Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern Athletics Opens Nominations for Fourth Annual “A Life Touched, A Generation Changed” Award
6/25/2026 4:41:00 PM | David G. Kabiller NU for Life Program
EVANSTON, Ill. – In recognition of the generosity of University Trustee David G. Kabiller '85, '87 MBA, Northwestern Athletics established the "A Life Touched, A Generation Changed" award in 2023 to annually honor one former Wildcats letterwinner for their resounding impact on others through actions and deeds, while serving as an inspiration to their community.
Northwestern Athletics has opened the nomination process for this year's award and encourages all members of the Wildcats community to nominate a student-athlete who has graduated from Northwestern who they believe is worthy of the recognition.
Click here to nominate a Wildcats alumnus for the fourth annual A Life Touched, A Generation Changed award.
The success of the nomination process depends on our community members' committed and ongoing participation. The recipient must have distinguished themselves through their unique contributions to society at large, making a positive impact on the lives of others through their work and/or service. A monetary gift will be awarded to the recipient's sports program in honor of their positive impact.
The recipient must have distinguished themselves through their unique contributions to society at large, making a positive impact on the lives of others through their work and/or service. A monetary gift will be awarded to the recipient's sports program in honor of their positive impact.
Nominations for the award will be accepted beginning Thursday, June 25 and will close on Friday, July 24.
Since its establishment in 2023, the award has recognized three extraordinary Wildcats alumni whose lives reflect the lasting power of the Northwestern experience: Wendy Nelson (Women's Tennis) in 2025, John Trautwein (Baseball) in 2024, and Dr. Chinazo Cunningham (Softball) in 2023.
Most recently, Wendy Nelson was named the 2025 recipient. A former Wildcats captain who went on to compete professionally, Nelson has dedicated her career to leadership and civic engagement, currently serving as CEO of Nelson United LLC and as a third-generation leader of Carlson. She has devoted more than two decades of service to Northwestern as a University Trustee and, in 2019, spearheaded the creation of Champions for Wildcat Women to bring a spotlight to women's athletics at Northwestern and expand opportunity for future generations of student-athletes. Her broader philanthropic commitments span the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Guthrie Theater, InnerCity Tennis Center, Positive Coaching Alliance, and numerous other civic organizations.
John Trautwein was honored as the 2024 recipient. Following the tragic loss of his 15-year-old son Will who took his own life in October 2010, Trautwein and his family founded The Will To Live Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to raising awareness of teen suicide and proactively teaching teens to improve their own will to live by delivering hope to one another. As President and Founder, Trautwein has delivered more than 500 speeches across the country, and his "Life Teammates" message. Inspired by his days as a baseball player at Northwestern, he has been recognized by CNN, USA Today, Fox Sports and Major League Baseball, as well as hundreds of churches, schools and universities. Trautwein and his wife are also recipients of the George W. Bush Presidential Point of Light Award for their work with the Foundation.
Dr. Chinazo Cunningham was named the inaugural recipient of the award in 2023. As Commissioner of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Cunningham leads one of the largest statewide addiction treatment systems in the nation, having spent her career providing care to underserved populations, conducting research during the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 epidemics, and advocating for equity in medical treatment. A 2009 Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Cunningham was a dominant force in the pitcher's circle and at the plate for the Wildcats, earning Academic All-Big Ten and Academic All-American honors multiple times. Her 0.38 earned run average in 1987 remains the program's best single-season ERA.
An alumnus of both Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and Kellogg School of Management, Kabiller brought firsthand experience as a student-athlete to his vision for this award. During his undergraduate years, he received an athletic scholarship to play tennis at Northwestern and earned a spot on the Big Ten Academic All-Conference team. That experience inspired him to conceive and ultimately endow the Kabiller NU for Life Program, designed to broaden students' awareness of their professional options and connect them with alumni mentors. Now more than 14 years since its launch, the program has become a cornerstone of the student-athlete experience at Northwestern, with more than 1,500 student-athlete alumni across every sport and undergraduate major having taken part. Alumni engagement has grown exponentially as well, with an expanding network of graduates giving back as mentors, shadowing hosts and employers.
Beyond his role as a University Trustee, Kabiller has served as co-chair of the New York Regional Campaign Committee for We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, chair of the Nanotechnology Executive Council, and a life member of the Kellogg Global Advisory Board. A generous and longtime benefactor to the University, he is a platinum-level member of NU Loyal, Northwestern's giving society recognizing consistent annual giving, with 25 consecutive years of support.
Kabiller's dedication to advancing nanotechnology research has left a mark far beyond Evanston. In 2015, he launched the international Kabiller Awards to shine a spotlight on the brightest minds in nanoscience and nanomedicine, honoring both an established pioneer and an emerging rising star on a biennial basis. He endowed both honors in 2018, ensuring the recognition continues in perpetuity. The 2019 awards honored Northwestern professor Chad Mirkin with the $250,000 Kabiller Prize, the world's largest monetary award for achievement in nanotechnology, and Molly Stevens of Imperial College London with the $10,000 Kabiller Young Investigator Award. More recently, Kabiller created The Kabiller Science of Empathy Prize, awarded biennially to a Kellogg faculty member and an alum whose work advances the understanding of empathy and its impact in business.
