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Meet the 2026 Alumni of the Year

Every year, the University of Arizona salutes a group of alumni for their achievements, public service, advocacy for education, volunteerism and service to students, the colleges and the university. Meet this year's award winners!

 

 

José Aponte ’76 | College of Information Science

José is a nationally recognized leader in library and information science.

Donald Baker ’14 | College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture

Over his four-decade career, Donald was a transformative force in Arizona real estate. 

Brandon Coleman ’15 | College of Fine Arts

Brandon is a New York City-based choreographer, performer and educator whose career has included concert dance, immersive performance and artistic mentorship. 

Benjamin Driggs ’96 | W. A. Franke Honors College

Benjamin is the chief commercial and strategy officer for Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace.

Michelle Durham ’02 | College of Humanities

Michelle is a television executive and industry leader with over two decades of experience in programming strategy, business operations, scheduling and consumer research.

Janet Fender ’81 | James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences

Janet has devoted her distinguished career to advancing national security and optical sciences as a scientist in the U.S. Air Force.

Richard Fried ’63 ’66 | James E. Rogers College of Law

Richard is one of Hawai‘i’s most accomplished trial attorneys and a nationally recognized leader in medical malpractice, aviation, product liability and serious personal injury law.

Susan Gray ’96 ’01 | College of Engineering

Susan is president and chief executive officer of Tucson Electric Power, UniSource Energy Services and their parent company, UNS Energy Corporation.

Maura Mulligan ’77 ’80 | College of Education

For more than 30 years, Maura worked in the Tucson Unified School District, primarily at Erickson Elementary School.

James Muzzy ’63 ’64 | Eller College of Management

James is a financial executive and philanthropist best known as a co-founder of Pacific Investment Management Company.

Cathleen Peterson-Layne ’88 | R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy

A triple-trained pharmacist, pharmacologist and anesthesiologist, Cathleen is the creator of Being inCredible™ and founder of The Alignment Project™.

Anne Rosenfeld, Ph.D., ’76 | College of Nursing

Anne is a nationally recognized leader in cardiovascular nursing research and women’s heart health.

Tim Tiutan ’12 ’16 | College of Medicine - Tucson

Timothy, known as "Dr. Tim," is a renowned physician, educator and researcher. 

Christine Wiggs ’02 ’10 ’16 | Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Christine is a passionate public health leader whose work has transformed communities across Arizona. 

Mark Zoback ’69 | College of Science

Mark is a world leader in understanding the state of stress in the Earth’s crust and fault mechanics.

George Cairo ’92 ’94 | College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences

George is the founder and principal engineer of George Cairo Engineering. He also founded Cairo Canal Solutions and Water Xience,

Angela Castellino ’93 | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Angela spent more than three decades in the technology industry. After retiring from tech, she joined her husband, in managing a commercial real-estate portfolio.

Robert Bina ’13 | College of Medicine – Phoenix

Robert Bina is a neurosurgeon, educator and researcher.

Alejandro (Alex) Chibly ’16 | Graduate College

After working at the National Institutes of Health, Alex joined Genentech in San Francisco, where he has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing cancer research.