Four distinguished honorees will be recognized at the annual Awards for Excellence event. The prestigious awards, honoring outstanding University of California at San Diego alumni and faculty, will be presented during Alumni Weekend on Saturday, June 5. Recipients include an internationally celebrated composer, conductor and musician; a trailblazing academic leader and accomplished research scientist; a broadcast entertainment industry executive; and a celebrated faculty member.As a recipient of the 32nd annual awards, LaVerne Ragster, Ph.D., (class of 1980) will receive the Professional Achievement Award. She is a conservationist, research scientist and education administrator, who has transformed not only the Caribbean region but has earned national and worldwide respect from leading climate change scientists and environmental leaders.
These accomplished individuals will join the distinguished company of such previous award recipients as Donald Murphy, ’75, CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center; Khaled Hosseini, M.D.,’93, physician and best-selling author of “The Kite Runner;” Marcia McNutt, former president and CEO of the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and now director of the United States Geological Survey; and J. Craig Venter, ’72, world-renowned genomic scientist and recipient of the 2009 National Medal of Science.
