2026 Alumni Honors Recipients Announced
Six Toreros have been recognized by the University of San Diego as part of this year’s cohort of Alumni Honors. Each honoree reflects USD’s bold vision to confront humanity’s urgent challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love.
Bishop Charles Francis Buddy Award
The Bishop Charles Francis Buddy Award is presented annually to an alumnus/alumna who graduated from the University of San Diego ten or more years ago, in recognition of their extraordinary contribution to humanitarian causes.
Amy English '08, College of Arts and Sciences
Amy English is the Deputy Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with over a decade of experience in diplomacy, foreign policy, and strategic leadership across government, nonprofit, and international sectors. English previously served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Jeanne Shaheen and worked at the British Embassy in Washington, DC as the Congressional Liaison and Human Rights Attache. She was awarded the British Empire Medal for her contributions to U.K.–U.S. relations.
English was the President of ActionStations, her father’s small family business. She founded Spark Solutions, consulting on European policies in the private and public sectors and was Director of Advancement and External Affairs at Pathfinder International. She volunteers her time and is a member of the Advisory Committee for Running Start, is on the Steering Committee for AFS Intercultural Programs USA and is the Founder and Director for Pathfinder’s International Acacia Circle, where she is an advocate for gender equity. English has also been an active volunteer with USD. She holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Warwick, and a bachelor’s degree in political science with concentrations in Asian Studies and French from USD.
Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award
The Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award is presented annually to an alumnus/alumna who graduated from the University of San Diego ten or more years ago, in recognition of extraordinary service and commitment to the University.
Susanne Stanford '75 (JD), School of Law
Susanne Stanford is a Trustee emeritus, a current University of San Diego School of Law Board of Visitors and past member of the Dean’s Advisory Board. She was awarded the USD Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award in 2006. Stanford joined the San Diego law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton and Scripps as one of the two first USD graduates hired by the firm. She became the first female partner in 1980, and soon thereafter was named to lead the firm’s family law department. She retired in 2001 and remained Of Counsel through 2005.
Stanford is an active volunteer and supporter of the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum including Chair of the Capital Campaign. She is on the Advisory Council of the Coastal Roots Farm. She has volunteered her time to the San Diego Bar Association during the time she was an active member of the legal community. She was a delegate to the State Bar Convention, a member of the Ethics Committee and a member of two Judicial Evaluation Committees, and the past president of the Lawyers Club of San Diego. She was named as one of the best family lawyers in San Diego by San Diego Magazine and in 2006 she received the Bernard E. Witkin Award from the Law Library Justice Foundation for excellence in the practice of law.
She has been a lecturer for the Civil Practicum classes at USD School of Law, and prior to her law career, she was on the faculty at Arizona State University in the Department of Speech and Drama. Stanford earned a B.A. and an M.A. in Speech summa cum laude from the University of Arizona. She was on the faculty at Arizona State University in the Department of Speech and Drama. Stanford returned to school at USD’s School of Law where she received her JD.
Author Hughes Career Achievement Award
The Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award is presented annually to an alumnus/alumna who graduated from the University of San Diego ten or more years ago, in recognition of their extraordinary career achievements.
Ricardo Valerdi, PhD '00, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering
Dr. Ricardo Valerdi is an engineer, social entrepreneur, sports scientist, and engineering professor and is the head of the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on systems engineering, cost estimation and sports analytics. He was the founder and co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Enterprise Transformation, was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cost Analysis and Parametrics, and authored the book The Five-Tool Team: Bringing Out the Best in People to Make Better Decisions. He is a fellow of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and a foreign member of the Mexican Academy of Engineering. Previously he was a visiting fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, a visiting professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a Fulbright Scholar at Universidad Carlos III of Madrid (Spain). He was also a production consultant for SpaceX in 2017, working on the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket.
Dr. Valerdi is a passionate advocate for STEM education for young learners. He is the Founder and Chief Scientist of The Science of Sport, a non-profit dedicated to promoting STEM education through sports examples. He is a former Curriculum Developer for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Science of Baseball, a program for middle schoolers to increase their appreciation for STEM of baseball. After earning his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from USD, Dr. Valerdi earned an MS System Architecture and Engineering and PhD, Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Seth Stein '05 (MS), Knauss School of Business
Seth Stein is the CEO of Workwell North America (formerly Eastridge Workforce Solutions), an employee-owned company that provides full-service talent acquisition and management solutions for companies globally. He joined Eastridge in 1998 as an entry-level business development associate, eventually leading various Eastridge divisions in San Diego, Las Vegas, Houston and Dallas. He was appointed as President in 2010 and CEO in 2020. He leads masterclasses, with the American Staffing Association, designed for senior leaders in the staffing and workforce solutions industry responsible for strategy and growth. He writes the “Clarity in Leadership” newsletter, where he shares practical leadership insights. Stein was a finalist for the CEO of the Year Award in both 2021 and 2023 by the San Diego Business Journal. He received his BA in communications from George Washington University and his MS in executive leadership from USD.
Emerging Leader Award
Similar in scope to the Author Hughes Career Achievement Awards, the Emerging Leader Award is given to an alumnus or alumna who graduated from USD within the last 10 years, has achieved significant professional success, and has made a positive impact on their organization, industry, profession, and/or community.
Susan Antolin, EdD '16 (MEd), School of Leadership and Education Sciences
Dr. Susan Aryan Antolin is an advocate of empowering women and girls, particularly Afghan refugee women and girls, on a global scale as the executive director for Women for Afghan Women (WAW), a former director of 30 Birds Foundation, and Co-CEO and Founder for Advancing Girls. She is a board member for UPWARD Women, and STEER for Student Athletes.
Dr. Antolin began her career in secondary education as a high school teacher, student activities director and summer school principal at her alma mater, the Academy of Our Lady of Peace. She later managed partner projects improving lives in the community for the Fund for the City of New York (FCNY). During this time, she co-founded Advancing Girls, a platform offering resources for mentors worldwide, empowering educators with the tools, knowledge and strategies to close the gender gap in education for girls. In 2023 Dr. Antolin led initiatives at 30 Birds Foundation where she developed and implemented programs supporting resettled Afghan communities and advancing girls education in Canada and the United States. In 2024 Dr. Antolin was appointed Executive Director of Women for Afghan Women, the largest Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to supporting this population through access to healthcare, legal aid, shelter, and educational opportunities. Dr. Antolin holds a doctorate from New York University, a master’s degree in education from the University of San Diego, and a bachelor’s degree from UCLA. She received the NYU Steinhardt’s inaugural Visionary Award in 2024.
Sofia Ramirez '17, College of Arts and Sciences
Sofia Ramirez works at the U.S. Department of State and is currently an Economic Officer for the U.S. Embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay. Before assuming her current role, Ramirez served in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam. Previously, she worked as an intern for the U.S. House of Representatives, a research associate for the Council on Foreign Relations, an analyst for The Economist Intelligence Unit, a summer associate for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and an international strategy forum fellow for the Special Competitive Studies Project. She has chaired the Council on Foreign Relations Partnerships for Global Kids and was a previous volunteer for the Chinese Progressive Association.
At USD, Ramirez was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and received both the Asian Studies Excellence Award and the Outstanding Achievement in Political Science Award. She spent two semester exchange programs at Peking University and contributed to research with the Justice in Mexico program. She is currently a volunteer for the Torero Employer and Alumni Mentors (T.E.A.M.). Ramirez has earned numerous awards and honors focused on her interest in international affairs. She speaks English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese. She earned a BA in International Relations and Asian Studies from USD and earned a master’s in public affairs in international development at Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs.