Four distinguished alumni were honored at the 30th annual Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, Oct. 17.
The Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame provides the Stanford community with an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of diverse alumni leaders who have distinguished themselves through exceptional success in education, career, and service. Established in 1995 at the urging of Stanford Trustee Charles Ogletree Jr., ’74, MA ’75, the Hall of Fame has recognized more than 100 alumni for their contributions to society and to Stanford.
The reception and ceremony took place in Tresidder Memorial Union’s Oak East and West rooms. Stanford Alumni Association board member, Amanda Renteria, ’96, served as master of ceremonies.
This year’s honorees are:
Elizabeth “Betty” Parent, MA ’78, PhD ’84
Native American Cultural Center Inductee
Presented by Blue Tarpalechee, Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Director
Parent is a trailblazer in Native and Indigenous education, becoming the first Alaska Native woman to earn a PhD and the first to achieve tenure as a full professor. She broke barriers on the editorial board of the Harvard Educational Review and as the first professor of American Indian studies at San Francisco State University, where she also chaired the department. Her lifelong commitment to Native student success has earned her induction into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame, and SFSU has established the Betty Parent Achievement Award in her honor.
Dan-el Padilla Peralta, PhD ’14
El Centro Chicano y Latino Inductee
Presented by Elvira Prieto, ’96, Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Director
Padilla Peralta is a professor of classics at Princeton University, where he is also affiliated with African American studies, Latino studies, and the University Center for Human Values. He is the author of Undocumented: A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League and several award-winning scholarly works on Roman history and cultural identity. A co-founder of the Racing the Classics Fellowship, Padilla Peralta has advanced initiatives to diversify the field of classics while producing influential scholarship on community, empire, and race.
Nicole Taylor, ’90, MA ’91
Black Community Services Center Inductee
Presented by Rosalind Conerly, Associate Dean of Student Affairs & Karr Family Director
Taylor is the president and CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF), the world’s largest community foundation, overseeing more than $16 billion in assets and $2 billion in annual grantmaking. Since 2018, she has steered SVCF toward addressing local challenges while promoting philanthropy. A former Stanford administrator and nonprofit leader, Taylor has been recognized on the TIME100 Philanthropy list (2025) and Forbes 50 Over 50 (2022). She serves on several national boards and remains a champion for equity in education, philanthropy, and technology.
Francis Wong, ’79
Asian American Activities Center
Presented by Linda Tran, ’06, MA ’07, Associate Dean of Student Affairs & Scott J.J. Hsu Director
Wong is an acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and cultural organizer recognized for blending artistic innovation with community activism. Over a 40-year career, he has performed across North America, Asia, and Europe, and co-founded Asian Improv Arts, a nonprofit that has nurtured interdisciplinary Asian American arts communities. He has been honored as a Ford Foundation Visionary Artist, a Jazz Journalists Association “Jazz Hero,” and a Rockefeller Next Generation Leadership Fellow, while also serving as a lecturer in Asian American studies at San Francisco State University.
About the Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame
The Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame was created in partnership with the Asian American Activities Center, Black Community Services Center, El Centro Chicano y Latino, and Native American Cultural Center. The annual ceremony highlights alumni who exemplify leadership, service, and impact within their communities and across society.
With the induction of the Class of 2025, the Hall of Fame continues its 30-year tradition of recognizing Stanford’s diverse alumni leaders and their lasting contributions.
