Recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards were honored in April at a gala sponsored by the IUP Alumni Association. The following information is from the time of the award presentation. Video profiles appear on the IUP Alumni website.
Susan Burig ’88
In a 30-year career in the entertainment industry, graphic designer and producer Susan Burig ’88 has nearly 60 feature films to her credit, including such blockbusters as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, she won an Art Directors Guild Award in 2019 for Excellence in Production Design for Endgame after being nominated twice before for earlier work. Born in California, she grew up in Allison Park and currently splits her time between California and Atlanta. An avid horsewoman, she is producing a docuseries involving equestrian show jumping.
Daniel Clifford ’81
Elected to the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in 2015, Daniel Clifford ’81 is the administrative judge of the Family Division. Before his election, he was managing partner in the Norristown office of the Philadelphia-based law firms of Wolf Block and Weber Gallagher. A judicial fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, he has been recognized in the areas of international child abduction, improvements to family court, and diversity. The recipient of a JD degree from the University of Baltimore, he was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as chair of its Family Court Rules Committee. He also lectures at judge school for those newly elected.
Bergitta Edison Cotroneo ’80
Bergitta Edison Cotroneo ’80 assumed the post of chief operating officer of the American College of Physicians in March 2024. The 161,000-member organization is the largest medical specialty group in the US, with an international membership spanning more than 170 countries. She previously served as deputy chief executive officer and executive vice president of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, with which she was associated for a decade and a half. She serves on several nonprofit boards and is active in her community of Alexandria, Virginia. She is also an enthusiastic IUP volunteer and philanthropic supporter.
Jim Haslett ’91
A second-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 1979, Jim Haslett ’91 is the only person in NFL history to win both Rookie of the Year (1979) and Coach of the Year (2000) honors. After playing for the Bills, he coached for numerous NFL teams, including as head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2000 to 2005. In 1984, he was chosen for the Bills’ Silver Anniversary Team, and in 1996, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. First arriving at IUP from Avalon in the mid-’70s, he returned years later to receive his degree.
David Holben ’85
A professor of nutrition and Gillespie Distinguished Scholar at the University of Mississippi, David Holben ’85 has built an acclaimed four-decade career in the field of food and nutrition at major medical centers and universities in the Midwest and South. The recipient of a doctorate and master’s degree from Ohio State, as well as a master’s from Wayne State, he was a two-time Fulbright Scholar in Canada. He has received numerous awards that recognize his research, scholarship, teaching, and service, most notably in the area of food insecurity. He attributes his lifelong philosophy and role as a servant leader to character developed while growing up in Kittanning.
Carolyn Violi ’76
In a career that has included fostering a love of music in rural school students to producing and directing on Broadway to bringing productions to life at a university performing arts center, Carolyn Violi ’76 has never been far from the spotlight. Her devotion to music and to education started in the ’70s as a music teacher in several Indiana County schools. Then, it was on to nationwide Disney tours and to Broadway, where she garnered awards and a Tony nomination. Today, she is resident music director, collaborative pianist, and vocal coach at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.