Awards

Thelton E. Henderson '55, J.D. '62

Alumnus of the Year

Judge Henderson has ruled on numerous controversial and high-profile cases, on behalf of prisoners' rights to humane treatment, on behalf of dolphins threatened by tuna nets, on behalf of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, on behalf of gays subjected to added security scrutiny in the tech industry, and on behalf of women in a landmark discrimination suit against State Farm Insurance.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1933, Henderson was raised in Los Angeles. The star football and baseball player was recruited by UC Berkeley, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1955. In 1962 Henderson received a law degree from Boalt Hall and joined the Justice Department as the first African-American lawyer in its civil rights division. Working with his mentor and fellow Cal grad, John Doar, Henderson traveled often to the South to monitor law enforcement on civil rights cases. There, he investigated the famous case of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, which killed four young girls. He also experienced firsthand the South's fierce racist opposition to civil rights for blacks. Read more from the California magazine

Caroline Tanner M.D., Ph.D., '98

Excellence in Achievement

When she arrived at medical school, leading Parkinson's researcher Caroline Tanner wanted to be a family practitioner. But a neurology class left her intrigued with the mind-body connection and with a new course of study.

In 1990, Tanner joined the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale and was inspired to undertake a Ph.D. in environmental toxicology and epidemiology at Berkeley. She researched the emergence of Parkinson’s in identical and fraternal twins, testing the strength of genetic and environmental factors. She found that “for most Parkinson’s patients, this is not a genetic disease.” Current work investigates the link between Parkinson’s and pesticides. She hopes to compare maps of California showing concentrations of Parkinson’s cases and areas of high pesticide use.

Tanner is a member of the scientific advisory board for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and an advisor for the U.S. Congress–directed agenda for Parkinson’s disease research.

Lee Merriam Talbot ’52, M.A. ’63, Ph.D. ’63

Excellence in Achievement

Lee Talbot was one of the first to understand that ecosystems are dynamic systems, dependent on the surrounding environment, not discrete regions. The geographer and ecologist has taken research expeditions to remote areas on five continents and held a number of high-profile posts, including head of environmental sciences for the Smithsonian Institution and chief scientist and foreign affairs director for the White House Council on Environmental Quality for Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter.

Talbot is now a visiting professor of environmental science, international affairs, and public policy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a senior environmental advisor to the World Bank. In his spare time he competes in motor racing, and has been named U.S. Regional Road Racing Champion.

Lawrence Crooks ’71, M.S. ’73, Ph.D ’79

Excellence in Achievement

Lawrence Crooks began his career in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology at the prompting of engineering science professor Jerome Singer. During the 1970s Crooks and Singer overturned widely held beliefs about the maximum magnetic field possible for MRI, advancing its use in detecting tumors and diseases.

A former adjunct professor at the UCSF Department of Radiology and assistant director of the UCSF Radiologic Imaging Laboratory, Crooks is writing a history of MRI technology. His contribution to Cal extends beyond the laboratory, to the cause of honoring Ishi, the last member of the California Yahi tribe, namesake of Dwinelle Hall’s Ishi Court. Crooks was involved in the campaign to release Ishi’s brain from the Smithsonian Institution so it could be buried with his ashes.

Anthony Smith ’92, M.A. ’93, Ph.D. ’02

Mark Bingham Award for Excellence in Achievement by a Young Alumnus

Anthony Smith is a rising star in the Bay Area’s education community. He recently joined the San Francisco Unified School District as deputy superintendent for instruction, innovation, and social justice. Before that, Smith was superintendent of Emery Unified School District, where he was widely credited with a dramatic turnaround in academic performance.

Smith has a B.A. in English and an M.A. and Ph.D. in education from Berkeley. He advises faculty and staff at the Graduate School of Education on teacher and principal development.

Richard Bahme ’40, M.S. ’47, Ph.D. ’49

Excellence in Service

As an ecology student in the middle of last century, Richard Bahme often had to field the question, “Ecology, what’s that?” Since then, ecology has entered the national vocabulary, and Bahme has advised on agricultural projects from Iran to Guatemala. He is best known in the Cal community for his continued dedication to the University. He was instrumental in establishing the Class of 1940 Leadership Scholarship, oversaw the construction of the original Lair of the Golden Bear Family Camp, and has served as a member of Cal-affiliated organizations including Bear Backers, the Big C Society, and the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Perhaps most notably, Bahme has submitted the Class of 1940 news to California magazine for 67 years.

Kara Kapczynski ’85

Excellence in Service

With over 20 years of continuous volunteer work after graduating from Cal, Kara Kapczynski takes special pride in her role as chair of the southeastern region alumni scholarship committee. Kapczynski, a former Alumni Scholar, and her committee conduct interviews with scholarship applicants from Arkansas to Florida and on occasion get to surprise them with the good news. Kapczynski graduated with a degree in computer science and completed a MBA degree from California State University Northridge in 1991. She worked in the high-tech industry until opening a children's art school with her husband. She also teaches a leadership course at Kennesaw State University, Georgia.

Chuck Ng ’97

Bradford S. King Award for Excellence in Service by a Young Alumnus

Chuck Ng is a founding member of the Berkeley Chinese Alumni International Association, established in 2004. The BCAIA aims to strengthen the connection between the University and China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Ng is the driving force behind many successful BCAIA events, including a 2006 lecture by the CEO of Google China and an annual event to raise the profile of the Berkeley China Initiative.

After graduating from Cal, Ng was a visiting MBA scholar at Tsinghua University in China. He works for eBay managing the global expansion and financial strategy and is active in venture capital investments between China and US.

Deborah Cole ’72

Excellence in Service
Alumni Regent and Immediate Past President

When Deborah Cole arrived at Cal in 1968, she found her transition “to the complicated, messy, huge world of the University of California inspiring and intimidating.” Last year she completed a two-year term as president of the California Alumni Association. Cole received her B.A. from Berkeley, her teaching credential from St. Mary’s College of California, and her M.A. in education from the University of Connecticut. She teaches gifted middle school students in Incline Village, Nevada.