Oct. 17, 2007

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt Varsity Letter Club will honor six former letterwinners as 2007 "Awardees of Distinction" during the club's 47th Annual Awards Dinner on Friday, Oct. 19, in Alumni Hall's Connolly Ballroom.

The awards honor varsity letterwinners who have distinguished themselves in their professions and communities and who, by their accomplishments, have enhanced the value of Pitt's intercollegiate athletic programs. To be eligible, a nominee must have earned a varsity letter in intercollegiate athletics at Pitt 25 or more years ago.

The following are the 2007 Awardees of Distinction winners:

Debbie Lewis, DMD, Women's Basketball
Debbie Lewis is known to many as the reigning wizard of the field house. As a sophomore, she led the team to the EAAW Championship playoffs and set a Pitt record with 165 assists. She also set the record for the most points in a single season with 548. Lewis earned two degrees from Pitt, beginning with her bachelor's degree in sociology from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1982. She later graduated from the School of Dental Medicine in 1988.

In addition to her many record-breaking performances at Pitt, she has also been honored with numerous other awards, including an induction into the Western PA Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and selection as one of Pittsburgh's Top 200 Dentists in Pittsburgh magazine. Lewis is currently the girls basketball coach at Schenley High School and resides in Pittsburgh.

Mark May, Football
An outstanding offensive tackle, Mark May was named First Team All-American and received Pitt's only Outland Trophy to date in 1980, an award given each year to the best interior lineman in college football. In 2001, Pitt retired May's number 73 jersey. Four years later he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. May was selected in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins and played 13 years in the NFL. During that time, he won three Super Bowl Championships as a member of Washington's famed "Hogs" offensive line.

Following his career in the NFL, May began a new chapter of his football livelihood in broadcasting. In 1994, he began working with Panther Football radio broadcasts and has since continued on to other television networks such as CBS, TNT, and, most recently, ESPN as an analyst for college football.

He has been dedicated to numerous charities and was an Honorary Chairperson for the Christian Relief Services' Americans Helping Americans program. May resides in Arizona with his wife, Kathy.

Melanie Joan Nickerson, Track and Cross Country
Melanie Joan Nickerson graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1982 with a bachelor's degree from the College of Arts and Sciences. She majored in communication science, while also lettering in track and cross country.

Following graduation, Nickerson started her own personal training business, Learning Curves. In 1987, she began her career as a Montgomery County Police Officer and has moved up the ranks to the position of Administrative Lieutenant.

Nickerson has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Department of Police Unit Citation Award as well as the Outstanding Service Award from the Montgomery County Public Schools. A native of Levittown, Pa., Nickerson currently resides in Maryland.

Thomas E. Richards, Men's Basketball
Thomas Richards was a four-year starter on the University of Pittsburgh's basketball team. At the end of Richards' college career, he ranked 11th on Pitt's all-time scoring list with 873 points. In 1976, he earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Pitt and his Master's of Science degree in management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1991.

Richards joined Qwest Communications International in 2005 and currently oversees the sales, marketing and delivery of voice and data communications services. He has been active in numerous industry and non-profit organizations, including serving as director for the National Alliance of Business, Tele Danmark (TDK) and a number of other organizations.

Richards and his wife, Mary Beth, have two children, Jason and Lindsay.

Daniel W. Rullo, Football
A native of the Johnstown, Pa., area, Daniel Rullo was a three-time football letterwinner for the University of Pittsburgh from 1971-73. As a safety, he served as a leader on defense in the Panthers' Fiesta Bowl appearance in 1973 against Arizona State.

Rullo received his bachelor's degree from Pitt in economics in 1974 and went on to attend Duquesne University's School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1978. After law school, he joined the firm of Barbera and Barbera in Somerset County and has been in the practice of general law since that time. He currently works for the firm of Barbera, Clapper, Beener, Rullo and Melvin.

After September 11th, Rullo was involved in the county's recovery obligations and the Somerset County Coroner's obligations to the victims of Flight 93. A chapter in "Courage After the Crash," a book about the tragedy, discusses his work to help secure the safety of the site.

He also serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Mount Aloysius College. Rullo and his wife, Jean (Stevens), have two children, Allison and Adam. He is the son of Richard and Esther Rullo.

William M. Sulkowski, DMD, Basketball
Bill Sulkowski was a three-year letterwinner for the Pitt basketball team from 1971-73 and served as the team's captain in his senior year. He earned his bachelor's degree in English literature from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1973 and graduated from the School of Dental Medicine in 1978.

Sulkowski started his own general dentistry practice 29 years ago and is the school dentist for the Canon McMillan School District, working to establish a preventative dental education program for the district.

Sulkowski serves on the Board of Directors for the Upper St. Clair School District and was named president in 2005-06. In addition to that appointment, he has also coached and sponsored various youth basketball and baseball teams in Upper St. Clair. Sulkowski and his wife of 30 years, Patricia, have two children, Alexander and Leigh.