For the eighth year in a row, Alumni Weekend brought out the very best at UC San Diego, as alumni, their families and friends gathered on campus to attend a variety of signature events, programs and activities. Hosted by Alumni and Community Engagement, Alumni Weekend invited alumni to revisit, reconnect, and rediscover as they returned to campus to attend a wide variety of events June 1-5. New to the mix this year were three additional events, including UC San Diego & You, Triton Trivia Night and Camp Sun God—a family-centric weekend activity held outdoors near the iconic Sun God, part of the university’s renowned Stuart Collection.
“Each year we set out to create a memorable, impactful weekend for our alumni,” said Steph Barry, ERC ’94, assistant vice chancellor, Alumni & Community Engagement. “Alumni are the lifeblood of the university. It makes us feel great to see thousands coming back to campus to revisit their old stomping grounds and share that experience with their families.”
The weekend kicked off with Triton Trivia Night, where alumni and friends gathered over food and drink for a spirited test of knowledge on everything from music and movies to history and campus facts. Several Triton teams jumped into the competition, with the winning team, Nothing But Nyet, taking home the first place prize. “I came here for fun,” said team member Nikki Hsueh, Marshall ’13, who works on campus. “Winning was a bonus!”
Alumni Weekend also brought the popular UC San Diego & You series to campus for its final stop on a coast-to-coast tour. Over the last year, alumni across the country have been enjoying short, TED-style discussions and networking with world-class faculty tackling fascinating topics. Alumni and friends gathered to hear from professor Alison Coil, Ph.D., a specialist in galaxy evolution; Dayo Gore, Ph.D., a scholar of 20th century black women’s radicalism; and Michael Tolley, Ph.D., an authority on bioinspired and soft robotics.
UCSD Alumni and the Department of Linguistics hosted 2016 alumni award honoree, David Peterson, M.A. ’05, with a special reception and Q&A session at Price Center East. Peterson, a linguist and writer, is best known as the creator of the Dothraki and High Valyrian languages for the hit HBO series, Game of Thrones.
On Friday night, several hundred spirited alumni and their friends headed to PETCO Park for UC San Diego’s annual Night at the Padres event. Proud alumnus Dennis Broyles, Muir ’84, threw out the first pitch, sporting an official Triton baseball jersey! The San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 4-0 on a perfect San Diego night just made for baseball.
Camp Sun God, a new family event for Tritons of all ages, was a jam-packed day on the Sun God lawn full of “Camptastic” activities like face painting, a watermelon-eating contest, science demonstrations, storytelling and Triton hikes. Steve Denyes, ERC ’93, led the award-winning children’s band, Hullabaloo, and campers were treated to food and drink by alumni companies Brazen BBQ (John Bracamonte, Marshall ’01) and Rough Draft Brewing Company (Jeff Silver, Marshall ’94).
Saturday evening’s elegant 38th annual Alumni Celebration was an opportunity to recognize five distinguished alumni who have brought honor and distinction to UC San Diego through their leadership, professional accomplishments and personal achievements. Awards were presented to the following:
Scientist and Nobel Prize winner Bruce Beutler, Revelle ’76 – Biological Sciences
Naval Oceanographer Rear Admiral Timothy Gallaudet, M.S. ’91, Ph.D. ’01 – Scripps Institution of Oceanography
San Diego City Council President Sherri Lightner, Revelle ’72, M.S. ’78 – Mathematics, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Writer and language creator David Peterson, M.A. ’05 – Linguistics
Entrepreneur and Chief Technology Officer of Human Longevity, Inc. Ashley Van Zeeland, MBA ’12 – Rady School of Management
And it wouldn’t be Alumni Weekend be without the annual True Triton Brunch, recognizing Tritons who have dedicated countless volunteer hours on behalf of UC San Diego. True Triton 2016 award recipients were Ping Yeh, Muir ’99, M.S. ’01 and powerhouse couple, Colette Rudd, Muir ’73, and Marion Weiler, Revelle ’73. The event was a fitting way to cap off an amazing week of Triton pride.