The president of KCRW, an Olympic medalist and the founders and owners of a vineyard that has directed millions of dollars to support mental health research and advocacy are among the Bruins being honored by the UCLA Alumni Association in 2018.
Each year, the association celebrates some of the exceptional professional achievements, philanthropic endeavors and community service performed by the more than 500,000 UCLA alumni near and far. This year’s alumni awards will be presented June 2 at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center.
“Our award recipients reflect the optimism that fuels our 500,000 Bruins around the globe,” said Julie Sina, associate vice chancellor for alumni affairs at UCLA. “The awardees are selected from a deep pool of nominations representative of the narrative that is unique to the heart and soul of UCLA Alumni. Each story is unique yet representative of the UCLA imprint.”
The Edward A. Dickson Alumni of the Year Award will be presented to Garen Staglin, who graduated from UCLA in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, and Shari Staglin, who graduated with a bachelor’s in international relations in 1966. The Staglins have partnered with the university to lead the UCLA Depression Grand Challenge, a campus-wide effort that aims to to reduce the health and economic impacts of depression by half by the year 2050. They also founded the Staglin Family Vineyard in Napa Valley, which provides philanthropic support for mental health work. Shari guides Staglin Family Vineyard as CEO and Garen is proprietor while remaining active in the world of venture capital and private equity investing. Garen, co-chair of the Centennial Campaign for UCLA, and Shari, emerita of the UCLA Foundation board of directors, have provided faculty, student and research support through the Staglin Family Chair in Psychology, Staglin Family Music Festival Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Depression Grand Challenge Project Fellows Program, Staglin Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Psychosis Prevention Center.
Devon Dickau, who graduated with a bachelor’s in American literature and culture in 2007 and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 2015, is the recipient of this year’s UCLA Young Alumnus of the Year Award. A mentor, volunteer and philanthropist, Dickau serves as co-president of the UCLA Lambda LGBTQ Alumni Association and previously served as co-chair of the UCLA Young Alumni development council, where he was the founding assistant director of UCLA Parent and Family Programs and a 2016 fellow with New Leaders Council. Dickau is currently a manager in Deloitte’s human capital consulting practice and chief of staff for the diversity and inclusion client service center of excellence and serves on the board of the Social Impact Fund, a community non-profit organization providing management and oversight expertise to non-profits undergoing the IRS 501(c)3 determination process.
The only athlete in history to win the New York Marathon, the Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal, Mebrahtom “Meb” Keflezighi, who graduated with a bachelor’s in communication studies in 1999, is this year’s recipient of the UCLA Award for Professional Achievement. In 2010, Keflezighi was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. Keflezighi, who came to the United States as a refugee from war-torn East Africa, retired in November 2017, following a career that included winning the emotionally charged 2014 Boston Marathon. He now oversees the MEB (Maintaining Excellent Balance) Foundation, which is committed to promoting youth health, education and fitness.
Jennifer Ferro, KCRW president who graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology in 1991, will receive the UCLA Award for Public Service. Ferro has transformed Southern California's flagship public radio station into a worldwide digital content distributor that seeks to build community through the discovery of music, news and culture both in person, online and on the air. Under her management, in addition to creating 100 hours of original programming a week, KCRW will finish a $48 million capital campaign and move into its first stand-alone facility in 2018. In 2011, Ferro was named one of Los Angeles' Game Changing Women Leaders Who Make an Impact in LA by Los Angeles magazine. She is also a dedicated mentor to numerous UCLA students through the UCLA ONE program.
The UCLA Award for Community Service goes to Angela Sanchez, who graduated with a bachelor’s in history in 2013 and a master’s degree in education with a focus in student affairs in 2015. In volunteering with School on Wheels, Inc., Sanchez established the first university faction of the nonprofit at UCLA, assisting K–12 homeless students in navigating postsecondary education. She also created college admissions and financial aid workshops tailored to the students' needs in addition to volunteer recruitment, staff training, donor and community relations, and development. Sanchez has also worked in UCLA Alumni Affairs, assessing scholarship recipients’ feedback to engage alumni and encourage giving, and provides motivational talks for students across Los Angeles. The author of a children’s book about homelessness, Sanchez donates books to shelters and the nonprofits that support them.
Mark Stull, who graduated with a bachelor’s in political science in 1971, has been honored with the UCLA Award for Alumni Volunteer of the Year. Following military service, Stull embarked on a career in management consulting, providing support to the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C., and San Diego. Stull is an active board leader in the UCLA Club of San Diego, and as a Chancellor’s Society member he serves as vice chair of the San Diego Chancellor’s Society board. Stull is also an advisor to other alumni, working to support them and their connections to UCLA. He also initiates and sponsors events for UCLA alumni and friends in San Diego, which has resulted in significant financial support for the network’s scholarship fund.
The UCLA Award for Network of the Year award goes to the UCLA Black Alumni Association, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary of service to the UCLA community. Established in 1968, the organization was inspired by leaders such as former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and the efforts that he and others like Larry Hollifield, Herschel Ramsey and UCLA Vice Chancellor emeritus Winston Doby initiated to organize alumni of color. The Black Alumni Association’s vision is to achieve and maintain social, economic, political and educational equality by providing a vehicle to harness and channel the power of African-American Alumni and the community at large. The organization works to provide scholarships, advocacy, support, and networking to UCLA African-American alumni, students, faculty and community members.