The University of California, Davis, Cal Aggie Alumni Association has announced the recipients of its 2025 Alumni Awards, celebrating extraordinary alumni and friends who have made a lasting impact on their communities and the university.
This year’s honorees are trailblazers in their fields — driving innovation, championing equity, and transforming the future of science, technology and veterinary care. They are also committed to supporting students by providing mentorship, resources and opportunities for success at UC Davis and beyond.
The Cal Aggie Alumni Association, or CAAA, which serves a global network of more than 314,000 Aggies, is proud to recognize:
- Aggie Service Award - Michael P. Coffey ’84
- Jerry W. Fielder Award - Debby Stegura ’79
- Outstanding Alumni Award - DeWayne Quinn ’92
- Young Alumni Award - Charles Melton ’08
- Lifetime Achievement Award - Douglas R. Mader ’79, M.S. ’82, D.V.M. ’86, Residency ’88
- Distinguished Friend of the University - Roy J. Shlemon
“These remarkable individuals exemplify the spirit of UC Davis — bold, compassionate and driven by a desire to make a difference,” said Dana Allen, assistant vice chancellor and executive director of CAAA. “Their achievements inspire our Aggie community and serve as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when passion meets purpose.”
The 52nd Alumni Awards gala, “The Aggies,” will take place at the Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center at UC Davis on Thursday, May 1 at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online.
Aggie Service Award: Michael P. Coffey
Coffey’s unwavering commitment to the success of UC Davis students, alumni and community embody the spirit of the Aggie Service award. He retired from his 35-year career as an AT&T executive in 2023. In his final role, Coffey was senior vice president of mass markets product management. He played a key role in building a strong recruitment program for UC Davis students at AT&T.
Coffey has created new pathways for underrepresented students to achieve success. He visits campus annually to meet with high school students in the Leadership in Engineering Advancement, Diversity and Retention (LEADR) program and recent transfer students in AvenueE, and he has served as a guest lecturer for the College of Engineering and Graduate School of Management.
He and his wife, Jody, created LEADR’s first endowed fund with an over $300,000 gift and have contributed to the Engineering Student Design Center and the UC Davis Coffee Center.
Coffey has been a highly engaged College of Engineering Dean’s Executive Committee member since joining in 2018 and volunteers his time for the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Campaign Committee to increase alumni engagement in the area. In partnership with CAAA, Coffey has hosted New Aggie Student Sendoff events at his home to welcome incoming students and their parents to the Aggie family.
In his local community, Coffey is involved with his church Christ the King and is a board chairman for The Family Place, a domestic violence agency in Dallas.
Jerry W. Fielder Award: Debby Stegura
A longtime community leader, Aggie advocate and former business litigator, Stegura’s service to CAAA began in 1998 when she joined the Los Angeles County Scholarship Committee. The Jerry W. Fielder award also recognizes commitment to the UC Davis Foundation, where Stegura is the current vice chair.
Her leadership roles include serving as president of CAAA, alumni regent for the University of California Board of Regents, and president of the Alumni Associations of University of California. She served for several years on the CAAA board of directors and is a charter member of UC Davis’ Women & Philanthropy Advisory Council and the UC Davis Library Leadership Board.
As a first-generation college student, Stegura is passionate about engaging alumni of all ages and backgrounds. She advocates for helping students in need, supporting the Student Emergency Relief Aid Fund, ASUCD Pantry, DREAM Scholarship and other causes. She and her family have created two endowments for student support — one for scholarships and one to help student retention, with preference to first-generation and AB540 students.
In her home community of Rolling Hills Estates in Southern California, Stegura has been elected to local public office, first as a board trustee for her local library district, and now as mayor of the City Council.
Outstanding Alumni Award: DeWayne Quinn
Quinn is a visionary leader, mentor, and philanthropist with a deep commitment to UC Davis. A former student-athlete in football and track & field, Quinn remains a champion of his alma mater, serving as a UC Davis Foundation trustee and longtime leader for CAAA.
Beyond UC Davis, he has made a lasting impact in STEM education. As chair of the statewide advisory board for the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS), a University of California program, Quinn has expanded opportunities for high school students pursuing science and technology careers.
He retired from Apple in 2023 after a 24-year career in information systems and technology, where he played a key role in shaping enterprise solutions for major divisions, including Apple Music, Beats Electronics and Apple TV.
