A doctor who treats Myanmar refugees in Thailand, a father of modern trauma surgery and the founder of a nationwide college readiness program are among the University of California, Davis, alumni who will be honored at an event on Saturday, Jan. 30.

The Cal Aggie Alumni Association invites the public to attend the 2010 Alumni Awards Gala, beginning with an alumni winemaker reception at 6 p.m. and followed by a dinner and awards ceremony at 7 p.m. The event will take place at Freeborn Hall. For more information or to purchase tickets or a table, please contact event organizer Jennifer Thayer at (530) 754-9098 or jsthayer@ucdavis.edu.

The award winners, all California residents, are Dr. Terrance Smith of Clarksburg; Dr. Michael W. Chapman of Sacramento; Mary Catherine Swanson of Olivenhain; Michael Child of Atherton; Craig McNamara of Winters; and Marc Facciotti of Davis.

Terrence Smith -- Smith, ’79, is the recipient of the Emil M. Mrak International Award for his distinguished career and service outside of the United States. A volunteer at the Mae Tao Clinic in Thailand, the doctor treats displaced ethnic migrants and refugees from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Smith began his international volunteer work in 1999 when he joined Doctors of the World. He spent time in Mexico and Vietnam before deciding to head to Thailand. Smith maintained a family medical practice in Courtland, Calif., during the 1980s and was chief of the program policy section of the Maternal and Child Health Branch of the California Department of Health Services from 1994 to 2001. He is also a part-time physician at the Davis Community Clinic during his return trips to California.

Michael W. Chapman -- Chapman, ’58, professor emeritus and former chair of the UC Davis Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, will be awarded the Jerry W. Fielder Memorial Award for extraordinary service to the alumni association, the UC Davis Foundation and the university. Under his leadership, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery became one of the most respected in the nation, and he is recognized as one of the founding fathers of modern trauma surgery. Chapman served on the foundation's board of trustees and continues to serve as chair emeritus of its executive committee. Generous as a volunteer and donor, he has recently agreed to be one of the founding members of the cabinet heading up UC Davis’ first comprehensive campaign.

Craig McNamara -- McNamara, ’76, owner of Sierra Farms and founder and president of the Center for Land-Based Learning, will receive the Outstanding Alumnus Award for displaying exceptional achievement, promoting innovative change and making professional contributions to the community and to UC Davis. He practices science-based organic farming and serves as a role model for the more than 2,000 people who visit his farm each year to learn from his practices. McNamara founded the Center for Land-Based Learning to provide high school students with hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture. Founded in 1993 as a local partnership, the center today has evolved into a statewide program. McNamara is a member of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council and has spoken at convocation and commencement ceremonies.

Mary Catherine Swanson -- Swanson, cred ’67, will be honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award for exemplary conduct and achievement. She is the founder, past executive director and member of the board of directors of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination). Swanson started the student support program in 1980 with 32 students in one San Diego school. The program now serves more than 300,000 students in 4,000 schools in 45 states and 15 countries. One of eight UC Davis graduates in the Swanson family, she currently serves on the UC Davis School of Education’s Board of Advisors.

Michael Child -- Child, ’76, will be awarded the Aggie Service Award in recognition of his recent dedication of time, energy, volunteerism and leadership in support of the alumni association and UC Davis. Child, managing director for a private equity firm in the Bay Area, advocates on behalf of the university and works with alumni. He is a member of the Chancellor Laureates, individuals who have contributed $1 million or more to UC Davis. Child also serves as a member of the advisory board for the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and heads the finance and investments committee for the foundation board.

Marc Facciotti -- Facciotti, ’97, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UC Davis, is the recipient of the Young Alumnus Award, which honors a recent graduate who has made outstanding professional contributions to the community or to UC Davis. Facciotti discovered his love for scientific research while working toward a bachelor of science in biochemistry at UC Davis. While completing his doctorate at UC Berkeley, Facciotti honed his talent for teaching and began mentoring other students. He joined the UC Davis faculty in 2008. In addition to teaching classes, he mentors local high school students as well as undergraduate and graduate students at UC Davis. His first course, Protein Engineering, for which he developed all the materials from scratch, received rave reviews from students. Facciotti also acts as an adviser for a student design team.

With more than 28,000 members in 44 countries, the Cal Aggie Alumni Association creates ambassadors for UC Davis and enriches the lives of alumni, students and friends worldwide.

About UC Davis

For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 32,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $600 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.