April 25-29, 2022

Honors Recognition

The virtual 2021 Honors Recognition event proudly recognizes Cal Lutheran’s many academically outstanding students.

Students who have received the following honors are listed: Provost’s Award for Academic Excellence, Scholastic Honor Society, University Honors, Departmental Honors, Departmental Distinction, President’s List, Dean’s List, Undergraduate Research Fellowships, and endowed Scholarships and Awards.

We are also proud to recognize faculty who are doing outstanding work in support of our students. President Varlotta is announcing the 2021 President’s Award for Teaching Excellence recipient, and faculty who are being promoted and elected to tenure are listed.

In addition, the 2021 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient, Jane Lee ’78 Winter, reflects on how Cal Lutheran has influenced her passion to make the world and her community a better place.

« Back to Schedule

Congratulatory Remarks

Leanne Neilson, PsyD
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Awards & Honors

Provost's Award for Academic Excellence

The Provost’s Award is presented to the graduating senior(s) with the highest level of academic achievement as measured by the cumulative GPA earned over all college work completed. (Traditional Undergraduate students must have completed at least 60 units at Cal Lutheran.)

View Award Recipients

Christina England

Professionals Program

Christina England is graduating with a B.S. in Business Management. She currently works as an account manager at a local insurance agency, which meshes perfectly with her outgoing, service-oriented personality. During her time at Cal Lutheran, she also earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Associate in Risk Management and Certified Insurance Counselor designations. She would like to thank Cal Lutheran and especially her professors for the profound impact they made on her life. Their dedication allowed her to live her motto, “Never Stop Learning.” In her free time, Christina enjoys participating in any activity that requires a trip to REI for gear.

Ashley Fields

Ashley Fields is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Communication. Completing her education at California Lutheran University and graduating top of her class has been one of Ashley’s most meaningful accomplishments. Ashley is grateful for her family, friends, and all colleagues and staff that aided her towards success. She is now working for a nonprofit utilizing her knowledge and degree to change lives. Ashley loves enjoying the little things in life, laughing, and spending time with her family and friends.

Raul Figueroa

Professionals Program

Raul Figueroa is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Raul is a first-generation graduate, who hopes to have made his parents and siblings proud! Completing his education at California Lutheran University while simultaneously managing a department in Global Logistics during a global pandemic has been one of Raul’s most challenging yet meaningful accomplishments thus far. Raul is especially grateful to the faculty, staff, girlfriend (Cynthia Cuevas), and his mentor (Frank Briseño) who guided and offered encouragement in time of need throughout his academic journey. Raul loves traveling, experiencing new foods, and spending time with his loved ones.

Lauren Graf

Lauren Graf is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in art and communication with an emphasis in advertising and public relations. Hailing from Carpinteria, she has had a lifelong love for art and helping others. Lauren has been an art department assistant since 2018, and is a University Honors Program member, a Presidential Host, and Lord of Life secretary. Lauren plans to enter the communication field, seeking opportunities to serve her community through non-profit work. Lauren is grateful for her family and all her Cal Lutheran mentors who have helped her reach where she is today.

Polina Grishko

Polina Grishko is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Television with an emphasis in Film Production, and completed the University Honors Program. Ever since she was young, Polina knew she wanted to pursue filmmaking as a film director, and her passion for the art has grown ever since. Her academic career at Cal Lutheran was an enriching experience, as she participated in two 48-hour Film Jams, acquired two internships, and made several short films. Besides filmmaking, Polina also enjoys reading, writing, painting, and traveling around the world.

Rachel Johnson

Rachel is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Communication. A San Fernando Valley girl, Rachel looks forward to staying close to home as she pursues her acting career. Additionally, she works in branding and social media marketing, with the goal of opening her own branding firm. Rachel fell in love with Cal Lutheran on her tour and has enjoyed every moment of her time since, performing in four theatre productions, co-hosting an iCLU radio show, and working for the Echo, Communication Department, and Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals. She would like to thank Jesus and her family for their support.

Kimberly Linscott

Kimberly Linscott is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She has enjoyed her time at Cal Lutheran, especially its emphasis on experiential learning in the educational studies department. Her favorite aspects of this experiential learning were being able to observe, learn from, and put into practice teaching methods in an elementary school classroom. Kimberly is passionate about the intersection of psychology and education, and her goal is to pursue a career that incorporates both of these interests. In her free time, Kimberly loves hiking, cooking, and reading.

Alexa Macaluso

Alexa Macaluso is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and will be working for Ernst & Young in their audit practice when she graduates. Growing up in Ventura County, Cal Lutheran felt like a natural extension of her home, and she is grateful to have been a part of such an incredible community. During her time at Cal Lutheran, she worked as a Department Assistant for the School of Management and was a member of the Accounting Association. In addition to her involvement at Cal Lutheran, she has been teaching yoga in the community for over four years.

Devin Romines

Devin Romines is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Departmental Honors minoring in Mathematics and Chemistry, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Piano Performance emphasis. Born and raised in Camarillo, he loves teaching and serving others. Since 2019, Devin has been a research student in Dr. Marcey’s genetics lab, a tutor for the Math Center, and a student program coordinator for the University Honors Program. Devin will be entering a PhD program in genetics, with the goal to become a college professor. He is grateful to everyone who has supported him on his journey.

