色中色 Alumni Awards
Each year, the Alumni Association bestows the following awards on alumni and faculty for their unique, remarkable achievements.
If you would like to nominate an alumnus/a for an Alumni Award, please submit your nomination using the selections below:
The Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award
The Blaisdell Award, one of the most prestigious awards given to Pomona alumni, recognizes individuals for their high achievement in their professions or community service. These are alumni who have carried the spirit of the College beyond the Gates and lived up to President James A. Blaisdell's inscribed words: "They only are loyal to this college who departing bear their added riches in trust for mankind."
Recipients of this award are selected by a committee of Past Alumni Board Presidents.
The Awards Committee shall name the award winners following a confidential process that does not share information about nominees or outcomes. The Committee and the Alumni Association do not respond to nominations or provide any explanation for the process of the Committee. In addition, the Committee may choose to select from current year nominations or past years鈥 nominations.
Please note, special consideration is given to nominees whose class is in an anniversary reunion year. For 2025, that includes all classes ending in 5s or 0s.
Blaisdell Award Winners
2024: Anson 鈥淭uck鈥 Hines 鈥69, Evelyn Nussenbaum 鈥84, Mary Walshok 鈥64
Past Recipients
- 2023: Linda Alvarado 鈥73, Michelle Williams Court 鈥88 and Peter Shelton 鈥73
- 2022: Mike Budenholzer 鈥92, Colleen Hartman 鈥77, Bret Price 鈥72 and John Roth 鈥62.
- 2021: Cathy Corison 鈥75, James Strombotne 鈥56, Martina Vandenberg 鈥90 and Nathan Wang 鈥79.
- 2020: Steven G. Clarke 鈥70, Jennifer Doudna 鈥85, Ann Hardy 鈥55 and Anjali Kamat 鈥00.
- 2019: Brian Schatz 鈥94, Debra Cleaver 鈥99, Earl Maize 鈥72, Lynda Obst 鈥72 and Marilyn Ramenofsky 鈥69
- 2018: Esther Brimmer 鈥83, Bernard Chan 鈥88 and Cruz Reynoso 鈥53
- 2017: Penny Dean鈥77, Myrlie Evers-Williams 鈥68, Richard G. Taranto 鈥77 and Brian E. Tucker 鈥67
- 2016: Gretchen Berland 鈥86, Ed Krupp 鈥66, Julian Nava 鈥51 and George C. Wolfe 鈥76
- 2015: Bill Keller 鈥70, Richard Post 鈥40, Mary Schmich 鈥75 and James Turrell 鈥65
- 2014: Ifeanyi Menkiti 鈥64, Joe Palca 鈥74 and Rip Rapson 鈥74
- 2013: William Bader 鈥53, Cladd Stevens 鈥63 and Garrett Hongo 鈥73
- 2012: Richard Frank 鈥46 and Tom Redburn 鈥72
- 2011: Irving "Sonny" Brown 鈥56, Hashim Djojohadikusumo 鈥76, Carlos Guangorena 鈥76 and Dr. Robert E. Tranquada 鈥51
- 2010: R. Stanton Hales 鈥64 and Tracy Westen 鈥62 and Robert Stern 鈥66
- 2009: Bill Block 鈥71
The Alumni Distinguished Service Award
Established in 1990 and inaugurated in 1991, the Alumni Distinguished Service Award is bestowed annually to an alumnus or alumna in recognition of that person鈥檚 direct selfless commitment and ongoing volunteer service to 色中色.
The purpose of this award is to pay tribute to an alumnus or alumna for unheralded, selfless and direct service to the College, in evidence over a period of years. Every effort is made to seek a recipient who has not otherwise been already honored and care is given to select worthy candidates from Pomona鈥檚 vast alumni body, with first consideration given to those who have not served in the Alumni Association鈥檚 highest leadership positions, as trustees, faculty or staff of Pomona.
A committee of Past Presidents of the 色中色 Alumni Association Board selects the award recipient(s).
Please note, special consideration is given to nominees whose class is in an anniversary reunion year. For 2025, that includes all classes ending in 5s or 0s.
