Terrell Ward Bynum graduated in 1963 with honors and distinction from UD with bachelor’s degrees in both philosophy and chemistry. He has been a longtime faculty member in the Department of Philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University and is an internationally recognized philosophy scholar, most recently in the realm of computer and digital ethics.

His nominator, Robert Prezant, is provost at the same university and also happens to be a UD alumnus, from the Class of 1981. 

“When we first met, we found an immediate kinship in both being Blue Hens and both having important mentors who guided us in our Udel days,” Prezant said.

Bynum’s UD mentors were Professor Cyrus L. Day, who helped him understand the value of ancient Greek philosophy and also how to become a great teacher, and Bernard H. Baumrin. Bynum supports a scholarship fund named after Professor Day and shares a named scholarship fund with Professor Baumrin, called the Baumrin, Thomas and Bynum Scholarship. His generosity enables students to pursue their philosophy education at UD.

“Because of everything that the University of Delaware did for me, and because I wish to help undergraduate students, I have regularly donated funds for student scholarships since 1986 (54 times), and I will continue to do so,” Bynum said.

As a UD student, Bynum was the drill instructor of the Delaware Rifles ROTC Competition Drill Team; co-creator of the Sharp Hall “Mop Brigade,” a cheer-leading squad that marched with mops (in place of rifles) at home football games; president of the Student Philosophy Club; creator and editor of Concept, the student philosophy journal; among other roles. 

Bynum’s important accomplishments also include serving as the founding editor and long-serving Editor-in-Chief of the philosophy journal Metaphilosophy; founding the Research Center on Computing & Society; serving as a United Nations delegate for the World Energy Technologies Summit in Paris in 2004 and the UN Summit of Protecting Children on the Internet in 2002; and establishing the American Association of Philosophy Teachers, where he served in many leadership roles for 15 years.

Courtney Smith Goodrich is an accomplished executive who has led global technology-based transformation initiatives at two of the largest U.S. banks. She graduated from UD with honors in 1993, earning a bachelor’s degree in management, and in 1995 with a master’s in public administration, finishing first in her class. During her graduate studies, she started her career at JP Morgan Chase (JPMC) where she quickly rose in leadership roles to become the chief operating officer for global technologies in 2014 and then chief technology strategy and programs officer in 2016. Now, she is chief administrative officer for consumer lending and executive vice president at Wells Fargo. 

“Beyond her incredible success as a technology leader in the financial world, Courtney takes great pride in sharing her professional expertise to mentor junior employees and has been a leader of diversity and inclusion efforts,” said Michael Chajes, her nominator and dean of UD’s Honors College. “While climbing to the highest levels of both Wells Fargo and JPMC, Courtney has maintained a close relationship with UD, making several significant contributions to help us advance our mission.”

In 2009, Goodrich collaborated with Chajes and Bobby Gempesaw, then-dean of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, to start a Global Enterprise Technology program. Through this program, students received a minor that prepared them for the use and deployment of computer systems in global organizations like JPMC. 

Additionally, she serves on the UD’s President’s Leadership Council (PLC) and as an Advisory Board Member for Lerner’s Department of Accounting and MIS. Goodrich also has been involved in the Honors College through mentorship and speaking engagements in classes and at events. She received a Distinguished Honors Alumni award for her numerous professional accomplishments. 

Through establishing the Courtney Smith Goodrich Scholarship at UD — awarded to undergraduate students with a major in the Lerner College — Goodrich furthers her commitment to the success of Blue Hens.

“She is an amazing UD ambassador, and we have benefited greatly from her numerous contributions,” Chajes said.

Outside of UD, Goodrich is a frequent speaker at industry forums, is involved in programs that provide  access to college education and serves on the boards of organizations dedicated to helping learners of all ages and backgrounds enhance their personal and professional lives. She has been particularly involved in efforts to support women in business, including her involvement in the Pennsylvania Conference for Women.

