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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

Sarah Caravalho Khan

English, '98


2024 Award Recipient Video

Liberal Arts

Christopher Acebo

(Political Science, '92)

Acebo has devoted his career to film and live events as a director, designer and producer. His mission as the CEO of Broken English Productions is to develop films that center stories of the Latinx experience.

2022 Award Recipient Video

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

Liberal Arts

Kevin Falls

(Journalism, B.S., 1978)

Falls turned a passion for storytelling into a career in film and television. He won four Emmys for his work on “The West Wing,” and is currently the co-executive producer on the hit show “This is Us.”

2019 Award Recipient Video

Liberal Arts

Tim Humphreys

(Political Science, B.A., 1972)

Humphreys turned a political science degree into a successful career in systems software development. He is an avid supporter of student success in the Political Science Department

2018 Award Recipient Video

Liberal Arts

Chris Trapani

(Political Science, B.A., 1990)

Trapani is the founder and CEO of Sereno Group, a residential real estate company generating more than $3 billion in sales annually, which was named the “Best Place to Work” by the Bay Area News Group for eight consecutive years.

2017 Award Recipient Video

Liberal Arts

Jim Kouf

(English, B.A., 1974)

Kouf is a screenwriter, director and producer known for his work on films such as “National Treasure” and the television show, “Grimm.” Kouf devotes his time to the Cal Poly English Department’s Career Connections Program.

2016 Award Recipient Video

Liberal Arts

David Kerley

(Journalism, B.S., '79)

Kerley has traveled to every continent except Antarctica on behalf of ABC News. He has been honored with National and Regional Emmy Awards, a Peabody, and Edward R. Murrow awards.

2015 Award Recipient Video

Liberal Arts

Kelli Seybolt

(Political Science, B.S., '90)

Seybolt was appointed as the deputy undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force for International Affairs after having recently served as director of International Affairs and foreign policy advisor for the U.S. Coast Guard.

2014 Award Recipient Video

Liberal Arts

Thomas J. Gallo

(Graphic Communication ‘88)

Liberal Arts

Michaela C. O'Connor-Abrams

(Journalism ‘80)

Liberal Arts

Mike Griffith

(History ‘84)