William Godwin, ’10, Honored with 2026 Early Career Achievement Award by Alumni Association
UChicago announces 2026 Alumni Award honorees
The University of Chicago Alumni Association and the Alumni Board have announced the recipients of the 2026 Alumni Awards.
The awards recognize accomplished UChicago graduates for their outstanding professional achievement, service to society and contributions to the UChicago community. This year’s honorees span a wide range of fields, including global economic policy, theoretical physics, healthcare innovation, nonprofit leadership, public service and finance.
The recipients of the Professional Achievement Award, Early Career Achievement Award, Recent Alumni Service Award, Alumni Service Medal and Alumni Service Award will be honored during Alumni Weekend from April 30 to May 3.
In addition, Prof. Emeritus Samuel Peltzman, PhD’65, will be recognized with the Norman Maclean Faculty Award for extraordinary contributions to teaching and student experience.
Learn more about the 2026 Alumni Award honorees:
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Early Career Achievement Award
William Godwin, JD’10, serves as senior advisor to the Calumet Township Trustee and principal of Garard Strategies LLC, a pro-social external affairs consulting firm. In 2023, President Joe Biden appointed him a White House fellow, leading Godwin to serve in the Executive Office of the President until 2024. In September 2025, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton appointed him a commissioner on the Gary/Chicago International Airport Board. From 2020 until 2023, he served as president of the Gary City Council and 1st district councilman. He is the founder and managing broker of Godwin Realty Company, a real estate brokerage licensed in Indiana and Illinois.
Previously, he served as a commissioner on the Gary Port Authority, board president of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, and external affairs manager at the non-profit Communities In Schools of Chicago. He served as associate vice-chancellor of Workforce & Economic Development at City Colleges of Chicago, managing district-wide workforce partnerships. A native of Jackson, Tenn., William earned his B.A. in sociology, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University, and completed the year-long General Course at The London School of Economics and Political Science. He also earned a master’s degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary. William is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education leadership and policy studies at Howard University. He is an attorney member of the Illinois State Bar Association.
Read more at The University of Chicago