Awards
2025 UCSC Alumni Awards Recipients
Fiat Lux Award: Barry J. Bowman
(Professor Emeritus, molecular, cell, and developmental biology)
Alumni Achievement Award: Terri McCullough
(Oakes ’90, politics)
Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award: Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
(M.S. ’05, astronomy and astrophysics)
UCSC Ethos Award: Daniel Nane Alejandrez
(Merrill ’81, community studies)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award: Aviv Elor
(Crown ’19, robotics engineering; Ph.D. ’21, computational media)
UCSC Alumni Awards Celebration Event
Friday, October 17, 2025
5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The University Center
College Nine Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
The University Center is located on the second floor of the College Nine & John R. Lewis Dining Hall
Evening festivities include:
5:00 p.m. Welcome Reception
6:15 p.m. Awards Ceremony
7:30 p.m. Champagne Toast & Dessert Reception
Cost
$75 per guest
Parking
Complimentary campus parking will be available in Lots 164 and 165. Click here to view a campus parking map.
Menu
Guests will experience an elegant small plates reception, open bar service, and dessert selection.
Attire
At UC Santa Cruz, you are always encouraged to come as you are – many will choose smart business or casual cocktail attire.
Celebrating the 2025 UC Santa Cruz Alumni Awards Recipients
Fiat Lux Award
The Fiat Lux Award honors UC Santa Cruz alumni and friends who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and distinguished service in support of the university’s programs and goals.
Barry J. Bowman (Professor Emeritus, molecular, cell, and developmental biology)
Barry Bowman joined the UC Santa Cruz faculty in 1979. During his 37-year career at UC Santa Cruz, he served twice as a departmental chair, first for the Biology Department and later for the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. Bowman received the UCSC Alumni Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1999, and the Division of Natural Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award in 2000. Bowman is recognized as a national and international leader in his field. He is an avid supporter of the university, serving as a leader in both the Emeriti Association and Osher Lifelong Learner Institute at UC Santa Cruz, while also establishing a two endowments to further university research.
Alumni Achievement Award
The Alumni Achievement Award is presented to UC Santa Cruz graduates who are renowned for their distinguished professional achievement, leadership, and service to the community. The alumni receiving this award have made a positive impact in the lives of others and are recognized for their longevity and consistency of accomplishments over their professional lifetime.
Terri McCullough (Oakes ’90, politics)
Terri McCullough is chief of staff to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. In 2019, she was the first woman appointed to a paid position of chief of staff to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. In this role, McCullough helped lead the passage of key legislation, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act. McCullough has spent much of her career advancing equity of opportunity and the participation of women & girls as CEO of the Clinton Foundation’s No Ceilings: The Full Participation Project, and as executive director of the Tory Burch Foundation.
Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award
The Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award recognizes UC Santa Cruz graduate alumni for notable achievement in a career directly related to their degree program. The recipient’s graduate degree from UC Santa Cruz played a significant part in their career success.
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (M.S. ’05, astronomy and astrophysics)
Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an associate professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women’s and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her research in theoretical physics focuses on cosmology, dark matter, and neutron stars. She is a researcher of Black feminist science, technology, and society studies. She is the creator of the Cite Black Women+ in Physics and Astronomy Bibliography. Nature recognized Prescod-Weinstein as one of 10 people who shaped science in 2020, and Essence Magazine recognized her as one of “15 Black Women Who Are Paving the Way in STEM and Breaking Barriers.” Her first book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, received multiple awards including the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the science and technology category.
UCSC Ethos Award
The UCSC Ethos Award recognizes alumni whose work and contribution to their community embodies and reflects the ethos of UC Santa Cruz. Award recipients embrace diversity, strive for an inclusive community, and have an abiding commitment to social justice and equity. They seek truth and the advancement of knowledge to serve society. They solve problems with courage, respect for diverse thoughts, and a willingness to be experimental. They celebrate others’ heritage, uniqueness, and contributions with a deep respect for human dignity and desire for transformational change.
Daniel Nane Alejandrez (Merrill ’81, community studies)
Daniel Nane Alejandrez, the executive director of Barrios Unidos Santa Cruz, has dedicated his life to uplifting communities through advocacy, cultural healing, and community-based programs. Alejandrez launched Barrios Unidos in 1977 while a student at UC Santa Cruz. Today, it is a nationally respected grassroots organization addressing youth violence, incarceration, and systemic inequality. His commitment to social justice is grounded in his personal journey from a Vietnam War veteran navigating addiction and street violence to finding his purpose at UC Santa Cruz. He is a respected voice in the field of community healing and restorative justice, and a visionary leader.
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
The Outstanding Recent Alumni Award recognizes UC Santa Cruz alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years who reflect the values and mission of UCSC. This award honors recent alumni who are recognized for their notable professional achievements and contributions to society.
Aviv Elor (Crown ’19, robotics engineering; Ph.D. ’21, computational media)
Aviv Elor is co-founder, president, and chief research officer of Immergo Labs, revolutionizing physical rehabilitation through immersive virtual reality (VR) telehealth platforms. Named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in 2025, Elor is redefining physical rehabilitation through immersive technologies that enable synchronous, full-body avatar interactions and AI-powered biomechanical analysis for remote patient care. He has over 25 peer-reviewed publications and more than $1.5M in research funding. Elor has been recognized with the Santa Cruz Titan of Tech Award, ACM VRST Best Paper Award, Barry Goldwater Scholarship, and ARCS Foundation Fellowship.
The UCSC Alumni Awards Celebration will take place on October 17, 2025.
2024 UCSC Alumni Awards Recipients
Learn more about each of the 2024 alumni award recipients.