The Montys are a time-honored tradition at San Diego State University. The award is a symbol of achievement and success presented to distinguished alumni from each of SDSU's seven academic colleges, Library and Information Access, and SDSU Imperial Valley. In addition, distinguished service awards are given to an exceptional alumni volunteer and an outstanding university employee.

The Montys honors those who have made significant contributions to San Diego State University, the San Diego community or California, nationally or internationally. The event was held at the Hotel del Coronado on April 24, 2010.

Our honorees for 2010 are:

College of Arts and Letters Jeannie Oakes, Ph.D. Jeannie Oakes, (’64, English and comparative literature) Ph.D., serves as director of education and scholarship at the Ford Foundation.  An award-winning author who has published some of the most significant work in the area of educational policy, her groundbreaking research focusing attention on inequalities in schools has influenced education across the country.

College of Business Administration Susan R. Nowakowski Susan R. Nowakowski (’89, MBA), is chief executive officer, president, and a director of AMN Healthcare Services, the largest healthcare staffing company in the United States.  She serves on the College of Business Administration’s advisory board, among other board positions, and was recognized as the Most Admired Public Company CEO in San Diego in 2008.

College of Education Maggie Carrillo Mejia, Ph.D. Maggie Carrillo Mejia, (’74, Spanish, ’80 MA, multicultural education) Ph.D., managing partner of The Mejia Group, has held prominent leadership positions in several California school systems, including, most recently, the position of superintendent of the Sacramento Unified School District.  She currently serves as an executive coach with the National Center on Urban School Transformation’s Executive Instructional Leadership Program.

College of Engineering Pedro Orso-Delgado Pedro Orso-Delgado (’83 civil engineering) is deputy city manager/director of development for the City of Santee.  A former district director at CALTRANS, he is credited with significant contributions to the field of civil engineering through innovations in his district that received world-wide recognition.  He also serves on several SDSU boards and committees.

College of Health and Human Services Claudia Dunaway, MA, CCC-SLP Claudia Dunaway (’78, speech-language pathology), MA, CCC-SLP, is the lead speech-language pathologist for the San Diego Unified School District.  Nationally recognized for her contributions benefitting children with communicative disorders, she is a recipient of the Rollin J. Van Hattum Award, the highest honor bestowed to a speech-language pathologist by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation.

College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Deborah Butterfield Deborah Butterfield (’68 attended, art) is one of the world’s leading sculptors and teachers of fine arts, celebrated over the past three decades for her devotion to a single subject: the horse.  Her modernist work combining abstraction and reality has garnered numerous awards and may be found in prominent museums and public sites around the world.

College of Sciences Christina A. Waters, Ph.D. Christina A. Waters (’89, biology), Ph.D., has a twenty-year history of research and management in drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry.  Serving currently as president of Cell Therapeutics Europe and Systems Medicine, a subsidiary of Cell Therapeutics, Inc., she has developed a unique and specialized background in fostering new approaches to treatments for disorders and diseases.

Library and Information Access Charles S. Luby and Robin B. Luby Charles S. Luby (’59, chemistry, ’64 MS, chemistry) and Robin B. Luby (’61, English) are known for their involvement in many aspects of SDSU.  They have been active in a variety of supportive roles with the university and through the generous commitment of their time, knowledge and personal resources have positively impacted the lives of SDSU students, faculty and staff.

SDSU Imperial Valley Efrain Silva Efrain Silva (’89, public administration), Dean of Economic and Workforce Development for Imperial Valley College, has served in many municipal, county, non-profit and school district administrative and managerial positions over the past two decades.  As an elected official to both school district and city positions, he has a reputation for outstanding service to his Imperial Valley constituents.

Distinguished Alumni Service Award Fred Norfleet Fred Norfleet, owner of Norfleet Video Productions, this year celebrates a decade of dedication to SDSU as an Alumni Association board member, promoter and benefactor.  Committing his talent, time, and personal and professional resources to the advancement of the university, he is one of the Alumni Association’s strongest advocates and greatest champions.

Distinguished University Service Award Sally Roush Sally Roush, as SDSU’s vice president for Business and Financial Affairs, is the chief steward of the university’s finances.  Her remarkable monetary acumen and considerable business savvy in managing SDSU’s resources have paved the way for advancement in many areas including academics, Aztec athletics, and construction and operation of the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.