An Air Force general, a longtime diplomat and an Emmy Award winner are among the five people honored this year with the Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award from Kansas University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The award is the highest honor that the college gives to its graduates. The 2013 winners, announced by the college on Thursday, are:

• Charles Boyd, a retired four-star general in the U.S. Air Force. He was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for nearly seven years, and he is the only POW from the Vietnam War to reach a four-star rank. Boyd earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Latin American studies from KU, in 1975 and 1976.

• John Gurche, an award-winning artist who specializes in models and drawings of ancient human ancestors. His work has been on the cover of National Geographic, on display at the Smithsonian Institution, in the movie “Jurassic Park” and on U.S. postage stamps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from KU in 1974, as well as a master’s degree in anthropology in 1979.

• Chris Martin, an Emmy Award-winning visual effects supervisor for television and film. He won an Emmy for effects work on the TV show “Heroes,” and his other credits include “The Office,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “24.” He earned a bachelor’s degree in film from KU in 2003.

• B. Lynn Pascoe, a diplomat who has served in a number of posts for the United Nations and the U.S. Foreign Service for 40 years. He has been the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia and to Malaysia, and he was under-secretary-general for political affairs for the UN. He earned a bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies, international relations and mathematics from KU in 1964.

• Rosemarie Truglio, who oversees the development of curriculum and educational research for “Sesame Street” as senior vice president of education and research for Sesame Workshop. She’s a former assistant professor at the Columbia University Teachers College. She earned a master’s degree in human development and family life from KU in 1986, as well as a doctorate in developmental and child psychology in 1990.

The recipients, selected by the alumni advisory board for the college, will be recognized at events around the country during the year.