Collins J. Seitz, Jr., graduated from UD in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Today, he is serving a 12-year term as chief justice of the Delaware Supreme Court.

Seitz’s nominator, Ashley R. Altschuler, Esq., said that “our Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter on Delaware law, which is particularly important because Delaware is the most popular jurisdiction for incorporations. Thus, the Supreme Court has developed a worldwide reputation as a respected source of corporate law decisions, particularly in the area of mergers and acquisitions. Having authored scores of corporate law decisions during his service on the Bench, Chief Justice Seitz has left an indelible mark on the preeminence of Delaware law in the business world.”

Prior to his appointment as chief justice, he served three years as an associate justice. Before that, he was a managing partner of prominent Wilmington law firm, Connolly Bove Lodge, and headed his own firm, Seitz Ross. He has also held important positions in the State Bar, including chair of the Board of Bar Examiners. He was recognized as an outstanding trial attorney by American College of Trial Lawyers, which is limited to 1% of the state’s attorneys.

Under Seitz’s leadership, the Delaware Courts are carrying on the tradition established by his father and fellow Blue Hen, Collins J. Seitz, Class of 1937, whose landmark ruling in two Delaware cases directly contributed to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954 that desegregated public schools in the U.S. 

Seitz has served on numerous bar and legal-related organizations, including serving as a board member and chair of the Delaware Board of Examiners and a Board member of the Professional Responsibility. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial lawyers. He has also served as the president of the Community Legal Aid Society.

At UD, Seitz delivered the annual James R. Soles Lecture on the Constitution and Citizenship in Clayton Hall in fall 2021. He frequently attends on-campus events such as the Weinberg Celebration dinner and events at the president’s home, and has served as a commencement delegate representing his class. He is also a proud Double Del — his wife, Gail, graduated from UD in 1972 — and a proud parent of Blue Hen Danielle Murray, who graduated from UD in 2003. In addition to the time Seitz commits to the University, he is an active and generous donor in the Delaware Diamonds Society.

Linda Justice Myrick graduated from UD in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and is newly retired from her role as general manager of Arkema, Inc., a global manufacturing company. 

Myrick and her Double Del husband, Steven, are season-ticket holders for Delaware Football and also proud parents of two Blue Hens, Steven, Class of 2011, and Gregory, Class of 2013, along with their daughter-in-law, Lauren, Class of 2013. They’ve also been generous supporters of UD, establishing the Myrick Summer Research Scholarship Fund to support an undergraduate biomedical engineering student and the Myrick Family Fund to support an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

In addition to her philanthropy, Myrick is generous with her time, serving on the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council, the Department of Biomedical Engineering Advisory Council and the Master Players Concert Series Advisory Council. She is also the former president of the UD Engineering Alumni Association.

One of her nominators, Levi Thompson, dean of the College of Engineering, said, “Linda’s impact on the College of Engineering, our Biomedical Engineering Department, and our Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department has been extraordinary. Her dedication, leadership, and innovative spirit have significantly enriched our community and advanced our mission of excellence in education and research. Her visionary leadership continues to shape the future trajectory of engineering and computing education and research at UD.”

Myrick also served the general alumni body through her roles on the Board of Directors for the UD Alumni Association (UDAA), for which she served as president from 2019 to 2021, but that wasn’t the beginning or the end of her service on the UDAA. 

She joined the UDAA in 2007, began a two-year term as vice president in 2017 and then her two-year presidency in 2019. Her presidency was drastically affected by the pandemic, but she pivoted as needed, leading the organization through Zoom meetings and changes.

Her nomination stated, “The quintessential UD cheerleader, ambassador and advocate, Linda is a role model for other alumni in the way she generously gives back her time, talents and treasure.”

The Alumni Award recipients will be recognized along with the recipients of the 2024 Warner and Taylor Awards for Outstanding Seniors, Allie G. Rebuck and Emilie J. Delaye. 

To learn more about the UD Alumni Association Awards, visit the Scholarships and Awards page or email alumni-association@udel.edu.