| Four Trustees Named Outstanding Alumni
The Alumni Association Board of Governors unanimously approved four candidates to receive the Outstanding Alumni Award, its most esteemed alumni recognition award. The four to be honored during Alumni Weekend May 2, 2009 are Robert De Pietro ’69, Walter Foley ’69, Frederick Sontag ’64 and Bruce Worster ’64.
 Robert De Pietro ’69 will be recognized for his exemplary service to the community at large. He has served the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California; California Architects Board; Patrons of Italian Culture; Building Owners and Managers Association of Los Angeles; Healthcare Foundation Board of Glendale Adventist Medical Center; and the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce.
He has also been an ardent supporter of and tireless fundraiser for Harvey Mudd College. Several years ago, he encouraged alumni to become society members by matching half of what was needed to reach the Henry T. Mudd Society level. He has since encouraged and supported incentive programs--during the 50th anniversary year it was a CD of President Emeritus Joseph Platt’s folk songs--to those that participated in an alumni-trustee incentive program, which collectively increased gifts to the Alumni Fund by $200,000. Since the family created the Frank and Frances De Pietro Fellowship Program in Civil Engineering in 1998, Bob has been a proponent of undergraduate research programs, and speaks often on behalf of HMC. Additionally, many alumni have enjoyed his hospitality as a host to events held in the Los Feliz family home, or phonathons at the family business, Frank De Pietro and Sons.
Bob became the alumni representative to the board of trustees in May 1997 and a full member in September 2000. Robert was recognized in 2001 by the HMC Alumni Association with an Order of the Wart for his service to the college.
 Walt Foley ’69 will be recognized for his contributions to technology and the community at large. Walt’s involvement in software development as founder of two software companies, Megatek Corporation and Accel Technologies Inc., has ties to the beginnings of electronic design automation, and his emphasis on research and development was key to a successful business.
Walt’s service to HMC has also been long and meaningful. He was the alumni representative to the Board of Trustees from 1982–85, and became a full trustee in 1991. Walt is currently vice chair of the board. He has held significant roles in campaigns and was development chair for several years.
Walt was HMC’s first alumnus to make a $1 million gift to the college in January 2000. His gift led several other alumni to come forward and give at the same level. Together with Rick Sontag and Bruce Worster, he helped fundraise for the Aviation Room of the Hoch/Shanahan Dining Hall, and authored countless letters for the Alumni Fund. He received the Order of the Wart in 1994.
 Frederick Sontag ’64 will be recognized for his global contributions to education and philanthropy. Rick and his wife Susan (POM ’64) created The Sontag Foundation to support their philanthropic priorities in higher education. They also support medical research focused on seeking causes and cures for brain tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, and social concerns. Recipients of The Sontag Foundation Distinguished Scientist Awards provide each early-career recipients with $600,000 in funding over a four-year period.
Rick has been a trustee since 1989, and has been a long-time, generous supporter of HMC. He has taken leadership roles in raising funds for the trustee annual fund, and for the Aviation Room in Hoch/Shanahan. Undoubtedly, the largest individual alumni project completed on campus is the Sontag Residence Hall in 2002. Rick received the Order of the Wart in 2004 for his service to the HMC community.
 Bruce Worster ’64 will be recognized for his contributions to technology and the community at large. Bruce retired as vice president from JDS-Uniphase Corporation in San Jose, a leading maker of optoelectronic components for the telecommunications industry. He is named on a patent for an integrated laser imaging and spectral analysis system, which is used to analyze defects on silicon wafers during the semiconductor manufacturing process. Before JDS-Uniphase, Bruce was as a physicist at Hewlett-Packard, then moved to leadership roles at Measuerex, Surface Science Intruments, Kevex Corp., Tencor Instruments, Trigon Adcotech, and Ultrapointe Corporation. Bruce is also a member of the American Physical Society.
Bruce is a veteran of the HMC Alumni Association Board of Governors, where he held two terms as a board member and served as fund chair and secretary. He has hosted events and was a caller on behalf of the Fund Committee. He was invited to be the alumni representative to the board of trustees in 1998, and became a full member of the board in March 2001. As a student, Bruce was a Bateser, and part of the CMS track and field team.
Bruce was among the first alumni to follow Walt Foley’s lead by making a gift of over $1 million, endowing the Susan and Bruce Worster Professor of Physics in August 2000. He has also made match gifts to entice alumni giving to the Class of 1964 Endowed Scholarship and the Aviation Room of the Hoch/Shanahan Dining Commons.
The Outstanding Alumni Award is reviewed on an annual basis by the Selections Committee of the Alumni Association Board of Governors. Nominations are always welcome at the alumni website.
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