Alumni Honors to Recognize 10 Extraordinary Toreros April 28

Ten extraordinary members of the University of San Diego family — nine alumni and a volleyball head coach who led the Toreros to great success from 1990-98 — will be recognized at the 2018 Alumni Honors celebration on Saturday, April 28.

Alumni Honors celebrates the success of its USD alumni from each of its academic schools with the Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award, inducts a new athletics standout into the Chet and Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame and acknowledges two individuals with special honors named for the university’s co-founders, Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill and Bishop Charles Francis Buddy.

The 2018 Alumni Honors special award recipients are Sister Virginia Rodee, RSCJ, ’57 (BA), ’74 (MA) for the Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Service Award; Tracy Reines ’94 (BA) for the Bishop Charles Francis Buddy Humanitarian Award; and Sue Snyder, head women’s volleyball coach, for the Chet and Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame.

The seven alumni receiving the Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Awards are: John Della Volpe ’89 (BA), College of Arts and Sciences; Cindy Steckel ’10, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science; Eleonora-Markella Mantika ’06 (MA), Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies; William “Bill” Brennan ’96 (BBA), School of Business; Vickie E. Turner ’82 (JD), School of Law; Catherine “Caity” S. Riddle Meader ’10 (MA), School of Leadership and Education Sciences; and Rasheed Behrooznia ’02 (BS/BA), Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering.

Rodee, the recently retired assistant vice president for Mission and Ministry at USD, receives the Mother Hill Award in recognition of her extraordinary service and commitment to the university. Other attributes for this award require a nominee to embody the mission and values of the University of San Diego; exhibits extraordinary service and commitment to the university; supports and is actively engaged with the university and/or the USD Alumni Association.

Raines, the regional director for United States Programs with the International Rescue Committee, is receiving the Bishop Buddy award for her extraordinary contribution and commitment to humanitarian causes. The annual recipient of this award is one who embodies the mission and values of USD, exhibits extraordinary contribution and commitment to humanitarian causes, promotes human welfare, rights and dignity; advocates peace, justice and freedom; and personifies faith, hope and love.

The seven Author E. Hughes Career Achievement award is named in honor of President Emeritus Author E. Hughes. His outstanding achievements over his 24 years as president and his commitment to excellence mirror the extraordinary accomplishments of the numerous honorees who proudly wear the medallion bearing his name.

Each of the 2018 Hughes award winners are shining examples of USD alumni success: Volpe is the director of polling at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University and is the founder and CEO of SocialSphere, Inc.; Steckel is the vice president and chief nursing and operations executive for Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla; Mantika is a political affairs/liaison officer for the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia; Brennan is the principal for the Marsh & McLennan Agency and is a co-founder of Daisy Miracle Brennan Foundation; Turner is a partner with Wilson, Turner, Kosmo LLP; Riddle Meader is executive director of family services of Tulare County; and Behrooznia is vice president of engineering for Cubic Transportation Systems.

These 10 honorees will be part of a wonderful evening at USD’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. An awards program will start at 6 p.m. inside the Kroc Peace and Justice Theatre and it will be followed by the Starlit Soiree, taking place in the IPJ’s Garden of the Sky area. Honorees and their guests will enjoy live music and dine on tantalizing fare from an array of food stations. Cocktail attire is required.

Tickets for Alumni Honors are available now. Tickets are $75 per person and there is a special young alumni price of $55 for USD graduates between 2007-17. For more information, please contact University Events and Promotions at (619) 260-6894 or to purchase tickets to Alumni Honors, register now.