The co-founder of a noted human rights organization, the Emmy-winning producer of a San Francisco TV station and four others will be honored as Sonoma State University Distinguished Alumni on Thursday, Oct. 18.
The 2001 Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet recognizes individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the community and society.
The Awards Banquet will include a 6 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. dinner at the Doubletree Hotel, One Doubletree Drive, Rohnert Park. The cost for the event is $30 for Alumni Association members, SSU faculty and staff and $40 for non-members. Dress is business attire.Those who wish to attend should RSVP by Oct. 12 at (707) 664-2426.
The 2001 Distinguished Alumni are:
ALISSA ARP, DIRECTOR OF TOMBERG TIBURON CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Alissa Arp, Ph.D, the director of the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies and professor of biology at San Francisco State University, has recently been named a Distinguished Alumni for Sonoma State University for 2001. She lives in San Francisco.
Arp graduated with honors from SSU in 1997, earning a B.A. in biology, then went on to received her Ph.D. and M.A. from the U.C. Santa Barbara. She credits the education she received at SSU as being the only reason she became a scientist.
Arp is an internationally-renowned scientist and accomplished teacher. She is a key figure in the efforts to advance understanding and preservation of the San Francisco Bay Estuary and a strong community leader.
The first four scientific papers resulting from her graduate and postgraduate research were published in Science and received national media attention. Of special note is her participation in eight deep-sea dives and over 22 oceanographic expeditions, on six of which she served as chief scientist.
Teaching at SFSU since 1989, Arp has influenced many students. She states one of her most significant accomplishment is in the mentoring of numerous and successful undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom are underrepresented minorities and women, in her research laboratory.
She has worked to enhance the learning experience through curriculum development, securing support for facilities and providing research opportunities. Arp received the Meritorious Performance and Professional Promise Award from SFSU in 1990 and was elected as a Regular Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences in 1991.
KEVIN DANAHER, CO-FOUNDER OF GLOBAL EXCHANGE
Kevin Danaher, co-founder of Global Exchange, a noted human rights organization based in San Francisco, has been named a 2001 Distinguished Alumni for Sonoma State University. Danaher lives in San Francisco.
Danaher graduated from SSU in 1976 with a B.A. in sociology. His areas of expertise include: Elite Globalization vs. Demographic Globalizations; World Bank and IMF: More Harm Than Good; The World Trade Organization: Secret Global Government: World Hunger: U.S. Foreign Policy; and Building the Alternative Economy.
He has written or edited eight books dealing with U.S. foreign policy and the global economy. Danaher's most recent books are "Democratizing the Global Economy: The Battle Against the World Bank and the IMF"; "Globalize This!: The Battle Against the World Trade Organization and Corporate Rule"; "Corporations Are Gonna Get Your Mama: Globalization and the Downsizing of the American Dream"; "50 Years is Enough: The Case Against the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund."
SUE ELLEN MCCANN, AWARD WINNING KQED PRODUCER Sue Ellen McCann, the senior executive producer at KQED TV (Channel 9), has been named a 2001 Distinguished Alumni for Sonoma State University. She lives in San Francisco.
Sue Ellen McCann graduated from the Hutchins program at SSU in 1976 and received her Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1989.
McCann was the recipient of a 2000 Emmy Award for a series of shorts she produced on the importance of voting. She was also honored at the 2001 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Community Service and Public Service Announcement Emmy Awards for her documentary "No Turning Back." This program offered a local perspective focusing on the experiences of three refugees in the Bay Area seeking political asylum from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.
One of her most notable achievements has been the creation of an extensive outreach effort on behalf of KQED to the Bay Area's diverse communities.
McCann has been involved with the community through outreach efforts such as training environmental journalists in Nepal in documentary production for the Asia Foundation, creating teenage sex education CD ROMs for Bay Area teens, and creating touch screen kiosks for AIDS education for the National Task Force on AIDS Prevention.
