Paul Lau - 2025 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters

Paul Lau is an exceptional leader whose accomplishments and commitments to education, sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion have benefited the Sacramento Region and have had significant impacts nationally and internationally.

Mr. Lau is the CEO and General Manager of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).

His distinguished 42-year career with SMUD began as a student intern while he was attending Sacramento State. Under his leadership, SMUD became a pioneer in clean energy initiatives, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

This ambitious goal reflects Mr. Lau’s dedication to environmental stewardship, a value that

resonates deeply with Sacramento State’s mission. He has driven innovative projects, including smart grid technology and large-scale renewable energy projects, and has supported educational programs through scholarships and workforce partnerships, particularly benefiting students from underserved populations.

Mr. Lau also is active in international energy issues, serving as a delegate with the United States Energy Association and contributing to electrification and demand-side management in countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Jordan. He holds leadership positions in several organizations, including the Smart Electric Power Alliance, the Balancing Authority of Northern California, and the American Public Power Association. Locally, he serves on the boards of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council and Valley Vision, and he is a past chair of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.

A Chinese immigrant who came to the United States in middle school speaking very little English, Lau’s personal journey is a testament to his resilience and commitment to helping others. After graduating from Sacramento State with a degree in electrical engineering, he continued to give back to his alma mater by creating and maintaining internship and workforce development programs targeting diverse student populations, providing hands-on experience in clean energy technology and engineering.

These programs help bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world career preparation, especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds. He also promotes STEM education among K-12 students in underserved communities, creating a pipeline of diverse students prepared to succeed in the CSU system.

Paul Lau’s life and achievements embody the transformative potential of the California State University’s mission. Through his visionary leadership, deep community engagement, and unwavering commitment to sustainability and education, he has become a powerful example of how individual passion can create meaningful, lasting change for society.

Ron Brown - 2024 Distinguished Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award

By Daniel Wilson

November 07, 2024

Ron Brown can often be heard reminding his peers to “be a good human.”

It’s a mantra Brown, president and CEO of West Sacramento-based general contracting firm Brown Construction, embodies in everything he does.

Brown, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management (CM) from Sacramento State in 1986, is the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the University’s Alumni Association. He and five others will be honored at the Distinguished Alumni Awards reception and dinner on Nov. 7.

Brown joined his father’s company in 1988 and bought it from him in 2002. Brown Construction, which was founded in 1964, now is one of the largest employers in Yolo County and among the largest firms in Sacramento. Notable Brown Construction projects include Modoc Hall and American River Courtyard student housing at Sac State, Aggie Stadium at UC Davis, Yolo Food Bank, The Barn in West Sacramento and the Yolo County Library.

“I kind of feel I'm accepting this award for all of us that have been part of it. I enjoy working with students. I enjoy seeing students succeed. It's pretty cool. I've been able to work with a lot of students over the last number of years.” -- Ron Brown

Brown originally wanted to pursue a career in architecture, but as the field moved toward computer technology in the ‘80s, he realized he was more into engineering and construction.

“I've been exposed to construction all my life, so of course that enabled me to be more excited about it,” Brown said. “I wanted to have more of a footprint in construction than just working on the job site, so that's why I got into the CM program at Sac State.”

As someone who enjoys giving back, Brown serves or has served on several boards, such as WellSpace Health, Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange, the Sacramento Construction Management Education Foundation at Sac State, and the Sac State University Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Brown also supports several nonprofits, such as the Salvation Army, and Sac State’s Construction Management Student Association and Construction Management Education Foundation.

Brown contributes to Sac State CM students’ education by guest lecturing, offering workshops and internships, and mentoring and coaching students in the Associated Schools of Construction Management annual competition. Sac State’s team has earned more than 85 regional and national academic competition awards.

Brown’s contributions to Sac State’s CM department don’t end there. In 2012, Brown was among those who worked to shift CM from a program in Civil Engineering to an independent academic department, tripling its enrollment.

“I think it's been very successful,” Brown said. “And now the CM department has a few hundred students, and so that's been very rewarding to do, and I got to do it with a group of my peers.”

Brown, who continually works to bridge the gap between academia and industry, was recognized for his work with the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014.

Brown has given back to the region with Brown Construction’s Build It Forward program, which waives profits on projects that benefit the community, ensuring lower project costs and timely completion. Projects include the West Sac Civic Center, Sacramento Zoo exhibits and portions of Fairytale Town. The company has constructed nearly $54 million in projects under this program since it launched in the late ‘90s.

Brown said he doesn’t feel he deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award because many of his accomplishments came as part of a team.

“I feel a little bit of a poser getting an award for being a piece of something that a whole lot of other people have been involved with,” Brown said. “I kind of feel I'm accepting this award for all of us that have been part of it. I enjoy working with students. I enjoy seeing students succeed. It's pretty cool. I've been able to work with a lot of students over the last number of years.”

Lee Ritchey - 2021 Honorary Doctor of Science

Lee Ritchey is the Founder and President of Speeding Edge, an international company engaged in training, consulting, and publishing on high-speed design topics such as signal integrity analysis, printed circuit board (PCB) design, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) control. Through Speeding Edge, Mr. Ritchey has taught over 11,000 engineers– both domestic and international. He is a life member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, a founding member of the Printed Circuit Design Conference, a member of the DesignCon Conference Planning Committee, and a Cofounder and Sponsor of Hornet Leadership Program.

Mr. Ritchey has written over 100 technical articles published in trade journals and conference proceedings and authored three internationally recognized books: High-Speed PCB Design (1999), Right the First Time, A Practical Handbook on High-Speed PCB and System Design, Volumes 1 and 2 (2003, 2006). He is considered the leading PCB expert by the industry’s largest trade journal. In addition to publishing and consultation, Mr. Ritchey designed the actual radio used in NASA’s Apollo Space Program – he put the very first transistor on the moon. Additionally, Mr. Ritchey has served as a scoutmaster for six years, has served on the Pacific Highline Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Council for 11 years, is on the Bodega Bay Citizens Emergency Response Team, and is a member of the Sonoma County Aircraft Museum.

In addition to decades of industry expertise, Mr. Ritchey is a frequent guest lecturer in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). He demonstrated his faith in a vision for an extra-curricular leadership program for students at Sacramento State. New ideas were offered, promising plans were made, but no one stepped up to make a substantial financial donation to help launch the program. Mr. Ritchey made a substantial financial gift to the college to launch the Hornet Leadership Program (HLP). Now in its third year and serving hundreds of students, HLP provides nearly $30,000 in scholarships annually and is funded by almost $450,000 in donation money from additional college friends. Mr. Ritchey has inspired others to follow his lead and give generously to Sacramento State students. Mr. Ritchey’s expertise, scholarship, service, and philanthropy add immense value to the College of ECS and Sacramento State.