Do you know of a graduate worthy of recognition for a particular achievement, a series of such achievements, or a career of noteworthy accomplishment? Nominate an alumni to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Nominations for the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards opened on Saturday, October 18 and can be submitted online below. All submissions must be received by January 16, 2026 11:59 p.m. (PT).

 

The Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA)—Caltech’s highest honor for alumni—is presented this year to four alumni who, because of both personal commitment and professional contributions, have made remarkable impacts in a field, on the community, or in society more broadly.  ‍

Deborah D.L. Chung (BS ’73 ENG, MS ’73 ES)

SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo

For her groundbreaking research that helped launch the field of multifunctional structural materials; for her invention of smart concrete and other nanostructured materials with intrinsic capabilities potentially useful to society; and for her stalwart efforts to diversify science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Athanassios Fokas, PhD (PhD ’79 AMA)

Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge

For his contributions spanning science, medicine, and the arts, including advances in partial differential equations, mathematical physics, the life sciences, and nuclear imaging for diagnosis and discovery; and for his work explaining and enlivening science and mathematics for the public.

F. William Studier (PhD ’63 BIPH)

Former Group Leader for Molecular and Structural Biology, Brookhaven National Laboratory

For his technologies that have helped extend millions of lives through therapies, diagnostics, and vaccines; for his seminal work exploring the genetics and biochemistry of bacteriophage T7; and for his innovative techniques for high-throughput analysis of DNA, RNA, and T7 proteins.

Donald Truhlar (PhD ’70 CH)

Regents Professor and Distinguished University Teaching Professor, University of Minnesota

For his breakthroughs in theoretical and computational chemistry research, which have earned him a place among the world’s most influential chemists and provided the basis for the first accurate measurements of, or models for, a number of key chemical interactions.