Meet the 2025 Illustrious Alumni Honorees

New York

Shelley S. O’Connor ’83

Psychology | Muir College
Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley

Shelley O’Connor is a former Morgan Stanley Senior Executive and ongoing champion for women in the workplace. During nearly 40 years at the firm, her top leadership roles included Co-Head of Wealth Management, Chairman & CEO of the firm’s U.S. Banks, Vice Chairman of External Affairs and member of the Operating Committee. She played a key role in expanding and modernizing the business, including building Morgan Stanley Private Bank from inception. Now a Senior Advisor, O’Connor focuses on women in leadership. She has served on multiple securities industry and women’s advocacy boards.

Miles Palmer, MA ’78, PhD ’80

Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy | Physical Sciences
Leader in Technology and Innovation

A visionary entrepreneur, engineer and scientist, Miles Palmer is known for his groundbreaking work in energy, transportation and communications, with over 700 patents and publications. He founded 8 Rivers Capital, enabling the world’s largest companies to meet their Net Zero goals, and co-founded NET Power, a NYSE-listed company recognized with the MIT Technology Review's 2018 Breakthrough Technology Award. A former USAF flight test engineer and astronaut nominee, Palmer has received numerous accolades including Fortune 500, Presidential and Congressional awards.

Leo Spiegel ’83

Economics | Revelle College
Managing Partner, Spiegel Capital Management

Leo Spiegel is a visionary entrepreneur and investor with a legacy of building and scaling companies. A proud UC San Diego alumnus, he has helped drive success for more than 60 startups, resulting in 30 exits. As Managing Partner of Spiegel Capital Management, he mentors and invests in emerging businesses. His deep commitment to UC San Diego includes leadership roles on the Foundation Board, Chancellor’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council and Rady School of Management Dean’s Advisory Council. Recognized as a UC San Diego True Triton in 2020, Spiegel continues to shape the future of innovation.

Carrie Mae Weems, MFA ’84

MFA in Visual Arts | Arts and Humanities
World-renowned Artist

Carrie Mae Weems is an award-winning conceptual artist known for exploring race, gender and class through photography, text and multimedia. Grounded in the specificity of her lived experience as a Black woman, her work is universal in its explorations of family relationships, cultural identity and power structures. Weems is a MacArthur Fellow (2013) and recipient of the 2024 National Medal of Arts whose “Kitchen Table Series” (1990) has been exhibited at the Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum of American Art.  A UC San Diego Outstanding Alumni Award honoree (2017), Weems is currently the Artist in Residence at Syracuse University.

Bay Area

Mary N. Bui-Pham, MS ’88, PhD ’92

Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy | Jacobs School of Engineering
Vice President of Business Technology, Indeed, Inc.

Mary Bui-Pham is the Vice President of Business Technology at Indeed, Inc., bringing extensive leadership experience from her previous role as Vice President of Global Operations for Media Brands & Products at Yahoo. A passionate supporter of UC San Diego, she established the Bui Pham Family Engineering Endowed Scholarship, with its first recipient named in 2021. She has served the university in various advisory roles, including Chair of the Council of Advisors and Vice Chair, contributing to UC San Diego's growth and innovation.

Marcia McNutt, PhD ’78

Doctor of Philosophy | Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Geophysicist, President of the National Academy of Sciences

Marcia McNutt is an accomplished American geophysicist and the 22nd president of the National Academy of Sciences, a role she has held since 2016. She made history as the first woman to serve as the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey during which time USGS responded to a number of major disasters, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. For her work to help contain that spill, she was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard’s Meritorious Service Medal. Previously, she was President and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, was editor-in-chief of “Science,” and has served as professor at prestigious institutions like Stanford, UC Santa Cruz and MIT. McNutt was a science adviser to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2010 to 2013.  A two-time UC San Diego Alumni Award honoree, McNutt was recognized as Outstanding Alumna in 2004 and named to the 50 Years | 50 Leaders list in 2011.

Tim Scott ’87

Biochemistry and Cell Biology | Revelle College
President and CEO, Biocom California

Tim Scott is President and CEO of Biocom California, the world’s largest biotechnology trade and advocacy organization, representing over 1,800 members across the state. A seasoned life science executive, he most recently served as President and CEO of AustinPx, enhancing the pharmacokinetics of critical medicines, and is Co-founder and Executive Board Chair of TEGA Therapeutics, focused on lysosomal storage disorders. At UC San Diego, he has supported multiple pharmaceutical spinouts, and serves on the Dean's Advisory Council for the School of Biological Sciences. In the community, Scott is a trustee for the Tony-award winning La Jolla Playhouse.

Los Angeles

Ellen Chen ’95

Social Sciences | Marshall College
Co-founder and Board Member of Mendocino Farms, Strategic Advisor and Investor

Since stepping down from the daily operations of Mendocino Farms, which she co-founded in 2005, Ellen Chen has dedicated her time to investing in female- and minority-founded businesses. With 20 years of experience growing food brands, she helps early-stage founders define their purpose, operationalize values and secure resources. She serves on the boards of Mendocino Farms, Sugared + Bronzed and HomeState, and is an advisor for several startups. Recognized as an industry leader, she was named to Nation’s Restaurant News' Power List and 50 Most Influential Women in Foodservice. Chen is also deeply committed to community impact, serving on the boards of Teach AAPI and AAPI LA.

Ping Fu ’88

Computer Science and Engineering | Warren College
Pioneer in 3D Imaging, Co-founder of Geomagic, Inc.

A dynamic entrepreneur, software pioneer and author, Ping Fu is celebrated for her groundbreaking work in 3D imaging and web technology, co-founding Geomagic, Inc., and shaping the early landscape of web browsers. A prolific inventor with five patents, Fu has earned multiple accolades, including Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year and Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. A trusted advisor to President Obama, she is also the author of the bestselling memoir “Bend, Not Break” and serves on Live Nation’s board of directors.

Jamie Montgomery ’81

Political Science | Muir College
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, March Capital

Jamie Montgomery is the co-founder and managing partner of March Capital, where he invests in transformative technology companies. A pioneer in venture capital and investment banking, he founded Montgomery & Co. and The Montgomery Summit, a premier technology conference attracting global leaders. Committed to innovation and entrepreneurship, Jamie serves on UC San Diego’s Campaign Leadership Cabinet. He was honored with the 2022 Alumni Award for Changemaker, recognizing his lasting impact. Beyond business, he is dedicated to philanthropy, supporting education, youth development and medical research, while leading March Capital’s community engagement and philanthropic initiatives.

Honorees will be celebrated at events in New York, the Bay Area and Los Angeles. To learn more or register to attend, visit the Illustrious Alumni Awards event page.