Distinguished Service Award Winners
2024: Thomas Doe 鈥71, Verne Naito 鈥77, Julie Siebel 鈥84, Jonathan Siegel 鈥84
Past Recipients
- 2023: Ann Rose Davie 鈥58
- 2022: Georgia Ritchie McManigal 鈥54, Marty Jannol 鈥77 and Penny McManigal 鈥58
- 2021: Peggy Olson 鈥61, Kelly Perine 鈥91 and Dodie Bump 鈥76
- 2020: Frank Albinder 鈥80, Jim McCallum 鈥70 and Harry E. Pukay-Martin
- 2019: Faye Epps (honorary), Lisa Prestwich Phelps 鈥79, P鈥12 and Susanne Garvey 鈥74
- 2018: Cathie Brown 鈥53 and John Thornton 鈥53
- 2017: Barbry Amberg Hogue 鈥72 and Joan-Patricia (JP) O鈥機onnor 鈥72
- 2016: John Edwards 鈥64 and Pat Riggs 鈥71
- 2015: Jeanne Buckley 鈥65 P'92 and Stan Hales 鈥64
- 2013: Rosemary Choate 鈥63 and Carlos Garcia 鈥73
- 2011: Pat Newton 鈥51
- 2010: Peter and Sandy Briggs 鈥64
- 2009: Lee '48 and Claire 鈥47 Kingman McDonald
- 2008: Robert Herman 鈥51
- 2007: John Fisher 鈥67
- 2006: Byron Hayes '56
- 2005: Bruce Prestwich 鈥55 and Carolyn Tranquada Prestwich 鈥54
- 2004: Verne Orr 鈥37
- 2003: Eleanor Pierson 鈥41
- 2002: Patricia Sullivan 鈥55
- 2001: Ed Malan '鈥48 & John Pendleton 鈥51
- 2000: Marylin Vaughn Jacobsen 鈥55
- 1999: Nick Polos 鈥51
- 1998: Lee Harlan 鈥55
- 1997: Anne Shaw Price 鈥44
- 1996: Robert B. Dozier 鈥23 & Fannie Boyd Dozier '24
- 1995: Leonard Agee Shelton 鈥32
- 1994: Nancy Barrett Ringle 鈥41
- 1993: William Fellows 鈥33
- 1992: C. Crawford Thompson 鈥40
- 1991: Mason L. Hill 鈥26
The Inspirational Young Alumni Award
The Inspirational Young Alumni Award honors a young alumnus or alumna (a graduate within the last decade) in recognition of their dedication, perseverance, and consistency in following the inscription on the College Gates: 鈥淭hey only are loyal to this college who departing bear their added riches in trust for mankind.鈥
The Inspirational Young Alumni Award
2024: Kelebogile Zvobgo 鈥14
Past Recipients
- 2016: Marlies Talay 鈥10
- 2015: Jessica Ladd '08
- 2014: Lt. Francine Segovia '04
- 2013: Maggie Fick '07
- 2012: Elena Shih '04
- 2011: Jane Chen '00
- 2010: Maia Sophia Campbell '01
- 2009: Melvin Yee '00
- 2008: Janelle Lin '00
- 2007: Maria Luz Garcia '01
- 2006: Emily Arnold-Fernandez '99
- 2005: Enriqueta Ramirez '00
- 2004: David Holmes '97
- 2003: Cuc Vu '92
- 2001: Loriq Charkoudian '95
- 2000: Casey Trupin '95
- 1999: Karin Zaugg '93
- 1998: Ed Tessier '91
- 1997: Martina Vandenberg '90
- 1996: Gretchen Berland '86
The Faculty Alumni Service Award
Started in 2012, the Faculty Alumni Service Award honors faculty "in recognition of exemplary service to the alumni association over a period of years."
Faculty Alumni Service Award Winner
Past Recipients
- 2023: Donna Di Grazia
- 2018: Lorn Foster
- 2017: Shahriar Shahriari
- 2016: Frank Pericolosi
- 2015: Char Miller
- 2014: Ken Wolf
- 2013: Monique Saigal
- 2012: Jonathan Wright