Brendan Bradley ’01 and Robert Wilson Are Honored with Alumni Awards
At the 2026 Spring Alumni Reception in April, the Durham Academy Alumni Board honored two individuals who have helped shape future generations of artists, activists, anglers and (hopefully) algebra enthusiasts. Brendan Bradley ’01 — the multi-hyphenate actor-storyteller-filmmaker-digital content pioneer — was recognized as DA’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, and Robert Wilson — former Middle School dean of students and beloved math teacher — received the Faculty and Staff Legacy Award.
Distinguished Alumni Award: Brendan Bradley ’01
Brendan Andolsek Bradley ’01 is a multidisciplinary actor and creative pioneer whose work spans live stage performance, film and television, video games, digital media and immersive experiences. His career bridges institutional and independent work, rooted in his belief that entertainment should invite audience engagement.
Outside the entertainment industry, Bradley is best known as an actor, with roles ranging from a three-year stint as “The Staples Guy” in over 50 commercials to acting alongside Dolly Parton in her 2022 holiday special, Mountain Magic Christmas. He has been recognized by South by Southwest, the Producers Guild of America and the VR Awards for blending compelling character work with technological innovation. At New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Bradley founded the Innovation Lab to integrate interactive technology into the performing arts curriculum. He has also created supportive storytelling tools for the acting community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley shared free tools and tutorials for creators trapped at home and fostered community within the theatre-technology industry via his podcast. He has earned recognition as a pioneer in live virtual reality (VR) events and performance, and he has performed both virtually and in person at festivals and venues around the world.
Bradley has been a longtime advocate for artists and creative labor, serving as a lead strike captain during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA labor movement. His work also includes long-term mentorship and education initiatives, as well as international speaking engagements focused on equity, authorship and the evolving future of storytelling. Bradley earned a B.F.A. from Tisch and trained at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Groundlings Theatre & School in Los Angeles. During his acceptance speech, he credited DA for developing the roots of his resilience in a creative career.
“The uncomfortable truth is that I cannot tell you a single factoid or lesson that I learned at Durham Academy. But what I remember is learning the ability to find patience in process. Determination inside discomfort is the education that has distinguished the entirety of my career. I have made a career being uncomfortable and sometimes making audiences uncomfortable to explore themes of loss, love and lust on many different types of stages and screens. And so the greatest value I can offer is reminding you that it’s OK to be uncomfortable. Especially right now. From Hollywood to Wall Street, our classrooms, our politics, our families: We are so afraid of not knowing, not having the perfect answer. We need to relearn how to be uncomfortable. And I think that’s why I’m here tonight. This room didn’t choose to award someone who’s got it all figured out … I have built a career being a self-employed creator often on the internet. Not because I’m distinguished. Or the most talented. Or the smartest. And certainly not the wealthiest … but because I was willing to be uncomfortable.”
Brendan Bradley '01
Faculty and Staff Legacy Award: Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson is another multi-hyphenate, having served in a variety of roles over the course of his 35 years at DA Middle School. During his tenure — from 1990 to 2025 — he brought an empathetic, encouraging approach to roles including math teacher, class advisor, club sponsor, task force chair, team leader and the Middle School’s first-ever Dean of Students. Wilson was honored with the F. Robertson Hershey Distinguished Faculty Award in 2000.
Wilson’s extensive teaching, mentoring and administrative career was all spent with Middle School-aged students. “Understanding,” “extremely encouraging” and “patient” are words some of his former students used to describe him in their sixth grade hero book projects — keepsakes that he counts among his proudest professional honors. Wilson introduced generations of DA Middle School students to algebra. An avid angler, he supported student passions while serving as the Middle School’s club coordinator — launching clubs to inspire future outdoor enthusiasts, sports fans and more.
Wilson also modeled lifelong learning for his students. In 2007, he earned a Master of School Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill as a Brenda B. Brodie Sabbatical recipient. In the 1998 Evergreen yearbook dedication, students recognized Wilson for making them feel seen and heard both inside and outside of the classroom, where he spent “hours listening to us, let us hang out in his classroom when we didn’t have anywhere else to go, took us on fishing trips, and made us think about people and places far from our own lives.” Wilson reminisced about the importance of being present in his acceptance speech.
“As a student, my favorite teachers encouraged me to think, provided opportunities for me to do so and paid attention to whatever I thought. Their evaluation systems were understandable and fair. I felt respected by them and truly appreciated that. In the words of Socrates: ‘I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think. To find yourself, think for yourself.’ I tried to create a curriculum that required my students to think and provided opportunities, the time and a safe, respectful setting to do so ... . Both in and out of the class, I listened carefully and attentively to any students who wanted to share an idea or story with me or just chat while fooling around with some puzzle. I was genuinely interested and intently focused on whatever the conversation or circumstances happened to be. I truly enjoyed the interactions that I was privileged to be a part of.”
Robert Wilson