Alumni honor 10 for contributions to university, community

The 48th SDSU Alumni Awards of Distinction will honor 10 San Diego State University alumni and friends of the university at a ceremony scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at Paradise Point Resort.

The awards are given biennially to those who have made notable contributions to the university and the San Diego community. 

These awards are a symbol of achievement presented to distinguished alumni from each of SDSU's seven academic colleges and SDSU Imperial Valley. Distinguished service awards also are given to an exceptional alumni volunteer and an outstanding university employee.

Here is a look at this year’s awardees: 

College of Arts and Letters: John Paul Fiske

Fiske (‘04, political science), a native San Diegan, is California’s leading public entity-as-plaintiff lawyer and a shareholder in the San Diego offices of Baron & Budd. As the 2020 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year in Environmental Litigation and a 10-time consecutive Super Lawyer, Fiske has gone on to establish the Fiske Legal Series to help SDSU students interested in law have more access to professionals in the field. Passionate about environmental storytelling, Fiske has produced documentaries that shine a light on San Diego County's extraordinary ecosystems. 

College of Education: Bobbie Plough

Plough (‘76, social science, ‘91, administrative education, ‘11, educational leadership) has remained a deeply engaged member of the SDSU community since graduation through philanthropy, mentorship, and alumni engagement. With nearly 40 years of experience in education, Plough has been transformative in spearheading initiatives that have advanced equity, innovation, and student success in school districts across California. 

College of Engineering: Daisy Galeana

Galeana (‘98, mechanical engineering, ‘22, mechanical and aerospace engineering), Senior Program Manager for New Technology Introduction at GE Aerospace, credits SDSU’s Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program for being instrumental in her two decades of success as an engineer. While in her previous role at Solar Turbines, Galeana created the Young Women’s Academy, which helps underrepresented high school girls start manufacturing jobs, then receive paid tuition and flexible hours through college.

College of Health and Human Services: Kimberly Giardina

Giardina (‘04, MSW) has over 24 years of experience working with family-serving organizations through the County of San Diego's Health and Human Services Agency. With a background in child welfare, Giardina serves as co-chair of the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership with SDSU and co-chair of the San Diego County Substance Use and Overdose Prevention Taskforce. Starting January 2026, she will be the Executive Director for the Academy for Professional Excellence, a project of the SDSU School of Social Work. 

College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts: Gregg Barnes

Barnes (‘78, theatre arts) is a stage and film costume designer and a three-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for his work on Broadway. The San Diego native credits his love for theater due to a local production of “As You Like It” he saw during his youth. Working at Grossmont College in the costume department, Barnes went on to teach at New York University for over 20 years and served as the resident costume designer for Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey for nine years. 

College of Sciences: Mark Phillips

Phillips (‘73, astronomy) is a globally renowned astronomer known for establishing the Phillips Relation, a crucial method that enables Type Ia supernovae to serve as standard candles for determining cosmic distances, which fundamentally shaped measurements of the universe's expansion. Recently named an Honorary Foreign Member of the Chilean Academy of Sciences, Phillips currently works in Chile as the Director Emeritus of the Las Campanas Observatory.

Fowler College of Business: Terri Funk Graham

Graham (‘87, marketing) currently serves as an Independent Board Director for Sprouts Farmers Market and is a member of the Fowler College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board. With nearly 40 years of experience, Graham previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Jack in the Box, where she directly influenced the success, image, and significant growth of the brand.

SDSU Imperial Valley: Michael Kelley

Kelley (‘75, political science) served for 17 years as Chief Probation Officer of the Imperial County Probation Department before joining the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, from where he later retired. As a member of the Board of Supervisors, Kelley advocated for funding and supporting the building of SDSU Imperial Valley’s Science and Engineering Laboratories to prepare future generations of students to become renewable energy leaders in the Lithium Valley.

Distinguished Alumni Service Award: John Wills

Wills (‘65, accounting) is the retired President/CEO Emeritus of FLI, Inc., where he helped Fortune 1000 clients create the tools they needed to meet their changing, dynamic business environments. He currently serves as vice chair of The Campanile Foundation's Finance and Investment Committee, and was instrumental in the creation of the Los Angeles Regional Council. As an avid mentor to students, Wills has helped create the LARC Scholarship and the Wills Family Trust Endowed Scholarship to ensure SDSU students have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive academically and beyond graduation.

Distinguished University Service Award: Col. Martin Wojtysia

Wojtysiak is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served as the detachment commander for SDSU’s Air Force ROTC, where he mentored prospective officer candidates for commissioned service. Since his retirement, Wojtysiak has been a dedicated member of the SDSU Alumni War Memorial committee and has served as chair since 2012. Under his leadership, he ensures that every fallen Aztec who fits the criteria for the memorial is rightfully included on the monument. 

Tickets to the 48th SDSU Alumni Awards of Distinction will be available for purchase starting in February. For sponsorship information, please contact Jen Ranallo at 619-594-2586 or [email protected].