Since its inception, the Yale Medal, the highest honor presented by the Yale Alumni Association, has been awarded to over 350 individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary devotion to Yale’s ideals and shown their support through extensive, exemplary service to the university and its schools, institutes, and programs.
The 2025 Yale Medalists are Robert Bildner ’72, Donna L. Dubinsky ’77, Akosua Barthwell Evans ’90 JD, Jerry W. Henry ’80 MDiv, and William J. Poorvu ’56. 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 Bildner ’72
Rob Bildner has a deep passion for Yale and over 50 years of outstanding service to the university as a leader and innovator. Bildner has served multiple terms as the Yale College Class of 1972’s class secretary, where he initiated and co-chaired the first-ever cluster mini-reunion of the classes of 1971, 1972, and 1973. He also co-chaired his class’s 50th reunion and has served on various reunion gift committees through the years. Outside of his class duties, Bildner served the university as a University Council member from 2006 to 2015, where he worked as a member of the Council’s Alcohol Committee, which researched and recommended new policies to address the challenge of binge drinking on campus. Bildner has consistently worked over the decades on multiple Yale development committees and roles, including the For Humanity Campaign Committee, the Yale Alumni Fund, the Parents Leadership Council, the Yale Development Council, and the Yale Tomorrow Campaign Executive Committee. Bildner also served as a founder of the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale and was a member of its Board of Directors for over fifteen years, and remains an active supporter. His ability to get things done and energize others to step up and take part makes him a valued leader and member of the Yale alumni community.
Donna L. Dubinsky ’77
Donna Dubinsky has shared her time and talents with Yale over many decades and continues to serve the university in a meaningful way. Dubinsky served on the Yale Corporation from 2006-2018, as the senior trustee from 2016-2018, and is a co-chair of the For Humanity campaign. During her tenure on the corporation, Dubinsky launched an outreach initiative to make trustees more accessible to the community and spent a significant amount of time on campus to ensure that the board’s work was effective and impactful. She has been a trusted advisor to multiple Yale presidents and administrators, and over several years, starting in 2007, she provided critical input on the University Council’s Committee on Digital Yale, helping to develop Yale’s emerging digital strategy. As a resident of the West Coast, she has been a strong advocate for Yale’s presence and identity in Northern California, frequently hosting events, leveraging her network in support of the university’s priorities, and bringing alumni from the tech sector closer to the Yale community. Throughout her volunteer history, Dubinsky has always been passionate about enabling Yale's impact in the world and is a widely respected member of the Yale community for her continued leadership and advocacy.
Akosua Barthwell Evans ’90 JD
Akosua Barthwell Evans is recognized as a thoughtful leader who has made significant contributions to many Yale organizations and the broader community. She began her volunteer work as a student and has lent her talents to YaleWomen as a board member from 2016-2022 and as a program committee co-chair. As a third-year Yale Law student, Barthwell Evans organized the Warner Thornton McGuinn Scholarship Fund, which has continuously provided partial scholarships to underrepresented law students. She served on the YAA Board of Governors from 2017-2020 and as a YAA At-Large Delegate from 2015-2018. Most recently, she helped revitalize the Yale Club of Michigan, where she has served as its president since 2019. Barthwell Evans raised the bar on the Yale Club of Michigan’s programming and tapped into her network to bring outstanding speakers to the region, including then-President Peter Salovey. Through Barthwell Evans’ leadership as a site coordinator, the club has also taken part multiple times in the Yale Day of Service, assisting several Detroit nonprofits. She has also served Yale Law School in several capacities, including as a reunion gift committee co-chair and member, alumni fund board member, and executive committee member. Her enthusiasm and ability to bring people together have inspired others throughout the Yale family to get involved and distinguishes her as a deeply impactful contributor to Yale.
Jerry W. Henry ’80 MDiv
Jerry Henry has innovated, created, and progressed Yale’s mission wherever it manifests for nearly 45 years. As an alumnus of the Yale Divinity School (YDS), he has served as class secretary, alumni fund class agent, YDS alumni board member and chair, Dean’s Advisory Council member, and reunion co-chair. Henry is known as a valued advisor to Dean Gregory Sterling and the entire YDS community, and as a volunteer who can be counted on to be generous with his time, energy, and knowledge. Starting in 2014, Henry served on the YAA Board of Governors, eventually chairing the board from 2020 to 2022 and completing his service as immediate past chair in 2024. During his tenure as chair, he successfully navigated managing the board’s work and culture through the pandemic and led an effort to improve board governance. He is also an active member of his local Yale community in South Carolina, actively engaging with both the Piedmont Yale Club and as an interviewer for the Alumni Schools Committee. Recently, he has served on the For Humanity Campaign Committee, the Yale Alumni Fund Board of Directors, and as a global co-chair of the Yale Day of Service (2023-2025). A true connector and leader, Henry brings kindness and collaboration to his diverse range of volunteer roles, serving as a role model for volunteer service to the University.
William J. Poorvu ’56
William Poorvu has provided decades of leadership and service to Yale, rooted in a deep commitment to the university and an enduring belief in the transformative power of education. Starting in the 1980s, Poorvu volunteered his real estate and urban planning skills to the critical goal of improving the university’s urban development efforts and relationship with New Haven. Since then, he has served the university on the Yale Investment Committee, the University Council, the Yale Tomorrow Campaign committee, and as an ambassador for the For Humanity Campaign. As a dedicated member of the Yale College Class of 1956, he has served on numerous reunion gift committees and is currently a member of the class executive committee. Throughout his lifetime of dedication to Yale, providing support for education and teaching has remained a core value. This led to the formation of the Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation, which awards grants to four assistant professors each year, enabling them to pursue interdisciplinary research that is essential to their development as teachers and scholars. This commitment is also reflected in Poorvu’s support for the Center for Teaching and Learning, established in 2014 as a hub to encourage excellence in teaching across all disciplines at Yale. Poorvu’s continued advisement and contributions have had a significant impact on Yale – its community, financial strength, faculty, and students.
