Alumni Awards

These graduates are "Difference Makers" who have continued the University's legacy of leadership in their lives and careers. View past award winners.

This award will honor a graduate of the College of Business who has shown outstanding professional accomplishments in their field, and demonstrated public service and leadership. The candidate will be engaged in the mission/advancement of the College of Business and its respective alumni community.

Adelaide Prendushi, ’05 B.B.A., ’16 M.S., is the senior area manager of local government and community affairs for ITC Holdings Corp. She develops and implements strategy in southeastern Michigan, fostering relationships with communities and local officials while advancing ITC's philanthropic priorities through partnerships with charitable organizations. Before this role, Adelaide held leadership positions in IT and is a certified project management professional. 

Adelaide serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Eight Mile Boulevard Association, Advancing Women in Energy, Community Foundation of Monroe, and the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation. She is also the founder of Mission You, a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty domestically and internationally. Since its inception in early 2020, Mission You has helped over a dozen families in need, including building a home for a disabled family in Albania, Adelaide’s birth country.

While at UM-Dearborn, Adelaide was an active member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and participated in the Victors for Michigan fundraising campaign. She has been a champion for UM-Dearborn through her work in promoting programs to current students and appearing in promotional videos for campus. Adelaide has also partnered with UM-Dearborn to increase recruitment and engagement between campus and ITC.

Adelaide earned an M.B.A. from Wayne State University and served as the vice president of the Wayne State University Alumni Association Board of Directors. She is a Leadership Detroit Class 40 alumna and was selected for Oakland County's 2019 40 Under 40 class. Adelaide also holds the honor of being named one of Michigan’s 2021 Most Valuable Millennials by Corp! Magazine. Recently, Adelaide became a Harvard Business School alumna by completing the Program for Leadership Development. She is an active member of the HBS Women's Association and serves as an Alumni Career Guide volunteer.

This award will honor a UM-Dearborn alumni-owned business that has made an impact and has showcased its commitment within the community.

Shatila Bakery was founded by Riad Shatila in 1979 in Dearborn, Michigan. Immigrating from Beirut, Lebanon in the 1970s, Riad started with a small retail shop on Warren Road, a few employees, and a dream of providing authentic Mediterranean sweets. 

In the late 1990s, after years of passion and dedication, Riad Shatila moved his small bakery into a larger establishment and opened a large manufacturing and shipping department, shipping nationally and worldwide. To reward his hard work and constant efforts, Riad received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1995 from the Arab Chaldean Council for his contributions to the community and expansion of the business, which became a Dearborn landmark. He accepted the award with his wife, Zeinat Shatila, who always supported his business endeavors, by his side.

After Mr. Shatila's passing in 2013, his family, including his daughters, UM-Dearborn alumnae, Nada Shatila, ’11 B.A.,’16 M.B.A., and Tanya Shatila, ’15 B.A., took over as the new owners of the business. They continue to grow the business and honor their dad’s legacy. 

Today, Shatila Bakery has expanded to also include a location in West Bloomfield and Dearborn Heights. They have been the recipient of many accolades, such as being crowned Saveur Magazine’s Best Ice Cream in America, Vote 4 the Best’s #1 Middle Eastern Bakery in 2014 and 2016, The Wall Street Journal’s America’s Best Baklava, and a 2024 semi-finalist for a James Beard Award in the Outstanding Bakery category. They have been featured in Bon Appetit magazine and were recognized in Food & Wine’s “The 100 Best Bakeries in America.” Shatila Bakery was also featured in INSIDERS’s “50 Famous Foods you should try in your lifetime.”

This award will honor a UM-Dearborn graduate who provides important leadership and service to the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Successful nominees will have distinguished themselves by the energy, effort and creativity they demonstrate in addressing a challenge.

Daniell Patterson, ’90 B.S.A., a partner at Fenner Melstrom & Dooling, PLC, and a licensed CPA in Michigan, has over 33 years of public accounting experience. He specializes in assisting entrepreneurial, privately-held businesses with accounting, tax, and business consulting needs. His deep industry expertise spans manufacturing and dealerships (auto/truck, motorcycle/motorsports, construction equipment, and marine), and various other industries.

In addition to business services, Dan advises clients on personal tax matters, including income tax, estate tax, and business transition/succession planning. He has significant experience representing clients in business acquisitions and disposals on both the buy-side and sell-side.

Dan is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Here at UM-Dearborn, Dan is a past member of the UM-Dearborn Alumni Society Board, and his leadership and strategic insights have been invaluable in shaping the direction of alumni engagement initiatives at UM-Dearborn. His active participation in our alumni/student mentoring programs reflects his genuine desire to guide and empower the next generation of leaders. Through his mentorship, Dan provides invaluable support to students, helping them navigate academic and professional challenges with confidence.

Dan's commitment to student success extends beyond mentorship; he actively supports scholarships and champions opportunities for students to thrive academically and professionally including hiring recent graduates. He consistently attends alumni events and initiatives, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to fostering a vibrant and connected alumni community.

Dan's impact extends far beyond his individual contributions; he serves as a catalyst for positive change within the UM-Dearborn community and the Metro Detroit area. His partnership with UM-Dearborn was recognized in 2020 when our campus and the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Metro Detroit honored Dan as a National Philanthropy Day honoree, underscoring his deep-seated pride in his alma mater.