Family justice advocate Yvette McGee Brown named 2026 OHIO Alumna of the Year

Each fall, the Ohio University Alumni Association recognizes graduates whose careers and character reflect the best of OHIO.

This year, the Alumni Awards lineup begins with the Honorable Yvette McGee Brown, BSJ ’82, whose four decades in law and public service have reshaped how the State of Ohio protects its children and pursues equal justice for all residents.

McGee Brown’s path to the state’s highest court began at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, where she served for nearly a decade and became the first African American woman elected to that bench. There, she built two programs still in use today: the Family Drug Court and the SMART Program, both designed to keep struggling families intact rather than separated by the system.

In 2011, she was appointed the first African American woman to serve on the Supreme Court of Ohio. She is now a partner at the global law firm Jones Day, continuing to practice at the highest levels of her profession.

Ask anyone who has watched her career unfold, though, and the story quickly moves past the courtroom.

“Justice McGee Brown’s career is a message to our students about what a life of service can look like,” said Jennifer Bowie, associate vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the OHIO Alumni Association. “She has spent decades opening doors for families who needed a passionate advocate in their corner, and she’s done it all while staying deeply connected to alma mater.”

That story centers largely on the Center for Child and Family Advocacy, which McGee Brown founded at Nationwide Children’s Hospital after leaving the bench. The center pairs medical care with social services and law enforcement under a single roof, a model now referenced by child-welfare programs well outside Ohio’s borders. It stands as one of the clearest examples of how a single judicial career can change generations to follow.

McGee Brown’s ties to Ohio University have deepened alongside her career. The Alumni Association recognized her with the Medal of Merit in 2001, and she went on to take up a series of governance roles at the University including serving as a member of the Bicentennial Campaign Advisory Board in 2004, the Ohio University Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2010, and the Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2017. Her statewide leadership has also been recognized with induction into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame.

“Yvette McGee Brown has been an inspiring and trailblazing leader throughout her career,” said Tracy Plouck, dean of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. “As a long-term public servant, I've always admired her exemplary achievements and willingness to provide me and others with constructive, candid feedback.  We at the Voinovich School are grateful for her longstanding connection and insights, particularly for the terms that she served on our School’s Advisory Board.”

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McGee Brown headlines a class of honorees spanning five award categories this year, alongside the newest inductees to the Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame. Their fields range from coaching and broadcasting to medicine, law, and business.

OHIO will celebrate the 2026 honorees during the Alumni Awards Ceremony, emceed this year by notable sports journalist and Bobcat, Peter King, BSJ ’79. The event will be held in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Oct. 9 and is free and open to the University community. Advance registration is encouraged at https://www.givecampus.com/schools/OhioUniversity/events/homecoming-2026-awards-ceremony

2026 Alumni Awards Recipients

Alumna of the Year

Hon. Yvette McGee Brown, BSJ ’82

Medal of Merit

James Dru Joyce II, BGS ’78
Alex Sheen, BBA ’07

Distinguished Service Award

Chris Bellamy, BBA ’99
Valerie Biggs Hill, BSC ’78
Steven Krebs, BSISE ’92
Dan Squiller, BSEE ’79, MA ’84 (2025 Recipient)

Charles J. and Claire O. Ping Recent Graduate Award

Bradley Fain, BSSPS ’13
Allie LaForce, BSJ ’11

Honorary Alumni Award

Dr. John Kopchick

The Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame

Donald Caldwell, BSED ’73
Douglas Grebe, BBA ’99, BS ’99
Torrie Albini, BSSPS ’09
Josh Sorge, BSED ’96, MSPE ’99
Germane Lindsey Jr., BSS ’12