Over the years, Quinn has generously supported UC Davis through gifts to Athletics, COSMOS, the MIND Institute, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the School of Veterinary Medicine, as well as the Melvin R. Ramey Fund for Student Success, which he helped establish in honor of his former track coach.
Quinn’s commitment to service extends nationally, with advisory roles at the University of Texas at Austin and other nonprofit organizations. In his free time, he remains active athletically, is passionate about cooking and relishes his time with his wife and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
Young Alumni Award: Charles Melton
Whether shaping public policy, mentoring future leaders or championing inclusivity within the Aggie network, Melton is dedicated to making a lasting impact. A dynamic leader, his work with UC Davis has improved alumni engagement and strengthened connections within the Aggie community. From his days as a campus tour guide and Student Alumni Association board member to his continued involvement as an alum, Melton’s commitment to his alma mater has only deepened since graduation.
In 2020, he became the youngest and first openly gay president of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA). Under his leadership, he spearheaded transformative initiatives including launching CAAA’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and establishing the Aggies Uncorked Wine Club, which has generated funding for student scholarships in winemaking. He also guided CAAA through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning alumni engagement to virtual platforms, and driving strategic financial decisions to fortify the association’s future.
Since 2018, Melton has served as the director of public policy and research at Turo, a pioneering car-sharing platform, where he oversees the company’s government relations efforts across the U.S., U.K., Canada, France and Australia. Previously, he worked in federal advocacy roles for the University of California and for technology firms in Silicon Valley, and as a Congressional Staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Melton also gives generously of his time to his bay area community. He founded Sausalito Pride, a local non-profit advocating for LGBTQ+ representation and he volunteers with various grassroots advocacy groups in his hometown. Furthering his commitment to public service, he is currently pursuing a Master of Public Affairs at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Douglas R. Mader
Dr. Mader is a triple board-certified veterinary specialist and has been a veterinarian for nearly four decades. He is an internationally recognized expert and lecturer in exotic animal medicine and has written three medical textbooks, numerous book chapters and dozens of peer-reviewed scientific publications. Dr. Mader has also written over 1,500 newspaper and magazine columns and articles.
A longtime supporter of UC Davis, Mader has served as a guest lecturer and an adjunct associate clinical professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine. With a passion for inspiring future veterinarians, he has personally mentored over two dozen UC Davis veterinary students both in California and Florida, and frequently makes trips to the Davis campus to lecture student conferences and mentor residents.
In addition to running a successful veterinary referral practice, Dr. Mader is deeply involved in his local community of the Florida Keys, volunteering his time and expertise at several non-profit animal facilities and serving as a certified first responder for his county.
In 2009 the School of Veterinary Medicine honored Dr. Mader for his contributions to the profession with their Alumni Achievement Award.
Mader is a member of the School of Veterinary Medicine Dean’s Club, a sustaining member of the Chancellor’s Club and a supporter of the Achievement Reward for College Scientists Foundation.
His many accolades include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Award and the Fred L. Frye Lifetime Achievement Award for Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Mader’s latest accomplishment is the award-winning, best-selling book The Vet at Noah’s Ark: Stories of Survival from an Inner-City Animal Hospital.
Distinguished Friend of the University: Roy J. Shlemon
Shlemon has dedicated his career to advancing applied geosciences while forging an enduring partnership with UC Davis. A former faculty member and internationally recognized consulting geologist who specializes in Quaternary geology, Shlemon’s expertise has helped shape fault-hazard assessments and environmental policies across California and beyond.
His deep commitment to UC Davis is reflected in his philanthropy and service. In 1998, he endowed the Roy J. Shlemon Chair in Applied Geosciences, the first of its kind in the university’s geology department. The chair supports research on critical environmental challenges, including floods, wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters, ensuring that UC Davis continues to develop practical solutions for communities at risk.
Shlemon has also supported students and faculty through gifts to the Jim Thayer Soil Science Endowment, the Winston Ko Professorship in Science Leadership and the Moores Distinguished Speakers Series.
Through his role on the College of Letters and Science Dean’s Advisory Council since 2008, Shlemon has further strengthened the university’s ties to public and private sectors. And, as one of only two Senior Fellows of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, he continues to foster collaboration between faculty, students and industry leaders.