Nine Receive Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievements

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The Distinguished Alumni Award winners for 2015 are (front row from left) Juliana Terian, Maribel Garcia, Jeffrey Abramson and Marissa Andrada; (back from from left) Pilar Hamil, Teresa Becker, Kevin Grundy, Lee R. Godown, Gary Rinehart and Alyssa Lang (winner of the Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award).
The Distinguished Alumni Award winners for 2015 are (front row from left) Juliana Terian, Maribel Garcia, Jeffrey Abramson and Marissa Andrada; (back from from left) Pilar Hamil, Teresa Becker, Kevin Grundy, Lee R. Godown, Gary Rinehart and Alyssa Lang (winner of the Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award).

Cal Poly Pomona honored nine outstanding graduates with the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor given by the Alumni Association, on April 24 at the Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Fairplex.

In addition, the Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award also was presented.

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes graduates who demonstrate extraordinary professional achievement, community involvement and service to the university.

Videos of the Distinguished Alumni Award honorees can be seen by clicking on their name.

Jeffrey Abramson (’95, biotechnology): He earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden, in 2000. Since 2011, he also has been the collaborative scientific chair at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the National Center for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, India. His current research program focuses on approaches for determining the 3D structures of membrane proteins and determining the basis for membrane transport.

Marissa Andrada (’89, business administration): After leaving her mark at several industry giants, she joined Starbucks in 2010 as the as senior vice president of Partner Resources for the U.S. Retail Organization. As the senior vice president of Partner Resources for the Americas, Starbucks Coffee Co., she ensures that more than 150,000 employees unlock their full potential while growing with the company and connecting with millions of customers daily.

Teresa Becker (’07, apparel merchandising management): She has been involved in the apparel industry since 1978 and started her own business as an undergraduate. In 2006, she established Heart of Haute, a wholesale and retail e-commerce clothing business. The company, based in San Dimas with all products made in the U.S., employs 20 people and sells to more than 300 specialty boutiques around the globe. About 60 percent of her products are exported.

Maribel Garcia (’04, administrative leadership credential): She grew up attending schools in the El Monte City School District. Now, she’s the superintendent of the district that helped educate her. She oversees a district with 15 schools, 10,500 students and more than 1,100 employees. After graduating from El Monte High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA in 2004. She returned to UCLA to earn an Ed.D. in educational leadership.

Lee R. Godown (’79, political science/foreign affairs): He was a political insider in Washington for nearly 30 years. In 2007, he was named managing director of Public Strategies Inc., providing strategic planning for major corporations. He became vice president of Global Government Relations for General Motors Corp. in 2010 and was later named executive director of Federal Affairs for the company. He manages a staff of 150 governmental relations professionals in five global regions.

Kevin Grundy (’79, bachelor’s in electrical engineering; ’82, master’s in electronic engineering): In 1986, Steve Jobs hired him (as employee No. 34) as an engineer at NeXT Computer, where he supervised the hardware design and production of several generations of personal computers during his seven-year tenure. He worked at other tech giants before becoming chief technology officer and a board member for Trusight Inc. in 2007. He is responsible for the technology direction of the company.

Pilar Hamil (’97, hotel and restaurant management): She started at the Walt Disney Co. as a part-time tour guide for celebrities and VIPs at Disneyland. Rising through the ranks, she has worked at all three Disneyland Resort hotels in 10 different positions. She is the general manager of the iconic Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, a AAA four-diamond property where she once worked as a desk clerk. She heads a team of 37 leaders and 1,500 hourly employees.

Gary Rinehart (’69, mathematics): A letter in football for the Broncos, he went to be a high-profile player in a different field. During his nearly 19 years at San Diego Gas and Electric, he held management positions in Corporate Planning, Decision Support and Information Technologies. He has managed IT groups at SDGE, Oracle, Qualcomm and Sharp Healthcare. He has worked as a consultant throughout the United States. Currently, he is the managing principal at Decision Interface.

Juliana Terian (’80, architecture): She founded Curran Architects and Planners in New York in 1990. After the death of her husband in 2002, she took over The Rallye Group, a luxury car dealership on Long Island. As president and CEO, she steered the company to more than $700 million in revenue in 2009 and it was the largest female-owned car dealership in North America. In 2010, she was named a TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year from Greater New York.

Alyssa Lang (Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award): An associate professor for graphic design in the College of Environmental Design, she is praised for the joy she brings to her work, her professionalism and her willingness to help students. Lang teaches typography, print production, book arts, and logo, publication and poster design. Her courses include a blend of lecture, discussion, demonstration, hands-on experience and critique. Her students have created posters, logos, magazines, books, book covers and packaging.