Former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the current U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services, is among the four recipients of the 2009-2010 Alumni Distinguished Achievement Awards from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Kansas University.

The college announced the recipients Monday. The other three are Ann Hamilton, an Ohio State University professor and internationally recognized visual artist; George William “Bill” James, the baseball researcher and senior adviser to the Boston Red Sox; and, Steve Mills, president and producer of New Vision Entertainment.

The award is the highest honor bestowed by the college on its graduates. The awards will be presented during the annual Deans Club Banquet April 9 at the Kansas Union ballroom.

“It is a testament to the quality of education offered in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences that we continue to discover extraordinarily accomplished alumni each year to honor with these awards,” said Gregory B. Simpson, interim dean of the college.

Hamilton earned her bachelor’s degree in textile design from KU in 1979. James graduated with bachelor’s degrees in English and economics from KU in 1973 and a bachelor’s in education in 1975.

Mills earned a bachelor’s in liberal arts and sciences in 1951, and Sebelius graduated with a master’s degree in public administration in 1980.