KU School of Education & Human Sciences to honor Bob Swift with 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences will honor alumnus Bob Swift with one of its top awards this spring.

He will receive the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award at 10:30 a.m. May 16 during the school’s spring convocation ceremony at Allen Fieldhouse.

Swift came to KU on a full-ride football scholarship and graduated in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in education. In 1990, he founded TCI Wealth Advisors in Tucson, Arizona. The firm has since grown into one of the top 100 fully independent wealth advising firms in the country.

In 2019, Swift founded 3rd Decade, a nonprofit built on the idea that the financial industry has an obligation to ensure no one reaches age 30 without grasping, at a minimum, the value of compounding interest and returns. Swift continues to serve on the organization’s board of directors. 

Since its founding, 3rd Decade has offered free financial education classes and one-on-one mentorship to young adults. KU, along with the School of Education & Human Sciences, is the first university in the country to pilot the program.

“Bob has had a remarkable career since his days at KU,” said Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School of Education & Human Sciences. “His willingness to come back and share his expertise to help young people build the foundation for a healthy financial future is especially significant for those in the helping professions we prepare. Early understanding of how to prepare for your later years often goes ignored. Bob’s work in supporting our students is both generous and incredibly helpful for the school.”

Swift has pointed to his education degree as central to how he built his career, crediting it with shaping the way he connects with clients. He traces that instinct back to his father, an Episcopal priest.

“Moderate income does not mean financial insecurity,” Swift said. “How early and how well one handles their money leads to financial security. Education plus inspiration equals transformation.”

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are the highest honor the School of Education & Human Sciences bestows upon its alumni. Award recipients demonstrate ongoing, exceptional professional, academic or research achievement and contribution to the community at the local, state, national or international levels.