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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.

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Liberal Arts

Laura Lawton

(Graphic Communication, B.S., 1990)

Laura Lawton is the President at Lawton Printing Services, a fourth-generation family-owned business providing personalized digital printing, offset commercial printing and marketing solutions.

2020 Award Recipient Video

Engineering

David J. Rosa

(Mechanical Engineering, B.S., 1989)

Rosa is the Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Intuitive Surgical, a robotic-assisted surgical company that develops minimally invasive surgical platforms and future diagnostic tools to help solve complex healthcare challenges around the world.

2020 Award Recipient Video

CPAA Distinguished Service

Steve McShane

(Soil Science, B.S., 1998)

McShane is the Owner at McShane’s Nursery and Landscape Supply and co-owner at Converted Organics, an ag tech company.

2020 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

Athletics

Michael A. Costa

(Industrial Technology, B.S., 1979)

Costa is the CEO/President at Highridge Costa, a development company creating viable housing options for the future by building living communities that meet both individual and city growth planning needs.

2020 Award Recipient Video

Sandra Gardebring Ogren Leadership Award

Mary Crebassa

(Speech Communications, B.S., 1979)

Crebassa is the Vice President of Major Accounts at LTN Global, a worldwide leader in media technology solutions.

2020 Award Recipient Video

CPAA Distinguished Service

Rik Floyd

(Economics, B.S., 1979)

Floyd is an engaged and avid volunteer and supported of Cal Poly and the Cal Poly Alumni Association. He has served in various leadership positions and is a role model and mentor for alumni volunteers across the state.

2019 Award Recipient Video

Science and Mathematics

Tim Geistlinger

(Biochemistry, B.S., 1992)

Geistlinger creates scientific solutions to major problems. He has engineered antibodies for cancer therapies and identified compounds used to treat HIV-AIDS symptoms. Recently he led the research and development team that created Beyond Meat, a meat alternative.

2019 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

Architecture and Environmental Design

Kevin Conger

(Landscape Architecture, B.S., 1988)

Conger is the founding partner and president of CMG Landscape Architecture. His passion is creating democratic public space and improving the social and ecological well-being of our cities.

2019 Award Recipient Video

Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Kirk Messick

(Agricultural Business, B.S., 1983)

Messick made a name for himself as a leader in the global rice industry. Messick, his wife and three of their children graduated from Cal Poly in agricultural business.

2019 Award Recipient Video

Sandra Gardebring Ogren Leadership Award

Katcho Achadjian

(Business Administration, B.S., 1976)

After immigrating to the US at age 19, Achadjian turned a day job at a Shell Station and a degree from Cal Poly into a career as a successful business owner and State Assemblyman.

2019 Award Recipient Video