2024 Awards Recognize Outstanding Achievements by UCSF Alumni

The Alumni Association of UC San Francisco (AAUCSF) has named the UCSF Alumni Achievement Awards winners for 2024. These awards honor alumni across UCSF’s four schools – Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy – and the Graduate Division for their extraordinary contributions to clinical practice, research, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, service, and mentorship, as well as early-career success. In addition, the alumni associations of UCSF’s four schools, the Graduate Division, and the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy honored the remarkable accomplishments of exemplary alumni with their annual accolades.

Catherine Lucey, MD, UCSF executive vice chancellor and provost, bestowed the awards at this year’s UCSF Alumni Weekend in April. Dr. Lucey was joined by Shelly Nakaishi, MS ’06, president of the AAUCSF.

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“All of these alumni are models of unwavering dedication to improving health, advancing our knowledge through research, and training the next generation. Each awardee reminds us of the power of our collective mission and the boundless potential of the UCSF alumni community.”

Catherine Lucey, MD, Resident Alum
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, UCSF

This year, University Development and Alumni Relations grouped the 13 alumni awardees into four categories that each align closely with UCSF’s mission: global impact, community, mentorship and innovation. Below you can watch the videos that showcase the work of these remarkable UCSF ambassadors, their dedication to health and improving health, and their extraordinary accomplishments since graduating from UCSF.

 

Global Impact
Richard Carmona, MD ’80, MPH, Resident Alum, Clinical Fellow Alum
Medical Alumni Association Alum of the Year 2024

Laura E. Keyser, DPT ’08, MPH
Alumni Practitioner Award

Ruth Arnold Smarinsky, PharmD ’83
Pharmacy Alumni Association Alum of the Year 2024

Community
Kerry K. Carney, DDS ’84
UCSF Dental Alumni Association Medal of Honor

Pauline Chin, BSN ’78, MSN ’92
UCSF Nursing Alumni Association’s Jane Norbeck Distinguished Service Award

Laurel Coleman, MD ’89, Resident Alum
Alumni Humanitarian Service Award

 

Mentorship
Hibret Hailu Benjamin, DDS ’02
Dental Alumni Association Medal of Honor

William Carroll, DDS ’80
Alumni Mentor Award

Michael P. Go, PT ’74, MPH
Graduate Program in Physical Therapy Alum of the Year 2024

 

 

Innovation
Sebastian Bernales, PhD ’06, Postdoc Alum
Graduate Division Alumni Association Alum of the Year

Cheryl J. Cherpitel, BSN ’68, DrPH, MPH
Alumni Discovery Award

Nicholas T. Hertz, PhD ’13
Alumni Early-Career Award

Kelly Nguyen, PharmD ’96
Alumni Entrepreneur