A Night at the Gala
UCR’s 2025 gala event honored five exemplary alumni and raised funds for student success
T he campus hosted its second UCR Honors: A Gala Celebration on April 5, a dazzling evening showcasing UC Riverside, supporting the university’s talented students, and shining a light on the achievements of alumni. Guests were treated to dinner and performances from the UCR Jazz Combo and the Ballet Folklórico de UCR dance ensemble, and five distinguished alumni and philanthropic leaders were honored for exemplifying the university’s mission of social mobility, educational access, and research excellence. This year’s gala raised funds for student scholarships, fellowships, and support services, with honoree Brian Hawley and wife Vickie Hawley announcing a $250,000 gift to establish a scholarship for students pursuing a career in computer science. Here are this year’s honorees:
BRIAN HAWLEY ’90, M.S. ’91
UCR MEDALLION
Hawley, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science at UCR, is the co-founder and CEO of Luminex Software, Inc. headquartered in Riverside, which offers data storage and protection services. Hawley is a founding member of the Riverside Technology CEO Forum, former chair of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, and serves as a board member of the Science and Technology Education Partnership. He received the Bourns College of Engineering Honored Alumni Award in 2007 and has been part of the UCR Foundation Board of Trustees since July 2013, serving as chair from July 2022 to June 2023. In 2025, Hawley, together with his wife Vickie, established the Ronald and Shirley Hawley Endowed Scholarship fund in honor of his parents. The fund will support undergraduates pursuing a degree in computer science.
E. DOLLIE TOTARO WOLVERTON ’57
DISTINGUISHED PHILANTHROPIST AWARD
The first in her family to attend college, Wolverton earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UCR in 1957. She began her career as an educator, serving as director of Head Start for Riverside County and an early childhood specialist in the California Department of Education. From 1970 to 2006, Wolverton worked for the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., retiring as chief of the education services branch for the Head Start Bureau. She’s been an advocate for public land, foster care youth, incarcerated women, and women in government and served for 12 years on the UCR Alumni Association Board of Directors. Inspired by her brother, who gave up school and worked so she could get an education, she established the Vincenzo Jim Totaro and E. Dollie Totaro Wolverton Scholarships for First-Generation Students Endowed Fund, creating a legacy of education opportunities.
KEONA HENDERSON ’08
ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD
Henderson is a realtor and community advocate. She served as a senior probation officer with Riverside County Probation for nearly 10 years before founding Positive Women Meet Up, LLC (PWM), a personal and professional development company focused on the empowerment of women and youth. In 2021, PWM launched the 25x25 Project, a college readiness outreach program for Black girls. PWM has hosted two cohorts, and three program participants are now students at UCR. Henderson served two terms as president of UCR’s Black Alumni Chapter, from 2019 to 2023, during which she helped establish the Black Alumni Chapter Endowed Scholarship Fund. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated - Eta Nu Omega Chapter and a founding member of the National Council of Negro Women’s Riverside Section.
V. JOHN WHITE ’73
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
White has been a writer, consultant, lecturer, advocate, and leader of the green energy movement in California for over 35 years. He is the executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT) in Sacramento, legislative director for Clean Power Campaign, and principal of the environmental and energy lobbying practice V. John White Associates, representing environmental groups, local government organizations, and new energy technology companies. As chief consultant to the California Assembly Subcommittee on Air Quality, he became the leading legislative expert on air quality technology and regulation, helping to draft the California Clean Air Act and subsequent clean air and energy statutes. In 1990, he co-founded CEERT, the premier energy advocacy voice for key environmental public interest groups and clean energy technology companies.
GABRIEL MALDONADO ’11
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
Maldonado is the founder and chief executive officer of TruEvolution, a health and justice organization serving LGBTQ+ communities, youth, seniors, and people living with HIV in Inland Southern California. Formerly a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS under President Barack Obama, Gabriel has served on the national advisory board for ViiV Healthcare; in advisory groups for Merck & Co and Gilead Sciences; and as co-chair of the National Health Disparities Prevention Conference in 2019. Maldonado currently serves on the board of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, the second-largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the U.S. In 2023, he was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom as an inaugural commissioner to the Racial Equity Commission. Following UCR, Maldonado earned an MBA in global business at the University of Redlands.
Header Photo: (From left) Gala honorees V. John White, Keona Henderson, E. Dollie Totaro Wolverton, Brian Hawley, and Gabriel Maldonado. (UCR/Stan Lim)
Help ensure critical student support programs remain intact.
With a gift to the UCR Honors Gala Celebration Fund, you can uplift the next generation of scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Gifts go toward scholarships, fellowships, and support programs. Give today at donate.ucr.edu/spring2025.