Alumni Fund Board in 2018, he was the first alum with a medical degree to hold the position, which saw the Alumni Fund raise $88.851 million from 79,693 gifts during his tenure. In his role as chair, his top priority was donor loyalty, and he worked with fellow board members and the staff team to develop a new brand and program to recognize loyal donors – Yale True. During Tom’s leadership, the Alumni Fund also improved its collaboration and general volunteer representation from the graduate and professional schools, especially with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In addition to his work with the Alumni Fund, Tom served as a reunion gift chair for his medical school class’s last four reunions. He also oversaw two working groups focused on campaign readiness prior to the launch of the for Humanity campaign. His thoughtful and informed leadership has yielded innovations and results that help advance Yale’s mission.
William D. White ’73, ’78 DIV
William White is an ambassador for Yale, advocating for scholarship and mentoring hundreds of students and alumni. For the past 40 years, White has served as the Alumni Schools Committee (ASC) Director in Beijing, where his leadership has been a transformative resource for Yale’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. In his role, White has shared his knowledge of the complex Chinese geo-political and education landscape, invested countless hours interviewing interested students, convened a diverse set of alumni interviewers, and become a lifelong mentor to many of the students he has encountered. He has closely followed the entire application process for all interviewees over the years and reached out to students who have been accepted to encourage them to matriculate at Yale and help prepare them for the significant change of attending university in the U.S. In addition to his ASC service, White also served the Yale Club of Beijing as a board member from 2003-2016. White is known throughout the Yale-China community for his commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity in an environment that can be riddled with unscrupulous practices. Under White’s stewardship, Yale ASC Beijing has recruited some of the brightest talents for Yale and instilled Yale’s ethos and mission in this part of the world.
