SCSUNAA presents Bulldog Excellence Awards to three loyal alumni

The Alumni Association honored Douglas D. Gantt, Renée Hamilton and Dia Nichols for leadership in education, transportation and healthcare.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The South Carolina State University National Alumni Association (SCSUNAA) recently celebrated alumni achievement and service during its Bulldog Excellence Awards presentation.

Three distinguished SC State graduates — Douglas D. Gantt, Renée Nadine Hamilton and Dia Nichols — were recognized for careers that exemplify leadership, innovation and commitment to public good.

Douglas D. Gantt, ’84, University Champion

Gantt was honored as a University Champion for his leadership in strengthening the university’s research profile, infrastructure development and alumni engagement. He is the chairman of the SC State University Board of Trustees. As a life member of SCSUNAA and co-chair of its Public Policy Committee, Gantt has championed initiatives that expanded funding from the General Assembly and advanced SC State’s new era of growth and resilience.

He is a distinguished 1984 SC State graduate who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. He also holds a master's degree in education from Troy University.

Gantt shared an emotional story about the support he received when he first arrived at SC State as a student, from the woman who encouraged him to apply to college to staff members who made sure he could register despite financial challenges.

“I’m so amazed by South Carolina State — that it cares about their students,” he said. “And that’s all I try to exemplify in the role that I play. I care about the students because somebody cared about me.

“Every effort that we look forward to is about the students and the university. When I talk to President (Alexander) Conyers, we always talk about the three P's, and that's the people, the process, and the product,” Gantt said. “The people are our students, the process is what we do in order to get those students to the university, and the product is ensuring that they get an education.”

Renée Nadine Hamilton, ’88, Transportation Pioneer

Hamilton earned her Bachelor of Science in civil engineering technology from SC State in 1988 and later completed a master’s degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

A retired Virginia Department of Transportation leader and former CEO of the Dulles Greenway, Hamilton was recognized as a Transportation Pioneer for her transformative impact on Northern Virginia’s infrastructure. She played a pivotal role in projects such as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge reconstruction, I-95/495/395 expansions and the Transform 66 Multimodal Project. Hamilton continues to mentor young professionals and serve her community, earning national recognition as the 2024 WTS International Woman of the Year.

Hamilton told the audience that the award was especially meaningful because it came from her alma mater. Hamilton noted that she was one of the first people the Virginia Department of Transportation accepted into the engineering training program, and South Carolina State paved the way for that.

“Because I came from humble beginnings in Green Pond, South Carolina, it just reminds me that you can do anything you set your heart to and your mind to,” Hamilton said. “You can come from Green Pond and still do well.

“As I sit here tonight, I truly reflect on my time at South Carolina State University and the environment that it provided me — the level of care and academic excellence, and the sense of perseverance and resilience it instilled in me,” she said.

Dia Nichols, '96, Business and Healthcare Trailblazer

Nichols, president of Advocate Health Care, Illinois’ largest health system, was celebrated as a Business and Healthcare Trailblazer. He leads 41,000 teammates and 7,000 physicians and oversees more than $8 billion in revenue, guiding growth and equitable access to health services across 11 hospitals and 250 care sites.

He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from SC State in 1996 and a master's degree in health administration from Indiana University.

Nichols said the recognition was the most meaningful of his career and underscored the lifelong impact of SC State on his journey.

“There have been a number of times that I’ve tested my decision to choose and to go to South Carolina State University,” Nichols said. “And 100% of the time, I’ve landed on that without question (it is) probably one of the single most important decisions that I’ve ever made in my life.”

Celebrating Bulldog Excellence

The Bulldog Excellence Awards are among the highest honors bestowed by the SCSUNAA, recognizing alumni whose lives reflect SC State’s core values of leadership, service and excellence.

The awards were presented Aug. 2 during the culminating banquet of the 2025 SCSUNAA National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, which drew Bulldogs from across the country to celebrate the university’s enduring impact.