UCSD - University of California - San Diego

02/05/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/05/2026 09:10

UC San Diego Announces Illustrious Alumni Award Recipients

Published Date

February 05, 2026

Article Content

The University of California San Diego has announced its distinguished lineup of honorees for the 2026 Illustrious Alumni Awards - one of the university's highest honors for alumni, celebrating extraordinary leadership, innovation, and impact by Tritons around the world.

The awards will be presented at two celebratory events to be held in the Bay Areaand in New York Cityduring the month of April.

"We are proud to recognize these Illustrious Alumni Award recipients for their remarkable contributions that have benefited countless people across the nation and around the world," said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "These exceptional alumni embody the spirit of leadership, service and impact that defines UC San Diego."

The eight 2026 Illustrious Alumni Award recipients, with their majors and colleges noted, are:

Bay Area

Janice Durbin Chaffin '78

Political Science | Revelle College
Board Chair, PTC; Board Member, Synopsys

A distinguished technology executive with more than three decades of experience, Janice Durbin Chaffin has led large-scale global hardware and software businesses through periods of growth and transformation. She has remained committed to advancing innovation and leadership across the tech industry with a career spanning executive leadership at Fortune 500 companies, board service for leading public technology firms and advisory roles supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Ann Lee-Karlon, MS '93, PhD '96

Bioengineering | Jacobs School of Engineering
President and CEO, EpiBiologics

Ann Lee-Karlon is president and CEO of EpiBiologics, where she leads the development of next-generation bispecific antibody therapeutics in oncology and immunology. She has held leadership roles at Altos Labs and Genentech, where she guided transformative therapies from early research to global launch. A former National Science Foundation Fellow, she remains deeply committed to advancing science, medicine and inclusive leadership. At UC San Diego, Lee-Karlon currently serves on the Jacobs School of Engineering Dean's Council of Advisors and previously served as its chair.

Gregory M. Papadopoulos '79

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Revelle College
Venture Partner, New Enterprise Associates

Gregory Papadopoulos joined New Enterprise Associates as a venture partner in 2010, focusing on early-stage systems, software and deep-tech companies. He was previously executive vice president and chief technology officer at Sun Microsystems and an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. Early in his career, he was an engineer at HP and Honeywell, lead architect at Thinking Machines Corporation and co-founded companies in video conferencing, AI accelerators, portable PCs and computational fluid dynamics. Papadopoulos is a trustee for the Computer History Museum and a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum. He was elected to the UC San Diego Foundation Board of Trustees in 2017 and served as a vice chair for the Campaign for UC San Diego and as a co-chair of the Bay Area Regional Cabinet. He is also a member of the Jacobs School of Engineering Dean's Council of Advisors.

Ann Crady Weiss '93

Psychology | Muir College
Co-Founder and CEO, Hatch

Ann Crady Weiss is co-founder and CEO of Hatch, the sleep wellness company behind smart, design-forward products that help people of all ages, from newborns to adults, build healthy sleep habits. Hatch has helped more than six million people sleep better, with TIME naming Hatch Restore one of the 100 Best Inventions in 2020. Crady Weiss is also a partner at True Ventures, where she works closely with early-stage founders. Previously, she founded Maya's Mom, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson, and held senior leadership roles at Yahoo and BabyCenter. Crady Weiss serves on UC San Diego's executive board for The Basement.

New York

Sian Leah Beilock '97

Cognitive Science | Marshall College
President, Dartmouth

Sian Leah Beilock is the 19th President of Dartmouth and the first woman in the role. During her time at Dartmouth and beyond, she has advanced groundbreaking initiatives to rebuild trust and faith in higher education - from affordability, to mental health and wellness, to fostering skills in young people to bridge political and personal divides. A leading cognitive scientist focused on performance under pressure, Beilock is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Sciences Letters. She has authored 120 papers and two acclaimed books, and her 2017 TED talk has more than three million views.

Aryeh B. Bourkoff '95

Economics | Muir College
Founder, Chairman and CEO, LionTree LLC

Aryeh B. Bourkoff is the founder, Chairman, and CEO of LionTree LLC, an independent investment and merchant bank specializing in the media, entertainment, tech, telecom and consumer sectors. Bourkoff has advised on high-profile transactions in digital media and technology, partnering with CEOs, creators, and investors to seek to build and shape industries over the long term. Over the past decade, under Bourkoff's leadership, LionTree has built global M&A advisory, capital markets, and asset management businesses, seeking to empower clients to navigate complex opportunities and drive long-term growth, leveraging thematic advice, strategic insights, capital resources, and an expansive global network. Prior to founding LionTree, Bourkoff served as Vice Chairman and Head of Americas Investment Banking at UBS. Before that, he was a high‐yield research analyst in the investment banking divisions of CIBC and Smith Barney. Aryeh serves on the boards of Nobu, Yahoo, Gagosian Gallery, the Fund to End Antisemitism, Extremism and Hate, and Carnegie Hall and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a Trustee of The Paley Center for Media.

Robert S. Koenigsberger '87

History and Political Science | Muir College
Founder, Managing Partner and CIO, Gramercy Funds Management

With nearly four decades of investment experience, Robert Koenigsberger founded Gramercy in 1998 with the vision of building a global, institutional investment management firm focused on emerging markets. His career includes senior leadership roles at Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, where he led sovereign debt restructurings and traded emerging markets debt across New York, London and Hong Kong. He serves in advisory and governance roles supporting academic and financial research institutions, and at UC San Diego, he served on the New York Regional Cabinet for the Campaign for UC San Diego. In addition, as chair of the Kroner and Koenigsberger Center for Financial Research at UC San Diego's Industry Advisory Council since its inception, Koenigsberger has played a central role in the growth of the center.

David M. Marchick '88

History | Muir College
Dean, Kogod School of Business at American University

David Marchick is dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University, where he has driven innovation in sustainability, AI and entrepreneurship. Previously, he served as COO of the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, where he supported global COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing, and held multiple senior roles in the Clinton administration. He also spent 12 years at Carlyle where he served on the firm's management committee and helped take the firm public. Marchick has taught at Dartmouth, served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, and co-authored The Peaceful Transition of Power: An Oral History of Presidential Transitions. He served as a vice chair of the Campaign for UC San Diego and as chair of the Washington, DC Regional Cabinet.

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