The Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) program honors living U.S. Naval Academy graduates who have made a distinctive contribution to their field or community and have demonstrated sustained, active support for the Naval Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation (USNA AA&F), or affiliate groups. Each year up to four graduates are chosen from a field of candidates nominated by their alumni peers for this, the highest honor the Alumni Association bestows on a living graduate and selected by the DGA Selection Panel. Recipients receive a medal awarded in Alumni Hall each fall.