A globetrotting pediatrician, one of Forbes’ top 50 female executives, and one of the top grape growers in the world are all part of this year’s UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association award winners. These award winners — along with other outstanding individuals — will be honored at the Alumni Award Gala, which will celebrate the theme “Aggie Excellence Takes Center Stage” at UC Davis on Feb. 3, 2017.

The CAAA — which serves nearly 250,000 UC Davis alumni — selected these seven alumni and two friends for awards in an effort to recognize the incredible impact they have left on UC Davis, their communities and the world:

• Randi Jenssen Hagerman ’71 of Davis, California
• Diane Bryant ’85 of Los Altos Hills, California
• Mac Clemmens MBA ’07, of Sacramento, California
• Carol and Gerry Parker of Winters, California
• Richard ’56 DVM ’58 and Marilyn McCapes ’55 of Davis, California
• Michael Schermer of Sacramento, California
• Marko Zaninovich ’64 of Delano, California

More about this inspiring group:

Emil M. Mrak International Award: Randi Jenssen Hagerman ’71

Randi Hagerman, M.D., has dedicated her life’s work to treating children with neurodevelopmental disorders. After graduating valedictorian from the UC Davis College of Letters and Science, Hagerman has traveled the world to collaborate on neurobiological research. In 1984, Hagerman founded the National Fragile X Foundation — an organization that now spans 22 countries and is dedicated to advancing research toward improved treatments and a cure for fragile X, the most common genetic cause for autism. She has established clinics in Dubai, Iran, Mexico, Chile, Australia, Israel and many other locations. Currently the medical director of the UC Davis MIND Institute, a distinguished professor and endowed chair in Fragile X Research, Hagerman has set the bar for excellence in her field and helped UC Davis lead the way with life-changing discoveries and treatments.

Outstanding Alumna Award: Diane Bryant, ’85

Currently the executive vice president of the Data Center Group at Intel, Bryant has served on the Dean’s Executive Committee of the UC Davis College of Engineering since 2012 and has been a CAAA Life Member since 1998. A tireless advocate for women in STEM, she established the Diane Bryant Scholarship for Engineering at the university in 2013 to assist, in her words, “a small handful of excited and motivated young women each year” who decide to pursue engineering at her alma mater. Before she became an accomplished tech executive and named one of Forbes’ 50 Most Powerful Women in Business, Bryant became financially independent while still in high school and paid her own way through her undergraduate education.

Young Alumni Award: Mac Clemmens, MBA ’07

One of the Sacramento Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” top achievers, Michael “Mac” Clemmens founded web design firm Digital Deployment to pay for his Master of Business Administration at UC Davis, not expecting it to become a multimillion-dollar business that helped clients like Google. A supporter of the arts, an expert on net neutrality and an active supporter of UC Davis’ MBA program, Clemmens is a rising star, philanthropist and businessperson. In 2009, he co-founded a nonprofit called Reason to Party, which throws parties to raise money for local charities. Clemmens is one of the Graduate School of Management’s most devoted and effective recruiters, rarely missing a chance to attend or speak at GSM events.

Distinguished Friend Award: Carol and Gerry Parker

The Parkers have been steadfast and generous friends of UC Davis for many years. They were a driving force behind UC Davis’ successful Campaign for Tahoe in the 1990s and have more recently been instrumental in the success of the newly opened Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. The Parkers are among the top donors for the museum and have also served as influential strategic thinkers and volunteers. Now retired, they have opened their home for donors and prospect events, held countless one-on-one meetings and have stewarded vital relationships and partnerships for UC Davis. Prior to retirement, Gerry served as an executive vice president and general manager at Intel. Carol’s past volunteer service includes the boards of the San Jose Museum of Art, Archbishop Mitty High School and the American Cancer Society.  She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of San Jose and the Summit League. The Parkers are also proud parents of two UC Davis alumni.

Aggie Service Award: Richard ’56 DVM ’58 and Marilyn McCapes ’55

With long and distinguished track records of success and service, the McCapeses have been leaving an impact on the UC Davis community for more than half a century. Richard “Dick” McCapes is a senior lecturer emeritus as well as the School of Veterinary Medicine’s first associate dean for public programs and first director of the Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center. He is a past chair of the veterinary epidemiology and preventative medicine program. His late wife, Marilyn, was president and longtime board member of the University Farm Circle as well as past president of the Prytanean Women’s Honor Society. Both CAAA Life Members, the McCapeses have been active members of CAAA since 1979. Dick has served as a past board member and has also volunteered as the barbecue turkey cook for CAAA events (as well as other local festivities) for decades. Marilyn was a supporter for UC Davis Athletics in honor of her father, Colby “Babe” Slater, who was UC Davis’ first Olympic gold medalist. In addition, the couple has supported the Shields Library, the men’s rugby club and the School of Veterinary Medicine.

CAAA Distinguished Achievement Award: Michael J. Schermer

Since completing his residency at UC Davis 40 years ago, eye surgeon Michael Schermer, M.D., has helped many thousands of patients in the greater Sacramento region see better. The accomplished eye surgeon has founded the ophthalmic surgery department at the Greater Sacramento Surgery Center, served as a diplomat of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and was the first chair of the UC Davis Eye Center’s Executive Advisory council. He completed his residency at UC Davis in 1976 and his wife, Rochelle, got her J.D. in 1977. As an early graduate of the UC Davis Ophthalmology Residency Program, Schermer has helped with the development of both the Ophthalmology program and the UC Davis Eye Center. 

Jerry W. Fielder Award: Marko Zaninovich ’64

The first chairman of the California Table Grape Commission and one of the largest table grape growers in the world, Marko Zaninovich has been one of UC Davis’ College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s strongest supporters for more than  40 years. Zaninovich has served on the executive leadership board of the Department of Viticulture and Enology, providing invaluable insight from his experience with every aspect of the grape and wine business, as well as serving on the UC Davis Foundation Board of Trustees. He has been a driving force in UC Davis’ dominance in the wine industry and has been instrumental in recruiting students from the Central Valley to become Aggies. He also has been generously supportive of various departments and programs at UC Davis through gifts to viticulture and enology, plant pathology, the annual fund and more.

About the Cal Aggie Alumni Association

The Cal Aggie Alumni Association is a 501(c) 3 whose mission is to help all UC Davis alumni around the world, Aggie parents and families, UC Davis students and business partners stay connected to one of the best public universities in the country. As a nonprofit organization, CAAA relies on membership dues and alumni support to operate its programs and provide scholarships to UC Davis students.