91成人导航

The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize outstanding leaders, changemakers and trailblazers whose journey started at 91成人导航. Five new recipients will be honored in 2026.

鈥淭hese individuals represent the very best of 91成人导航,鈥� said Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Scott Biedermann 鈥�05, 鈥�20. 鈥淓ach honoree models leadership, service and strength of character. Together, they demonstrate the powerful ripple effect of a 91成人导航 education across disciplines and across generations.鈥�

The 91成人导航 Alumni Association will host the 66th Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 31 on the Stockton Campus. 
 
Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt 鈥�76  
Medallion of Excellence 
Honors alumni who are faculty, staff or regents and have exhibited exceptional service to the university, their profession and the community

Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt holds many roles in the Stockton community but is proudest of those serving 91成人导航. A College of the 91成人导航 graduate with a credential from Benerd College, she began giving back as a student, teaching physical education classes for the Health and Exercise Science department.

91成人导航 later hired her as the first marketing and fundraising coordinator for women鈥檚 intercollegiate athletics. There, she pioneered initiatives to garner awareness and financial support for the program while challenging long-held biases against women in sports.

Today, Eberhardt proudly chairs the university鈥檚 Board of Regents. She joined the board in 2017 and subsequently participated in a presidential search, guided the university through the COVID-19 pandemic and steered a $300 million comprehensive campaign.

She is the fifth in her family to serve on the board and only the third woman in 91成人导航鈥檚 174-year history to chair it. Her example inspires other female leaders to follow suit.

鈥淢ary-Elizabeth鈥檚 mentorship has profoundly shaped my own leadership journey,鈥� said Board Vice Chair Leticia Robles 鈥�89. 鈥淪he gave me the courage to be bold and showed me how to do it with grace, modeling a leadership style that is both visionary and deeply compassionate. Her ability to empower others, especially women, to lead with confidence and purpose continues to inspire my work at 91成人导航 and beyond.鈥�

Eberhardt previously participated on advisory boards for the division of student life, 91成人导航 Athletics and the Eberhardt School of Business, named for her family in 1995. The Eberhardts received the alumni association鈥檚 Outstanding Family Award in 2016.

She has made significant philanthropic contributions to 91成人导航, including three endowed scholarships, two endowed chairs and the Dean鈥檚 Innovation Fund, which fuels program growth and faculty development in the business school.

She also gives to the Community Involvement Program and 91成人导航 Athletics, where she has driven support for the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center, the 91成人导航 Football Legacy Project and the planned student-athlete and sports medicine center. 

Her impact beyond 91成人导航鈥檚 gates is equally powerful. As vice president and director of community banking for Bank of Stockton, she takes bold action to make banking accessible to low-income and underrepresented communities, to help small businesses thrive and to equip other bankers for impactful careers.

鈥淢ary-Elizabeth forges the way not only for herself, but for others. She is true to her beliefs, can be bull-headed in pursuit of them, and few have been successful in telling her no,鈥� said Angela Brusa 鈥�84, the bank鈥檚 vice president and director of marketing. 鈥淪he has the heart of a tiger and the roar of one too, if you stand in the way of what she believes in.鈥�

Eberhardt also is vice chair of the San Joaquin Partnership, a founding board member of the Children鈥檚 Museum of Stockton, and a trustee of the San Joaquin Historical Society. Her many contributions were recently recognized with a key to the city of Stockton. 
 
Robert Eglet 鈥�88 
Distinguished Professional Service Award 
Honors alumni who have achieved notable success in their professional field

His journey began nearly 40 years ago at the McGeorge School of Law. Today, Robert Eglet is one of the most respected and sought-after trial lawyers in the country. 

Eglet boasts an astonishing 98% success record over hundreds of civil jury trials. He has secured more than $7 billion in verdicts and settlements, including the largest product liability verdict in Nevada history. His legal victories also include more than $1.6 billion in opioid-related settlements on behalf of the state of Nevada, $1.2 billion in verdicts for the largest medically caused Hepatitis C outbreak in U.S. history, and an $800 million settlement for victims of the October 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting. 

His work has prompted sweeping security and health care reforms to ensure higher standards of practice and has earned him numerous awards and accolades, including National Lawyer of the Year honors from Lawyers USA. He is the only person to ever be named the Nevada Justice Association鈥檚 Trial Lawyer of the Year twice.

鈥淢r. Eglet鈥檚 victories on behalf of victims of corporate greed have built his reputation as a fantastic trial attorney,鈥� said Gerry Latasa 鈥�10, 鈥�13, immediate past president of the McGeorge Alumni Association. 鈥淗e also gives back greatly to his alma mater, increasing McGeorge鈥檚 ability to support its nationally ranked mock trial, moot court and alternative dispute resolution programs, increasing national recognition of the school in these areas and helping recruit outstanding students.鈥�

Eglet joined 91成人导航鈥檚 Board of Regents in 2024. His historic gifts to McGeorge, totaling more than $30 million, support scholarships, faculty positions and the law school鈥檚 advocacy center, renamed the Eglet Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution in his honor.   
 