She is a founding member of the Association of Independent Public Television Producers and has worked with the Bay Area Video Coalition to promote greater role for women in news media.
MARY SMITHBERGER, CHILD DEVELOPMENT EXPERT
Mary Smithberger, consultant in the Child Development Division in the California Department of Education, was recently named a 2001 Distinguished Alumni for Sonoma State University. Smithberger lives in Sacramento.
Smithberger has been a consultant in the Child Development Division since 1981. She is responsible for the Infant Capacity Building Plan, which entails developing and coordinating the implementation of a comprehensive plan to utilize $12 million in federal funds to improve the quality and quantity of child care services for infants, toddlers and their families in California.
The goal of the plan is to create support systems at the state and local level that will create systemic change in the way child care services for children under the age of three years of age are developed and provided to families on a daily basis.
Smithberger also oversees the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC), a nationally acclaimed project developed to improve the quality of child care services for infants, toddlers and their families, which has become the primary vehicle for implementation of the Infant Capacity Building Plan
Smithberger was the recipient of the 2001 Supported Life Institute Award for leadership in supporting inclusion of all people, including individuals with development disabilities.
EDWIN SAYRES, FOUNDER OF SPCA IN SAN FRANCISCO
Edwin Sayres, president of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals (SF/SPCA), was recently named a 2001 Distinguished Alumni for Sonoma State University. Sayres lives in San Rafael.
Sayres graduated from SSU with a B.A. in psychology in 1971 and a Master's in psychology in 1972. He is nationally recognized for his innovation in the design and function of animal shelters. His focus on education has brought instruction to thousands of children on animal care and his degree in psychology has influenced his development of pet therapy.
Sayres was named president of San Francisco Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals (SF/SPCA) in November of 1998. This organization was founded in 1868 as a private, non-profit, animal welfare organization and is the national leader in saving lives and raising the status of companion animals.
Their adoption program is the cornerstone of the SF/SPCA, but the Society operates over 20 additional programs and services including: Community Veterinary Services, Spay/Neuter Clinic, Feral Cat Assistance Network Program, an extensive Behavior and Training Department, a Pet Training Academy, a Law and Advocacy Department, and Humane Education and Animal Assisted Therapy programs.
The Society also runs a Hearing Dog Program and a Doggy Day Care Center. They employ approximately 2230 staff members and operate on an annual budget of $14 million. The SF/SPCA has over 95,000 members and 1,200 volunteers. He is also the author of "Cinderella Dogs", a story of real-life fairy-tail adoptions from the San Francisco SPCA.
TOBY TYLER, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, PG&E Toby Tyler, director of business development at PG&E, was recently named a 2001Distinguished Alumni for Sonoma State University. Tyler is a resident of Petaluma.
He graduated from SSU with distinction in 1988, receiving a B.A. in economics. Through his work as an intern at SSU under the supervision of Professors Steven Orlick and Stephen Lewis, he received an award at the CSU Research Competition for his efforts to establish school impact fees for commercial development in Sonoma County
Tyler was the first SSU graduate to be admitted to UC Berkeley's Hass Business School MBA Program from which he graduated in 1991 with an emphasis in Economic Analysis, Finance and Management Science.
Employed by PG&E since 1990, Tyler currently holds the position of director of business development. He is responsible for development of all third party fiber optic applications to utility infrastructure and negotiated contracts representing $5M in annual revenues in 1999. Tyler has held many positions at PG&E, including Director of Restructuring, Strategic Planner, Corporate Planning, Pricing Supervisor, Pricing and Regulatory Support, Resource Analyst and Technical Intern.
In addition to his full-time employment, Tyler boasts an impressive list of volunteer activities. Most notable is his role as the creator and maintainer of the Sonoma County Economic Forecast and the Sonoma County Indexes and Leading and Coincident Indicators. Forecasting is not his job and he is not compensated for his time, insights or data. He gives countless hours to the community as a donation of his time and talent.
For more information contact the Sonoma State University Alumni Relations Office at (707) 664-2426
