On Friday, Oct. 24, UHD Alumni Relations honored outstanding alums for their contributions to their fields and to the community with the 2025 Alumni Awards, presented at the celebratory Legacy & Light Luncheon in A300 of the One Main Building.
2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Professor Reem Haikal (’05) is a nationally recognized legal scholar and award-winning educator at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Named Professor of the Year in 2025, she has published extensively in leading law journals and earned multiple research fellowships. Her courses in Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Lawyering Process are among the most in-demand at her institution. Dedicated to mentorship and service, Professor Haikal actively supports aspiring law students and provides free bar exam guidance to graduates nationwide, reflecting her commitment to making legal education accessible for all.
Deltra W. Hayes (’00), who serves on the UHD Alumni Association Board, is an accomplished financial services executive with more than 25 years of experience in strategic relationship management, client engagement, and benefits administration within the retirement and financial planning industries. She currently serves as Vice President, Head of Benefits, at Voya Financial and is responsible for the design, implementation, and oversight of a comprehensive portfolio of qualified and non-qualified benefit programs.
Previously, Hayes held several senior leadership roles at Voya, including Senior Vice President, Head of Government & Healthcare Markets, where she was responsible for client satisfaction, retention, and profitable growth for mid-to-mega market clients (assets $74M+). In her role as SVP, Strategic Relationship Management, Hayes oversaw the daily operations of Voya’s New York City deferred compensation office, managing over 90 employees across multiple functional areas including operations, compliance, education, communications, HR, and IT. Earlier in her career, Hayes held leadership positions with AIG VALIC.
She holds an MBA from Texas Southern University’s Jesse H. Jones School of Business and a BBA in Finance from UHD. She also maintains several professional designations and licenses, including CRPS®, AIF®, and FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, 65, and 26.
Jermain Wiggins (’14) has served the City of Houston as a firefighter for 22 years, rising through the ranks to special operations as an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter. While working full-time, he earned his degree from UHD, completed paramedic school, and went on to launch a private ambulance company. His dedication has been recognized through numerous milestones, including rescuing a citizen from a burning home, being honored as Firefighter of the Year by the 100 Club in 2010, and throwing the opening pitch at a Houston Astros game. Beyond his professional accomplishments, he mentors young adults pursuing civil service, supports families through holiday drives with the Houston Black Firefighters Association, and volunteers with the Hightower High School PTA, where he is a familiar presence at student and community events.
Alum Entrepreneur Award
In 2014, Karen De Amat (’09) saw the potential in social media management and founded Social Behavior, a venture that would soon evolve from a solo endeavor to a thriving enterprise. From its humble origins in a home-based office, Social Behavior adopted a grassroots approach that nurtured its initial customer base. The exceptional quality of service provided by De Mat and her team generated strong client satisfaction and a surge in demand, propelling the agency into a pivotal phase of growth within the rapidly evolving marketing landscape. Today, Social Behavior has ten team members servicing an average of 50 clients monthly.
Her early years in the luxury, hospitality, and wine and spirits sectors endowed her with an intuitive understanding of brand refinement. Prior to her foray into marketing, she spent seven years honing her corporate acumen in the oil and gas industry, gaining a deep understanding of organizational dynamics. Karen earned her Finance degree at UHD.
Alum Service Award
John Atasie (’18) is a seasoned global supply management professional with a proven track record in the energy industry. He brings deep expertise in procurement, contracting, strategic sourcing, category and spend management, supplier onboarding, and supplier relationship management. His career is marked by cross-functional versatility, having also held roles in life insurance underwriting, claims management, new product development, risk analysis, banking operations, property development, and the criminal justice system, giving him a unique, multidimensional perspective on business operations and stakeholder engagement.
In the professional supply management community, Atasie is widely recognized for his leadership, vision, and commitment to advancing the field. As the 104th President of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM–Houston, Inc.) for the 2024–2025 program year, Atasie led the chapter to an unprecedented year of performance. Recognizing his exceptional contributions and leadership, ISM® Global appointed John in May 2025 to its elite Thought Leadership Council, where he actively supports the Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) Committee. In this capacity, he collaborates with industry leaders across the globe to shape future-focused strategies, best practices, and insights that drive excellence in supply management. Atasie holds an MBA with a concentration in Supply Chain Management from UHD.
Alum on the Rise
Adolfo Lara ('13) is a first-generation Latino and global health scientist whose journey was sparked by one opportunity at UHD — his first research experience, first scientific article, and first plane ride beyond Texas. He later became the first UHD alum to earn a Ph.D. from the elite, one-of-a-kind graduate program, American Museum of Natural History, and went on to serve on the front lines during early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, he leads CDC-partnered bilingual genomic surveillance trainings across seven Latin American countries, reaching over 50 scientists in global health security efforts in disease emergence prevention and surveillance.
Lara continues to give back to the UHD community by mentoring UHD scholars and speaking at campus events that once shaped his own future. He credits UHD and the unwavering support of his parents, his friends, mentors, and his wife for helping him become the person he once dreamed of becoming.
Alum Faculty/Staff Impact Award
Gladis Moya (’15) is proud to be the first of seven siblings to earn a Business degree in Management—and even prouder to be a Gator. With roots in El Salvador, her parents’ journey has been a powerful source of inspiration throughout her life. As a mother, she is committed to leading by example for her daughter, demonstrating the values of hard work, integrity, and compassion in all that she does. With more than 20 years of experience in customer service and management, she has developed a strong passion for working with people and fostering meaningful connections.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her spouse, daughter, family, and close friends. She also has a love for coordinating events, which serves as a creative outlet that brings her joy and keeps her energized.