Fresno State News

Dr. Danielle Campagne, who has been saving lives and educating leaders in medicine for more than 18 years in the Fresno area, is among this year’s Top Dog Alumni Award honorees.

The Top Dog awards recognize a select group of Fresno State alumni who have made significant contributions to society, and whose accomplishments, affiliations and careers have honored Fresno State.

This year’s Top Dog Alumni Award honorees will be celebrated at an April 22 event held at the new Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union at Fresno State. Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased at bit.ly/topdog-2023. Tickets must be purchased by April 16. For more information, call (559) 278-5723.

Campagne, the interim chief of emergency medicine at UCSF Fresno, will receive the Distinguished Alumna Award — the highest honor given by the Fresno State Alumni Association. She is recognized for her work as an active clinical educator, international medical lecturer and published author in topics of emergency medical services, wilderness medicine, sepsis and medical education.

Setting Her Career Goal

Growing up in Sanger, Campagne knew at a young age she wanted to be a doctor. She graduated from Fresno State with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2000. Throughout the past 18 years, she has made a name for herself at Community Regional Medical Center, the only Level 1 trauma center between Los Angeles and Sacramento. In addition to her duties as interim chief of emergency medicine at UCSF Fresno, Campagne serves as medical director of American Ambulance in Fresno.

Combining her love of education and emergency medical services, Campagne co-edited an Emergency Medicine Board Review textbook for Oxford Press and is an associate editor for CorePendium, an online medical textbook. She is also a host of a nationally recognized podcast.

The Arthur Safstrom Service Award honors alumni and friends of the university who have made a significant impact through dedication of time, talent, and/or treasure. The 2023 Arthur Safstrom Service Award recipient is John Gomes, vice president and division manager of Fiserv, Inc.

Gomes, who earned degrees in 1979 and 1994, is an active alumnus who has served both the university and the Fresno State Alumni Association in many diverse volunteer leadership roles since 1998. He currently serves as a CSU Alumni Council Representative, and was a member of the CSU Alumni Council Executive Committee, providing strategic oversight of the systemwide organization representing the 23 campus alumni associations and 4 million CSU alumni worldwide.

Fresno State’s 2023 Top Dog Honorees:

Each year at Fresno State one alumnus or alumna is selected from each of the University’s eight academic schools and colleges, plus the Department of Athletics, and the Division of Research and Graduate Studies to receive a Top Dog Outstanding Alumni Award. The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes Fresno State alumni for exceptional achievements in their fields.

“The Top Dog Alumni Awards is an inspiring event that recognizes the achievements of our most accomplished alumni,” said Jacquelyn Glasener, executive director of the Fresno State Alumni Association. “This year’s class of honorees represent what it truly means to be a Bulldog. We are excited to celebrate their personal achievements and to inspire others through their impactful stories.”

• Outstanding Alumni by College or Division: College of Arts and Humanities: James A. Ardaiz (1970), presiding justice, retired, California Court of Appeal, 5th District. Ardaiz served the public during his 30-year career in judicial service and helped draft some of California’s most significant legislation, such as the Three Strikes sentencing law. He is also the author of the No. 1 bestseller “Hands Through Stone,” a nonfiction account of the last case resulting in execution in California.
• College of Health and Human Services: Cheryl Lady Vines (1976), director of research and education, Paralyzed Veterans of America. Vines has spent her career advocating for people with physical disabilities. In her current role she oversees all areas of the Research, Education and Clinical Practice Guidelines Program ensuring quality health care, benefits and civil rights to veterans of the armed forces who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction.
• College of Science and Mathematics: Don Cameron (1975), vice president, Terranova Ranch. With a 30-year career in agriculture, Cameron is a leader in the agricultural community and innovator in farming methods and solutions. He is credited with designing a water bank solution that was adopted by the state as part of its larger plan to create a more dependable water supply.
• College of Social Sciences: Herminia Santillan (2018), chief of staff, California State Assembly for Assemblymember Blanca Rubio. Santillan has a long history of public service and has been recognized for her work in advocating for the Latino/a/x community. She has worked on Assembly, Senate and Congressional campaigns in California for 20 years, with a strong record of electing Democrats in traditionally Republican seats and never losing a race.
• Craig School of Business: Timothy Jones (1981), partner and attorney, Wanger Jones Helsley PC. In addition to his success as a civil litigation lawyer and a recipient of the California Lawyer of the Year Award in 2001, Jones is also the developer of Riverstone, a national award-winning community in Madera.
• Department of Athletics: S. Scott Barnes (1986, ’93), vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics, Oregon State University. Barnes, a standout on the Fresno State basketball team under Boyd Grant in the early 1980s, has spent more than three decades in athletics administration. Under his leadership at Oregon State, he has spearheaded multimillion-dollar facility renovations and has led significant strides academically and athletically for the university’s student-athletes.
• Division of Research and Graduate Studies: John A. Flores (1990, ’93), owner, Si Company. A lifelong entrepreneur, Flores has deep roots in the Valley owning and managing a business, serving as executive director and chairman for local organizations, and educating the next generation of leaders. As a business consultant and motivational speaker, he has inspired thousands of students in California and Texas. He has volunteered on behalf of Sigma Chi for more than two decades.
• Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology: Rohan L. Fernando (1978), professor emeritus of animal science, Iowa State University. Fernando is a Sri Lankan American known as one of the strongest theoreticians in the world in quantitative genetics. His efforts have focused primarily on theory and methods for use of genetic markers in breeding, and for genetic evaluations of crossbred animals. Rohan’s scientific contributions have been presented in hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, invited talks, seminars and courses in more than 16 countries.
• Kremen School of Education and Human Development: Marcy Masumoto (2006), partner, Masumoto Family Farm. Masumoto has advocated for Valley families, students, schools and rural communities for over 40 years. As a respected leader, she was elected to serve on the Fresno County Board of Education, is the region’s representative to the California School Boards Association and California County Boards of Education where she impacts policymakers at local, state and national levels.
• Lyles College of Engineering: Ed Dunkel, Jr. (2001), president, Precision Civil Engineering. An innovator in civil engineering and land surveying, Dunkel has worked on a variety of high-profile commercial and public infrastructure projects such as the Marketplace at El Paseo and Avenue 12 reconstruction. As a community leader he lent his expertise and time to support a number of community organizations to help improve regional economic development.

For more information on the Top Dog Alumni Awards, visit fresnostatealumni.com. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Peter Robertson at probertson@mail.fresnostate.edu or (559) 278-4669.