Distinguished Alumni Award

D.J. Reyburn

Class of 1999

D.J. Reyburn is a highly esteemed Major League Baseball umpire whose career includes assignments like the 2023 World Series. After graduating from Hope where he earned varsity letters as a standout athlete in football and baseball, he attended The Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring. He quickly worked his way through the Minor Leagues and debuted in MLB in 2008. Reyburn has since officiated at numerous prestigious events, including All-Star Games and the playoffs.

James Serum

Class of 1965

Dr. James Serum is a leader in science and technology. After earning his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, he worked at institutions like the University of Ghent and Cornell University before joining Hewlett-Packard in 1973, where he became General Manager for Mass Spectrometry and founded HP’s Bioscience Products business. After retiring, he co-founded Viaken Systems and SciTek Ventures. Dr. Serum remains active in research collaborations, including with Johns Hopkins and NIST on Lyme disease detection, and serves on advisory boards for several tech startups.

Join us in celebrating these award recipients at the Milestone Celebration on Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 4–6 p.m. at the Haworth Hotel. Register today!

Dr. Elton Bruins ’50

Dr. Deborah Heydenburg ’87 Fuller

Lara Plewka ’98 MacGregor

Craig Morford ’81

The Alumni Association selects recipients for this award from nominations that meet the following criteria:

• Contributions to society through volunteerism
• Achievements within a profession
• Active involvement with the college
• Have earned at least 45 credit hours at Hope College
• Nominees for this award are eligible to be nominated for other awards
• Current members of the Alumni Board and the Hope College Board of Trustees are not eligible for this award