The University of California San Diego has announced its distinguished lineup of honorees for the 2026 Illustrious Alumni Awards — one of the university’s highest honors for alumni, celebrating extraordinary leadership, innovation and impact by Tritons around the world.
Ramez N. Eskander, MD ’06, has been named the inaugural holder of the Julie St. John Endowed Chair in Gynecologic Oncology at UC San Diego, which was established by grateful patient, Julie St. John.
What does it take to build a multi-decade career in animation? For UC San Diego visual arts alumna Marge Dean, it’s passion and perseverance—fueling collaborative teams, bold storytelling, and a deep commitment to uplifting unsung voices.
"I use the work I did at UC San Diego and the exposure that I got at QI and other places on a day-to-day basis [in my job at Apple]," says Raghav Subbaraman (’24), who recently won the Paul Baran Young Scholar Award from the Marconi Society.
UC San Diego alumnus Robert J. Glushko, Ph.D. and Pamela Samuelson have created four endowed faculty chairs in honor of transformational scholars whose work shaped both modern cognitive science and Glushko’s career.
During UC San Diego’s recent 2025 Illustrious Alumni Awards celebration in Los Angeles, Christopher Siok '96 was recognized with Triton Hero Award, designed by fellow alumnus and glass artist Tim Carey '96.
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