SDSU Alumni Awards of Distinction

The SDSU Alumni Awards of Distinction are a time-honored tradition at San Diego State University serving as symbols of achievement and success presented to distinguished alumni from each of SDSU's seven academic colleges and SDSU Imperial Valley Campus.

The 2026 awardees include Mark Phillips (‘73, astronomy) is a globally renowned astronomer known for establishing the “Phillips Relation,” a crucial method that enables Type Ia supernovae to serve as standard candles for determining cosmic distances, which fundamentally shaped measurements of the universe's expansion. Recently named an Honorary Foreign Member of the Chilean Academy of Sciences, Mark currently works in Chile as the Director Emeritus of the Las Campanas Observatory.

Learn more on the SDSU Alumni site.