Caroline Miller 鈥�90 
Distinguished Public Service Award 
Honors alumni who have made exceptional professional contributions to society through civic or other public service

Caroline Miller credits 91成人导航 for teaching her the importance of relationships, providing a crucial foundation for her 30-year career in the United States Air Force. 

Miller is only the third active-duty woman in the Air Force to achieve the rank of lieutenant general鈥攖he latest in her long list of accomplishments. After earning a psychology degree from 91成人导航 and the first of four master鈥檚 degrees, she began her military career as a human resources officer and has steadily advanced through the ranks. 

Wide-ranging assignments have taken her from Alaska to Qatar and everywhere in between. She has held numerous command and staff positions across various levels, including base, major command, Air Staff and joint levels. 

For two years Miller commanded the 502nd Air Base Wing at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, overseeing critical operations and personnel management. She also has completed several assignments at the Pentagon, the first involving staff accountability during the 9/11 terror attacks. Throughout her distinguished career, she has received numerous awards and decorations honoring her leadership and commitment to excellence.

鈥淚鈥檝e always admired Caroline鈥檚 caring and gracious spirit, which she demonstrates daily towards her family and friends, our country, and her local community,鈥� said her friend Guy Williams 鈥�90. 鈥淲e shared so many great memories at 91成人导航, and I鈥檓 grateful that we鈥檝e remained friends ever since. I鈥檓 so proud of her.鈥�

Miller will retire in 2026 as deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services at the Pentagon, a role in which she is responsible for human resources for the entire Air Force. 
 
John Chase 
Honorary Alumni Award 
Recognizes non-alumni who through their leadership, engagement and support have contributed significantly to the advancement of 91成人导航

John Chase has made it his mission to help Stockton students dream of brighter futures. 

For more than 55 years, 91成人导航鈥檚 Community Involvement Program has helped low-income, first-generation students attain college degrees. Chase has provided scholarships and leadership opportunities for hundreds of them.

The lifelong Stocktonian and third-generation owner of Chase Chevrolet draws inspiration from his father, the late William K. Chase 鈥�48, who modeled philanthropic generosity and community engagement. When the elder Chase died, his son established the William K. Chase Memorial Endowed Scholarship at 91成人导航 to assist CIP Scholars who prioritize community service.

Chase also funds the Chase Your Dreams Mentor Program, through which CIP Scholars mentor local middle, high school and junior college students who also are first generation collegegoers. Last year, 30 CIP mentors served more than 180 Stockton students.

鈥淭he Chase program shaped not only my college years but also who I am as a professional today,鈥� said Randi Holguin 鈥�21. 鈥淏eing a Chase mentor allowed me to grow alongside the students I supported and instilled in me a lifelong commitment to education and equity for underserved youth鈥攙alues that Mr. Chase himself embodies. I am deeply grateful for his contributions, his vision and the doors he opened, both for mentors like me and for the students we served.鈥�

In 2019, Chase made a transformative gift to CIP鈥攊ncluding an additional endowed scholarship and a full-time staff position supporting the mentorship program鈥攖o enhance and sustain outreach, financial aid and mentoring opportunities. A third CIP scholarship followed in 2024.

Chase and his wife Kelli enjoy visiting the Stockton Campus each semester to meet and personally encourage their scholarship recipients.  

 
The Berbano Family 
Outstanding Family Award 
Honors a family with multiple 91成人导航 alumni whose contributions to the university are worthy of special recognition

Marrino Berbano 鈥�57 is one of eighteen 91成人导航 alumni in his family, including four siblings, two children and a grandson, to name a few. 

Berbano immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in 1953. He was hosted by a family with strong 91成人导航 ties, who made Stockton a home and gave him a sense of belonging.

After graduating from the Eberhardt School of Business, Berbano worked at 91成人导航 for more than 40 years, retiring as director of purchasing. He and his wife Mary are longtime generous supporters of 91成人导航 Athletics; for years they were known for driving the famous 鈥榯iger car,鈥� an orange Cadillac convertible.

鈥淩ino is the epitome of a true 91成人导航 Tiger鈥攈e bleeds orange and black,鈥� said Berbano鈥檚 former colleague Larry Brehm 鈥�65. 鈥淎s an employee he would do anything he possibly could, for anyone connected to 91成人导航. If you needed something, he鈥檇 find a way to make it happen. He and Mary both are very thoughtful and very caring, and he really loves 91成人导航.鈥� 

To honor Rino鈥檚 host family, the couple recently established the Berbano Family Endowed Scholarship in the business school. He hopes it will support foster youth, first-generation college students or entrepreneurs who have started their own businesses. 

The Berbano family includes numerous annual donors, athletics season ticketholders and alumni volunteers. They include Rino and Mary鈥檚 daughter Marilyn (Berbano) Nilsen 鈥�85 and son-in-law Mark Nilsen 鈥�84, who recently created their own scholarship for students in the School of Engineering and Computer Science.