The U.S. Army Cadet Command announced recently the eight winners of the MacArthur Awards for the school year 2011-2012.The award recognizes the eight schools, selected from among the 273 senior Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) units nationwide, as the top programs in the country.The awards, presented by Cadet Command and the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation, recognize the ideals of "duty, honor and country" as advocated by MacArthur.The award is based the achievement of the school’s commissioning mission, its cadets’ performance and standing on the command’s National Order of Merit List and its cadet retention rate.Cadet Command and the MacArthur Foundation have given the awards each year since 1989.This year’s eight winners are:Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, representing Cadet Command’s 1st Brigade. The brigade consists of the nation’s six senior military colleges and five military junior colleges.Gannon University, Erie, Pa., representing 2nd Brigade. The brigade consists of the 41 senior Army ROTC programs in the northeast.Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, representing 3rd Brigade. The brigade consists of the 40 senior Army ROTC programs in the Midwest.Iowa State won the award last year as well.University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va., representing 4th Brigade. The brigade consists of the 38 senior Army ROTC programs in the mid-Atlantic region.University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo., representing 5th Brigade. The brigade includes the 36 senior Army ROTC programs in the southwest.University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., representing 6th Brigade. The brigade consists of the 39 senior Army ROTC programs in the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico.University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., representing 7th Brigade. The brigade consists of the 38 senior Army ROTC programs in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky.Notre Dame won the award last year as well.Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash., representing 8th Brigade. The brigade consists of the 30 senior Army ROTC programs on the West Coast, as well as Hawaii, Alaska and Guam.