Skip to main content

Honored Alumni Awards

For 60 years, the Honored Alumni Award has served as the highest honor bestowed upon Cal Poly alumni. The awards recognize alumni from each of the university’s six academic colleges, Cal Poly Athletics and the Cal Poly Alumni Association. Through their contributions to their fields, to Cal Poly, and their impact in their communities and beyond, our Honored Alumni represent the best of Learn by Doing.

VIEW CURRENT WINNERS

Filter Awards:
Filter Awards:
All of Cal Poly | Current site

Orfalea College of Business

Brett Eldridge

Electronic Engineering, '89, MBA, '95


2024 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

SiSi Pouraghabagher

(Business Administration, '94)


2023 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Katherine Johnson

(Business Administration, '81, Concentration in Accounting)

Johnson has a passion for bookkeeping and for helping students succeed. She is a longtime volunteer with youth causes and recently established a scholarship for Cal Poly students who, like herself, didn't have financial support through college.

2022 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Ryan A. Martinez

(Business Administration, '97)

A trusted resource in the wealth management industry, Martinez has had a substantial impact on helping Cal Poly students move into the field of wealth management.

2021 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Mark Vranesh

(Business Administration, B.S., 1990)

Mark Vranesh is a Tech CFO, investor and advisor with broad financial and board-level experience primarily in media and technology.

2020 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Tammy Kiely

(Business Administration, B.S., 1989)

Kiely has worked her way up to partner at Goldman Sachs, with her expertise on numerous mergers, acquisitions and financings. She is the creator of the Goldman Sachs’ Case Competition at Cal Poly, encouraging the next generation of investment bankers.

2019 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Mike Selfridge

(Economics, B.S., 1989)

Selfridge is the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer at First Republic Bank. He is a Founder’s Circle member of the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

2018 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Lisa Hufford

(Business Administration, B.S., 1993)

Hufford founded Simplicity Consulting in 2006, a marketing and communications consultancy. She is a founding member of the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

2017 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Scott Cooper

(Business Administration, B.S., 1991)

Cooper is the CFO of Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC. A former football player, Cooper is a supporter of the Accounting and International Fellowships, Cal Poly Athletics, and Construction Management.

2016 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Russell P. Nash

(Business Administration, B.S., '82)

Nash founded Professional Education Services (PES), offering continuing education to CPAs, with his brother Steve Nash (Business Administration, ’85). He is a founding member of the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

2015 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Michael C. Bickel

(Industrial Technology, B.S., '95 & Industrial & Technical Studies, M.S., '02)

Bickel is the president and owner of RPS Holdings, Inc. after having started his career in 1982 at what is now Rantec Power Systems, Inc.

2014 Award Recipient Video

Orfalea College of Business

Rik Floyd

(Economics ‘79)