Outstanding Alumnus
Khaled Hosseini, M.D. '93

Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan-American author and physician, will receive the prestigious Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award. Hosseini began writing The Kite Runner while in medical practice. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan to a Dari-speaking family, Hosseini’s memories of peaceful pre-Soviet era Afghanistan, as well as his personal experience with Afghan Hazaras, led to the writing of this first novel. In 2003, the Kite Runner was published and became an international bestseller in 38 countries; in 2007, the novel was made into an Academy Award-nominated movie. In 2006 he was named a goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency. His second critically-acclaimed novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns was published in May of 2007. Read @UCSD story: On The Job:  The Kite Runner. 

Professional Achievement
Gunars Valkirs '74, Ph.D.'82

Biophysicist Gunars Valkirs co-founded Biosite with the goal of using monoclonal antibodies to develop and manufacture cheaper, faster and more accurate diagnostic devices to determine conditions ranging from drug abuse to the presence of myocardial infarction. One of Valkirs’ early successes was in the field of pregnancy testing. The ICON test, which Valkirs invented, was the predecessor that led the way to the modern color/yes-no home pregnancy test. While at Biosite, Valkirs helped develop the BNP test for the diagnosis of congestive heart failure, the first blood-based test for this application.

Distinguished Service
Anthony Jackson '74

Anthony Jackson, a dedicated emergency room physician, will be recognized for Distinguished Service to UC San Diego. For several years Jackson has worked with organizations like the South Central Gifted Scholars Fund and others to mentor and offer high achieving but under-represented middle and high school students from Los Angeles an inside look into higher education, specifically UC San Diego. In December of 2007, Jackson, in partnership with the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, Inc., and Young Black Scholars Program, rented vehicles to transport students from the LA area to attend “A Day at UCSD,” a program that he developed and personally funded. He is credited for recruiting over 25 underrepresented scholars to UC San Diego.  Read @UCSD Q&A with Tony Jackson, M.D. ’74

Distinguished Teaching
David Jordan

David Jordan is known to thousands of students for his service as professor in Anthropology, and as former provost of Warren College. His charisma, humor and teaching dynamism transcends a typical college classroom through his use of imaginative extracurricular and virtual learning activities. Jordan’s dedication to the educational enrichment, advancement and learning of students, both at the undergraduate and graduate level has made a significant impact on generations of students. In addition to his classroom success the distinguished scholar has been instrumental in course development, co-curricular programming and the mentoring of countless teaching assistants and new faculty instructors.