President Choi's Blog

Applauding alumni excellence at the Golden Quill Awards

May 9, 2023


A photo of Jefferson Club Trustee Nicholas Jain, Golden Quill recipient Robert K. Dixon, Trustee Shea Walsworth, Sebastián Martínez Valdivia (accepting on behalf of Jonathan B. Murray), Trustee Michael Jones, Jefferson Club Board of Trustees Chair Bill Roundtree, Margaret Duffy (accepting on behalf of David C. Novak), Trustee Patty Hummel and President Choi in front of the Wall of Honor in Jesse Hall.
(Left to right) Jefferson Club Trustee Nicholas Jain, Golden Quill recipient Robert K. Dixon, Trustee Shea Walsworth, Sebastián Martínez Valdivia (accepting on behalf of Jonathan B. Murray), Trustee Michael Jones, Jefferson Club Board of Trustees Chair Bill Roundtree, Margaret Duffy (accepting on behalf of David C. Novak), Trustee Patty Hummel and President Choi.

We recently honored four influential Tigers with the Jefferson Club Golden Quill Alumni Excellence Award. Recipients are nominated by the Mizzou community and selected by the Jefferson Club Board of Trustees for their outstanding achievements and commitment to the university’s values.

This year’s winners are:

• Robert K. Dixon – senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy and co-founder and lead author of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize

• Natasha Kaiser-Brown – world-class runner and associate head coach for the Mizzou track and field team

• Jonathan B. Murray – television and documentary producer and co-founder of reality television company Bunim/Murray Productions

• David C. Novak – co-founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership and co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc.

A photo of Chair Roundtree, Golden Quill recipient Natasha Kaiser-Brown, Quinton Brown, Elexandria "Elle" Brown and President Choi.
Chair Roundtree, Golden Quill recipient Natasha Kaiser-Brown, Quinton Brown, Elexandria “Elle” Brown and President Choi.

Along with an award, their names are now displayed on the Notable Alumni Wall in Jesse Hall alongside a host of MizzouMade Tigers, including Emmy Award-winning journalist Jim Lehrer, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Sheryl Crow, former Jamba Juice and Ocean Spray CEO James White, Panda Restaurant Group co-founders Peggy and Andrew Cherng, and so many others.

Each recipient sets high standards for us and provides a proven example of excellence to the next generation. They show the power of a Mizzou education to inspire change and discover new possibilities. Congratulations to all the winners.

— Mun