Northwestern Athletics has opened the nomination process for this year's award and encourages all members of the Wildcats community to nominate a student-athlete who has graduated from Northwestern who they believe is worthy of the recognition.
Click here to nominate a Wildcats alumnus for the fourth annual A Life Touched, A Generation Changed award.
The success of the nomination process depends on our community members' committed and ongoing participation. The recipient must have distinguished themselves through their unique contributions to society at large, making a positive impact on the lives of others through their work and/or service. A monetary gift will be awarded to the recipient's sports program in honor of their positive impact.
The recipient must have distinguished themselves through their unique contributions to society at large, making a positive impact on the lives of others through their work and/or service. A monetary gift will be awarded to the recipient's sports program in honor of their positive impact.
Nominations for the award will be accepted beginning Thursday, June 25 and will close on Friday, July 24.
Since its establishment in 2023, the award has recognized three extraordinary Wildcats alumni whose lives reflect the lasting power of the Northwestern experience: Wendy Nelson (Women's Tennis) in 2025, John Trautwein (Baseball) in 2024, and Dr. Chinazo Cunningham (Softball) in 2023.
Most recently, Wendy Nelson was named the 2025 recipient. A former Wildcats captain who went on to compete professionally, Nelson has dedicated her career to leadership and civic engagement, currently serving as CEO of Nelson United LLC and as a third-generation leader of Carlson. She has devoted more than two decades of service to Northwestern as a University Trustee and, in 2019, spearheaded the creation of Champions for Wildcat Women to bring a spotlight to women's athletics at Northwestern and expand opportunity for future generations of student-athletes. Her broader philanthropic commitments span the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Guthrie Theater, InnerCity Tennis Center, Positive Coaching Alliance, and numerous other civic organizations.
John Trautwein was honored as the 2024 recipient. Following the tragic loss of his 15-year-old son Will who took his own life in October 2010, Trautwein and his family founded The Will To Live Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to raising awareness of teen suicide and proactively teaching teens to improve their own will to live by delivering hope to one another. As President and Founder, Trautwein has delivered more than 500 speeches across the country, and his "Life Teammates" message. Inspired by his days as a baseball player at Northwestern, he has been recognized by CNN, USA Today, Fox Sports and Major League Baseball, as well as hundreds of churches, schools and universities. Trautwein and his wife are also recipients of the George W. Bush Presidential Point of Light Award for their work with the Foundation.
Dr. Chinazo Cunningham was named the inaugural recipient of the award in 2023. As Commissioner of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Cunningham leads one of the largest statewide addiction treatment systems in the nation, having spent her career providing care to underserved populations, conducting research during the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 epidemics, and advocating for equity in medical treatment. A 2009 Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Cunningham was a dominant force in the pitcher's circle and at the plate for the Wildcats, earning Academic All-Big Ten and Academic All-American honors multiple times. Her 0.38 earned run average in 1987 remains the program's best single-season ERA.
An alumnus of both Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and Kellogg School of Management, Kabiller brought firsthand experience as a student-athlete to his vision for this award. During his undergraduate years, he received an athletic scholarship to play tennis at Northwestern and earned a spot on the Big Ten Academic All-Conference team. That experience inspired him to conceive and ultimately endow the Kabiller NU for Life Program, designed to broaden students' awareness of their professional options and connect them with alumni mentors. Now more than 14 years since its launch, the program has become a cornerstone of the student-athlete experience at Northwestern, with more than 1,500 student-athlete alumni across every sport and undergraduate major having taken part. Alumni engagement has grown exponentially as well, with an expanding network of graduates giving back as mentors, shadowing hosts and employers.
Beyond his role as a University Trustee, Kabiller has served as co-chair of the New York Regional Campaign Committee for We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, chair of the Nanotechnology Executive Council, and a life member of the Kellogg Global Advisory Board. A generous and longtime benefactor to the University, he is a platinum-level member of NU Loyal, Northwestern's giving society recognizing consistent annual giving, with 25 consecutive years of support.
Kabiller's dedication to advancing nanotechnology research has left a mark far beyond Evanston. In 2015, he launched the international Kabiller Awards to shine a spotlight on the brightest minds in nanoscience and nanomedicine, honoring both an established pioneer and an emerging rising star on a biennial basis. He endowed both honors in 2018, ensuring the recognition continues in perpetuity. The 2019 awards honored Northwestern professor Chad Mirkin with the $250,000 Kabiller Prize, the world's largest monetary award for achievement in nanotechnology, and Molly Stevens of Imperial College London with the $10,000 Kabiller Young Investigator Award. More recently, Kabiller created The Kabiller Science of Empathy Prize, awarded biennially to a Kellogg faculty member and an alum whose work advances the understanding of empathy and its impact in business.
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