Earth & Space
The Science Division announces recipients of Distinguished Alumni Awards
Gabriel Filippelli, Aradhna Tripati, and Seath Brook Ahrens are this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients for the Science Division
Key takeaways
- Gabriel Filippelli (Ph.D. ’94, Earth sciences) and Aradhna Tripati (Ph.D. ’02, Earth sciences) will receive the Science Division Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award
- Seath Brook Ahrens (Porter ’89, physics and computer engineering) will receive the Science Division Distinguished Undergraduate Alumni Award
The UC Santa Cruz Science Division proudly celebrates the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients—three remarkable alumni whose work is transforming how we understand and shape the world around us. Honored this year are Gabriel Filippelli , a leading voice in climate and environmental health; Aradhna Tripati, a champion of geoscience, justice, and inclusion; and Seath Brook Ahrens, a creative force behind innovations in animation, audio, and beyond. Their achievements reflect the university’s bold, interdisciplinary spirit.
The Science Division presents graduate and undergraduate alumni with Distinguished Alumni Awards annually, honoring those who have achieved extraordinary accomplishments in diverse fields. This year’s distinguished alumni were chosen from among dozens of impressive nominations for their commitment to public service, research, and practicing high-impact science.
Science Division Dean Bryan Gaensler emphasizes the immense impact Filippelli, Tripati, and Ahrens have had in their respective fields.
“These distinguished alumni exemplify the transformative power of a UC Santa Cruz science education,” Gaensler said. “Their contributions to climate science, environmental resilience, technological innovation, and equity demonstrate the far-reaching impact of curiosity, creativity, and a commitment to making the world better. We’re incredibly proud to honor them.”
The awardees will be honored during a virtual celebration on Friday, May 2.
Introducing the 2025 awardees
Distinguished Graduate Award
Gabriel M. Filippelli
Filippelli (Ph.D. ’94, Earth sciences) is a Chancellor’s Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Executive Director of the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute. Filippelli received his B.S. in geology from UC Davis, and his Ph.D. in Earth sciences from UC Santa Cruz. Filippelli is a biogeochemist with broad training in climate change, exposure science, and environmental health.
He is the author of over 200 publications. In 2022, Filippelli published the book Climate Change and Life with Elsevier and edited Climate Resilience in Indiana and Beyond with Indiana University Press. He was the editor-in-chief for the journal GeoHealth, a fellow of the International Association of Geochemistry, a 2022 Fulbright Distinguished Chair, and former National Academy of Sciences Jefferson Science Fellow, where he served as a senior science advisor for the U.S. Department of State.
Distinguished Graduate Award
Aradhna Tripati
Tripati (Ph.D. ’02, Earth sciences) is a professor of climate science and geochemistry at UCLA, and the faculty director and founder of the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science. She received her B.S. in geology from CSU Los Angeles and her Ph.D. in Earth sciences from UC Santa Cruz. She was a research fellow at the University of Cambridge and a research scientist at Caltech, prior to joining the faculty at UCLA. She is elected to the California Academy of Sciences, and is a fellow of four scientific societies, including the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Geological Society of America (GSA), the Geochemical Society, and the European Association of Geochemistry.
Tripati has received numerous awards for her research, education, and outreach programs, including a Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering from former President Barack Obama and the White House Office for Science, Technology, and Policy, and the National Science Foundation’s CAREER award. She is a recipient of AGU’s Dansgaard Award, their Ambassador Award, GSA’s Bromery Award, and UCLA’s Career Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. She is active in public engagement and participation in science across the country and internationally, working with tribal authorities, community-based organizations, businesses, culture-bearers, artists, comics, and museums.
Distinguished Undergraduate Award
Seath Brook Ahrens
Ahrens (Porter ’89, physics and computer engineering) is an engineer, songwriter, and producer at Infinity Reigns Music and head of R&D at Bunjo Bitware. Ahrens simultaneously earned a B.A. in physics and a B.S. in computer engineering with honors from UC Santa Cruz. In 2021, he released the debut Infinity Reigns album, ONE. As a tech lead at DreamWorks Animation, Ahrens led the development of the Academy Award winning PREMO Animation System. His movie credits include Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, and Madagascar. As the director of software development at Universal Audio, he and his teams won Audio Engineering Society awards for their real-time audio software. He was VP of R&D at Curious Labs, and co-created the 3D figure modeling and animation software Poser, winning many awards for its capabilities and ease of use. He also worked on cutting-edge volumetric imaging software for use with CT, MRI, ultrasound, laser confocal microscopy, and intravascular ultrasound.