President's Award for Teaching Excellence

In keeping with the high esteem for teaching we have at Cal Lutheran, the Faculty Affairs Awards Committee considers an exemplary set of nominees with at least five years of full-time teaching experience plus a sustained record of success in areas of student engagement. The Awards Committee vets all nominations through colleagues, chairs and deans, and three years of teaching evaluations. From this process, three finalists are recommended to the President, who chooses the award recipient.

Rafaela Fiore Urízar, PhD

Associate Professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies
Chair of the Department of Languages and Cultures
College of Arts and Sciences

Lori E. Varlotta, PhD
President

Rafaela Fiore Urizar, PhD
Award recipient

Outstanding Alumni Award

Each year, the Cal Lutheran Alumni Board of Directors recognizes achievements that have brought honor and distinction to the university. The Outstanding Alumni Award is given to a Cal Lutheran graduate with a distinguished record of career achievements or humanitarian endeavors dedicated to social reform.

Jane Lee Winter

Jane Lee ’78 Winter

About Jane Lee '78 Winter

Jane Lee Winter began a relationship with Cal Lutheran 50 years ago as a local Lutheran girl attending events on campus. Her addiction to world travel developed out of inspiring conversations with her professors as an undergraduate. She launched her eventual career by helping to organize January interim session study abroad trips. She organized trips to South Africa and Swaziland for the first time working with James Esmay, the first dean of the School of Business, and fell in love with Africa.

Winter owns Town & Country Travel, a luxury, boutique leisure travel company in Thousand Oaks. Her 40-year travel career has taken her to 113 countries on five continents. She has developed a niche serving the upscale traveler with a focus on unique experiences around the globe. One of her specialties is African safaris.

For the past 12 years, Winter and her husband, Larry, have visited and financially supported the Ebenezer Child Care Trust – a school, orphanage and farm created to care for street kids and orphans in Livingstone, Zambia. Four years ago, the Winters helped organize a Zambian board of directors and the Ebenezer Foundation in the U.S. to provide additional support. The trust has 60 staff members, house mothers and teachers caring for 475 school children and 48 orphans.

For Winter, Cal Lutheran remains a special place worthy of a lifelong relationship. She has served as president of the Alumni Association and for nine years as a member of the Board of Regents. More recently, she served on the Hospitality Management Program Advisory Group for the School of Management. Professionally, Winter is credentialed with The Travel Institute as a certified travel industry executive and certified travel counselor. She served on the board of directors of Signature Travel Network, an international group of over 7,000 leisure travel professionals with a discerning clientele.

A resident of the Conejo Valley starting in 1970, Winter recently moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband. She enjoys golf, hiking and cooking, but her real passion is in her deep involvement with Ebenezer Child Care Trust.

Candice (Cerro '09) Aragon
Chair, Alumni Board of Directors

Jane Lee ’78 Winter
Award recipient

More Awards & Honors

Click the title for each award to view the recipients.

Scholastic Honor Society of Cal Lutheran

The Scholastic Honor Society consists of upper division students who have demonstrated a high degree of academic excellence. Traditional Undergraduate students with at least 60 credits completed at Cal Lutheran and a GPA of at least 3.9. No more than five percent of the students from each graduating class are invited to participate.

University Honors

Students complete five courses in the University Honors Program curriculum to graduate with University Honors, and those who maintain a Cal Lutheran GPA of 3.5 or higher receive University Honors with Distinction.

Departmental Honors

Departmental Honors students conduct a several-semester long research project or creative endeavor, and report their work in a senior thesis or exhibition.

Departmental Distinction

Each year the faculty nominate students for Departmental Distinction who have exhibited an unusually high degree of excellence within their major.

President’s List Spring Semester 2020

The President’s List recognizes traditional undergraduate students who earned Dean’s List in the Fall 2019 semester and/or whose GPA for the Spring 2020 semester was 3.6 or above with enrollment in 9 or more graded credits.

Dean’s List
Fall Semester 2020

The Dean’s List recognizes traditional undergraduate students (enrolled for 12 or more graded credits per semester) who earn a GPA of 3.6 or higher.

Dean’s List 2019-20 Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals Program

The Dean’s List recognizes Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals students (enrolled for 24 or more graded credits per academic year) who earn a GPA of 3.6 or higher.

Undergraduate Research Fellowships

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship is dedicated to supporting scholarly projects by undergraduates, in every discipline—from the humanities and the arts to math and the natural sciences. During the summer, various programs provide fellowships to allow students to engage in full-time original research and creative projects with a faculty mentor. Students who received Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Summer 2020 are listed.

Scholarships and Awards

Cal Lutheran and our students have been fortunate to be the beneficiary of generations of individuals, families, and foundations whose generous gifts have helped to provide scholarships and awards for some of our most deserving, driven, and talented students. Scholarships and Awards for the 2020-21 academic year are listed.

Faculty Promotions and Election to Tenure

Upon recommendation of the Appointment, Rank and Tenure Committee, the Provost, and the President, the California Lutheran University Board of Regents has recognized these faculty members by advancing them in rank and/or electing them to tenure effective Fall 2021.

Special Music

Cinema Paradiso

Please enjoy this performance by the Cal Lutheran String Symphony, directed by Yoshika Masuda.