Alumni Awards

After 17 years as a professor of geography and oceanography at Oregon State University Dr. Dawn Wright was appointed Chief Scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (aka “Esri”), a world-leading geographic information system (GIS) software, services and R&D company in October 2011. Core to Esri’s mission is to inspire and enable people to positively impact their future by connecting them with the geoanalytic knowledge needed to make the critical decisions for a more resilient and sustainable future. As chief scientist, Dawn works directly with the CEO on strengthening the scientific foundation for Esri software and services, while also representing Esri to the international scientific community. She maintains an affiliated faculty appointment within the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State.

Dawn has authored or co-authored over 200 articles and 13 books on geographic information science, as well as deep ocean mapping and conservation. She has participated in over 20 oceanographic research expeditions throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Southern Oceans. In 1991 she became the first Black female to dive to the ocean floor in the deep submersible Alvin. On July 12, 2022 she became the first Black person of any gender to dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth, and to successfully operate a portable sidescan sonar at that full-ocean depth. This was accomplished in the deep submersible Limiting Factor in collaboration with Victor Vescovo and his Caladan Oceanic team.

Dawn is an elected member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, as well as the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She has served on many advisory boards including the NOAA and EPA Science Advisory Boards, and the Science Advisory Boards of Conservation International, COMPASS Science Communication, and the Ocean Discovery XPRIZE. Dawn holds an Individual Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Physical Geography and Marine Geology from UC-Santa Barbara, an M.S. in Oceanography from Texas A&M, and a B.S. cum laude in Geology from Wheaton College (Illinois). She enjoys road cycling, 18th-century pirates, LEGOs, her golden retriever Riley, and SpongeBob Squarepants. Follow her on Twitter @deepseadawn.

Sanaz Toossi is an Iranian-American playwright from Orange County, California. Her plays include the critically acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize-winning ENGLISH (co-production Atlantic Theater Company/Roundabout Theatre Company) and WISH YOU WERE HERE (Playwrights Horizons; Williamstown/Audible, released 2020). She is currently under commission at Atlantic Theater Company (Launch commission; Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation grant), Roundabout Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Repertory, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (American Revolutions Cycle). In television, Sanaz recently staffed on INVITATION TO A BONFIRE (AMC); A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (Amazon); FIVE WOMEN (Marielle Heller/ Big Beach); and sold an original idea, THE PERSIANS, to FX with Joe Weisberg & Joel Fields attached as Executive Producers. Sanaz is a member of Youngblood and the Middle Eastern American Writers Lab at the Lark, and an alum of Clubbed Thumb’s Early Career Writers’ Group. She was the 2019 P73 Playwriting Fellow, a recipient of the 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award, the 2022 recipient of The Horton Foote Award and, most recently, the 2023 recipient of the Best New American Play Obie Award. MFA: NYU Tisch.

Rory A. Cooper, Ph.D., PLY is the founding director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, a joint center of the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He is a VA Senior Research Career Scientist and the FISA Foundation – Paralyzed Veterans of America Distinguished Professor at Pitt. Cooper has authored or co-authored over 400 peer-reviewed journal publications. He has 30 patents awarded or pending. He is the author of two books: "Rehabilitation Engineering Applied to Mobility and Manipulation” and “Wheelchair Selection and Configuration”, and co-editor of “An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering”, “Warrior Transition Leader: Medical Rehabilitation Handbook” and the award-winning book “Care of the Combat Amputee”. Cooper is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, as well as RESNA, IEEE, AIMBE, and BMES. In October 2023, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Biden and he was inducted into the 50th class of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. His students have won numerous awards and are leaders throughout the world.

Leslie Klonoff epitomizes the essence of the Graver Service Award, generously contributing her formidable recruiting and organizational skills to UCSB. A pivotal figure within the Department of Communication and the Greek communities, Leslie has played a vital role in fostering connections among alumni, students, and faculty.

As a leader on the Department of Communication Alumni Council, Co-Founder of All Gaucho Reunion GreekFest, and the Greek Interconnect Planning Committee, Leslie has recruited key leaders and been instrumental in the success of various events and initiatives. Beyond her role as a model of engagement for her Alpha Phi chapter, Leslie has graciously shared her insights with other chapters.

With deep ties to UC Santa Barbara, Leslie is an alumna, the proud parent of two Gaucho alumni, and a dedicated alumni volunteer leader. Originating from Los Angeles, she graduated in 1980 with a major in Communication Studies and continues to actively participate in the Alpha Phi sorority. During her student years, Leslie served as the Greek Section Editor on the yearbook staff and was employed at Ortega Dining Commons. 

Leslie's commitment to UCSB extends to her recent six-year tenure on the Alumni Board of Directors, where she notably chaired and co-chaired the Governance Committee. Leslie played a crucial role in recruiting over 16 new Board Directors, contributing significantly to positive institutional changes during her tenure.

Jordan Killebrew (he, him, his) has an abnormal love of community. He has joined the senior leadership team at SBCC as Executive Director, Public Affairs & Communications. Previously, he served as Santa Barbara County District 2 Representative, working with County Supervisor Laura Capps and at the Santa Barbara Foundation in the capacity of Director of Communications, where in both roles, his work resembled his passion for strategy, public relations, and relationship building.

Before joining SBCC, Jordan was also a marketing & graphic design consultant, working with companies, nonprofits, and government in Santa Barbara County. Jordan also founded Project IV Love, the inspiration that helped raise over $50k for the Love and Remembrance Garden in Isla Vista in its inaugural year. This garden is a community effort that honors the students who lost their lives in the Isla Vista shootings in 2014.

Jordan serves several communities via his engagement with local organizations; he is a co-founder of Juneteenth Santa Barbara, an advisory board member for UCSB Healing Space at Hosford Clinic, a member of Music Academy Compeer Committee, a volunteer for Healing Justice Santa Barbara, a former board member of Endowment for Youth Community, a former member of the Santa Barbara Independent Advisory Board, and a former commissioner on the Community Formation Commission to provide structure to build a civilian oversight of the Santa Barbara Police Department. He formerly also served on the Pacific Pride Festival Committee with Pacific Pride Foundation for over six years.

Jordan holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he served as a Resident Assistant and Associated Students Program Board member. When Jordan is not working, you may find him in Santa Barbara with his partner, York Shingle, at the beach, biking around town, or volunteering. Learn more about Jordan at JordanKillebrew.com.