NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Yale athletics alums Rachel J. Littman '91 (field hockey, women's lacrosse), Marla Grossman '90 (women's tennis) and Fredric K. Cantor '58, '62 MD (lightweight crew) have been named recipients of the 2026 Yale Medal.

They will be honored, along with two of their peers (Anthony M. Lavely '64 and Wendy Maldonado '93), at a special ceremony on campus this fall during the Yale Alumni Association Assembly and the Yale Alumni Fund Convocation.  

The Yale Medal is the highest honor presented by the Yale Alumni Association and has been given to over 350 individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary devotion to Yale's ideals and shown their support through extensive, exemplary service to the university and its schools, institutes, and programs.  

Rachel J. Littman '91
Rachel Littman is an effective advocate and supporter of Yale alumni who wish to give back. She has served as a Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance (YANA) board member since 2016, executive director from 2019 to 2023, and president and board chair since 2026. Her leadership has helped YANA create an impactful, supportive community of over 8,000 mission-driven alums who share expertise, resources, and advice with those in or looking to enter the social impact space. She has counseled hundreds of alumni on careers and on nonprofit leadership and development issues and created the YANA Nonprofit Mentoring Program to bring together Yale alumni expertise with alumni-led nonprofits needing advice and guidance. She has hosted dozens of webinars and talks with alumni on topics such as social impact career paths, the use of technology, public health, museum tours, and book talks. Littman also founded YaleWomen Rhode Island and served on the Alumni Schools Committee and with the Yale Club of Houston, the latter as a board member (2019-2021) and president (2021-2023). Recently, she served on the YAA Board of Governors and is currently a member of the executive committee of the Yale Jewish Alumni Association. Her dedication to social impact work on behalf of Yale has created a lasting legacy of service to Yale and its alumni community.

Marla Grossman '90
Marla Grossman's thirty-five years of volunteer leadership have left an enduring mark on Yale through her commitment to alumni engagement, fundraising, and building an inclusive volunteer community. Grossman started her service to the Yale Alumni Fund as the Class of 1990 co-chair of agents in 2008 and has supported her class reunion gift committees throughout the years as vice chair and co-chair. She has since risen to serve on the Yale Alumni Fund board, ultimately being chair from 2020 to 2022. During her tenure as chair, she focused on expanding the board's diversity and the Alumni Fund's general volunteer population to reflect the alumni community's underlying demographics. She also continued to broaden representation for more recent alumni and alumni from graduate and professional schools. Most recently, she served on the For Humanity Campaign committee and as the Greater DC Regional Advisory Group chair. Grossman also lent her time and talents to the Alumni Schools Committee from 2009 to 2017 and to the Yale Club of Washington board from 2009 to 2014. She is known for her unwavering optimism, energy, and ability to inspire and lead with passion, qualities that continue to enrich the Yale community.

Fredric K. Cantor '58, '62 MD 
Fred Cantor has been a stalwart presence and mentor within the Yale community for decades. His volunteer roles have included several terms on the Executive Committee of the Association of the Yale Alumni in Medicine (AYAM), Alumni Fund class agent for the School of Medicine (YSM), member of the YSM Alumni Fund Committee, chair of YSM class reunions, delegate to the Yale Assembly, and participant in the AYAM Specialty Mentorship Program for medical and pre-med students at Yale and at other schools. He authored the first draft of the recently adopted new AYAM Constitution and Bylaws. Cantor takes every opportunity to meet with prospective and current YSM students. He is a Fellow of Hamburg House at YSM. He was also a Board member of the Yale Alumni Service Corps (YASC) and has traveled with them to underserved communities to set up medical clinics, participate in public health programs, and recommend medical care improvements to local authorities. His decades of service were recognized with AYAM's Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 2017. Cantor's long-standing commitment to service, initiatives, and leadership reflects his profound dedication to Yale and to the well-being of communities around the world.