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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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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

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

Engineering

Farzad (Zod) Nazem

(Computer Science, B.S., 1981)

Nazem graduated with high honors at the age of 19. He went on to serve in high-level engineering roles, first at Oracle and then as the executive vice president of engineering and chief technology officer at Yahoo!, overseeing a staff of 6,000.

2019 Award Recipient Video

Sandra Gardebring Ogren Leadership Award

Victor J. Glover, Jr.

(General Engineering, B.S., 1999)

Glover is an astronaut training for the first post-certification mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and a long duration mission aboard he International Space Station.

2018 Award Recipient Video

Architecture and Environmental Design

Phil Serna

(City and Regional Planning, M.S., 1994)

Serna is currently serving on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, representing one of the region’s most diverse constituencies.

2018 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

CPAA Distinguished Service

Megan H. Lester

(Graphic Communication, B.S., 2000)

An experienced volunteer, Lester led the creation of the Cal Poly Alumni – Orange County Chapter’s largest fundraising event, bringing in $36,000 in scholarships in three years.

2018 Award Recipient Video

Science and Mathematics

Dr. Cheryl Achterberg

(Biological Sciences, B.S., 1975)

Achterberg is a frequently published and highly accomplished scholar recognized for her work in nutrition education and behavior interventions.

2018 Award Recipient Video

Engineering

Tory Bruno

(Mechanical Engineering, B.S., 1985)

Bruno is an expert in the design and analysis of control systems for rockets and hypersonic re-entry vehicles and has contributed to many of the nation’s missile defense systems.

2018 Award Recipient Video

Athletics

Catherine Cardoza Conner

(Agricultural Business, B.A., 1994)

A member of the first intercollegiate women’s soccer team at Cal Poly and a walk-on to the tennis team, Cardoza-Conner is an avid supporter of Cal Poly Athletics and student-athletes.

2018 Award Recipient Video