The 82nd Annual USC Alumni Awards, hosted by the USC Alumni Association in downtown Los Angeles, honored nine outstanding Trojans.

In his welcoming remarks, Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations Patrick E. Auerbach EdD ’08 praised this year’s honorees, “whose achievements and service demonstrate how USC enriches our lives intellectually, culturally, professionally and socially.”

The Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award, the university’s highest alumni honor, went to USC Trustee Mark Stevens ’81, MS ’84, a top-ranked Silicon Valley venture capitalist and longtime university benefactor. In March, Stevens and his wife, Mary, donated $50 million to endow and name the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute.

Presenting the award to Stevens, USC President C. L. Max Nikias lauded the achievements and contributions of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering alumnus.

Mark has brought great prestige to our university and advanced its mission in ways both prolific and historic.

C. L. Max Nikias

“There are visionaries who see what no one else can see. And there are visionaries who bring to the world what no one else can bring. Throughout his life’s work, Mark Stevens has embodied both, with Mary at his side,” Nikias said. “Through his remarkable accomplishments and unwavering dedication, Mark has brought great prestige to our university and advanced its mission in ways both prolific and historic.”

Meritorious service

In addition to Stevens, six other alumni were recognized at the April 25 gala, which Auerbach co-hosted with USCAA Board of Governors President Amy A. Ross PhD ’86.

Alumni Merit Awards, which are given to alumni in recognition of their professional accomplishments, were presented to Curtis Conway ’94, former NFL wide receiver and a current PAC–12 and NFL Networks studio analyst; Dalila Corral Lyons ’81, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge; and Dickran Tevrizian ’62, JD ’65, the first Armenian-American federal judge in U.S. history.

The Young Alumni Merit Award, which recognizes outstanding alumni up to the age of 35, was presented to Lizette Salas ’11, an LPGA pro golfer.

Alumni Service Awards recognizing volunteer efforts on behalf of the university were given to JoAnne Rogers ’60, former Alumnae Coordinating Council chair, and George Stoneman MD ’65, former president and current member of the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Salerni Collegium Alumni Association.

USC Trustee and former USCAA Board of Governors President Ramona Cappello ’81 took the stage to confer honorary alumni status to Leo and Ivy Chu in recognition of their dedication to extend USC’s global reach in the Pacific Rim.

Nearly 800 Trojans and friends attended this year’s gala, the premier event hosted by the USCAA.

More stories about: Alumni, Awards, Philanthropy