College young alumni award named for NYU Wagner grad Wemimo Abbey

A young alumni award at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, has been officially named the "Abbey" in honor of outstandng Crookston -- and NYU Wagner -- graduate Wemimo Abbey.

After receiving a BS from Crookston, Abbey earned his Master in Public Administration at NYU Wagner in 2015. While at Wagner, he developed Clean Water for Everyone. The organization provides access to affordable water supply in developing countries, and has done so for over 25,000 people living in Ghana, Nepal, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe.

Abbey has also given presentations on the global water and sanitation crisis at the UN and the Clinton Global Initiative. He is a recipient of the 2014 Face2Face Africa Young African Committed to Excellence award, the NYU Presidential Service award, and the NYU Wagner Dean's Scholarship.

Abbey has just received the very first young alumni award ever given by the Crookston Office of Development and Alumni Relations, which recognizes the achievement of alumni who have graduated within the past 15 years. It is in honor of its first recipient's achievements in public service that the award has been formally named the "Abbey."