2024 Awards Honor 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.
“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.
Illustrations by John Jay Cabuay
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 Award
Seeking Nominations
The AAUCSF is now seeking nominations for the 2025 UCSF Alumni Achievement Awards. All UCSF alumni, including former residents, fellows and postdocs, are eligible. If you know someone whom you would like to nominate, please contact Nancy Knowles, assistant director of Alumni Relations, at [email protected].
Help us to find the most deserving awardees!