Distinguished Alumni Awards
Submit a Nomination
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, 2025 and closed on January 16, 2026 11:59 p.m. (PT).
The application period is currently closed.
Details for the 2027 Distinguished Alumni Awards nomination process will be announced fall 2026.
2026 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients
Shouleh Nikzad (MS ’84, PhD ’90)
Chief Technologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
For her transformative impact on ultraviolet technologies and instrumentation that enable JPL and NASA to tackle mysteries of the universe; for adapting her space innovations into medical tools; and for encouraging colleagues to engage in interdisciplinary collaborations through the JPL Medical Engineering Forum.
Leonidas Guibas (BS ’71, MS ’71)
Paul Pigott Professor of Engineering, Stanford University
Principal Scientist, Google DeepMind
For his pioneering achievements in computational geometry that have influenced an
array of disciplines, including robotics, special effects, and computer vision; for his
contributions to data structures, especially red-black trees; and for his foundational
work in 3D deep learning.
Eddy W. Hartenstein (MS ’74)
Retired Executive
For his pioneering role in bringing satellite communications to consumers as the founding president of DirecTV; for shaping the landscape of Southern California news as chief executive officer and publisher of the Los Angeles Times.
David Van Essen (BS ’67)
Alumni Endowed Professor of Neuroscience, Washington U Medicine
For his enduring influence on neuroscience, especially advancing the idea that the brain is a unified and interconnected system; for creating computational tools that revolutionized neuroanatomy and neuroimaging; and for his global leadership in the Connectome Project, which studies the structural and functional connectivity of the human brain.
About the Award
The Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor the Institute bestows upon a graduate, and it is given in recognition of “a particular achievement of noteworthy value, a series of such achievements, or a career of noteworthy accomplishment.”
Living alumni who have attained any degree (BS, MS, Engineer, or PhD) at Caltech may be considered eligible for this award. No anonymous or self-nominations will be accepted. Graduates on the faculty or staff of Caltech are not eligible, except those who have achieved the rank of Emeritus/Emerita Professor.
Members of the Institute’s Board of Trustees are not eligible until they have achieved the rank of Life Trustee. Selections are made by the President of Caltech based on recommendations from a committee comprising faculty, staff, and alumni; the President’s recommendations are confirmed by the Board of Trustees.
Since the award’s inception in 1966, Caltech has recognized 280 alumni for contributions and achievements in a variety of industries and disciplines such as science, engineering, business, education, medicine, and the arts.
Recent Distinguished Alumni
David Brin, PhD | BS ’73
Louise Chow, PhD | PhD ’73
William “Bill” Coughran, PhD | BS ’75, MS ’75
Timothy M. Swager, PhD | PhD ’88
Nader Engheta MS '79 | PhD '82
Karen Maples, MD | BS '76
Eugene Meyers BS '75
Kenneth Suslick BS '74
Bette Korber PhD '88
Sudhir Jain MS ’80 | PhD ’83
Kam-Yin Lau BS '78 | MS '78 | PhD '78
Laurie Leshin MS '89 | PhD '95
Charles Elachi MS '69 | PhD '71
Barbara Burger PhD '87
Bob Behnken MS '93 | PhD '97
Fei-Fei Li MS '02 | PhD '05 | Electrical Engineering
Deborah D.L. Chung | BS ’73 ENG, MS ’73 ES
Athanassios Fokas, PhD | PhD ’79 AMA
F. William Studier PhD | ’63 BIPH
