UTEP's Top Ten Seniors Celebration

by Hunt Business Staff

What Happened: The University of Texas at El Paso celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Top Ten Seniors Awards, welcoming more than 100 alumni back to campus.

Representing classes from 1959 to 2024, the event offered a day of reflection, reconnection, and recognition.

Among them were 19 distinguished alumni from the Woody L. Hunt College of Business, whose accomplishments and service continue to inspire. Their return highlighted the long-lasting impact of a Hunt Business education and the shared Miner spirit across generations.

Why It Matters: This milestone event celebrated the academic and leadership excellence of UTEP alumni while reconnecting them with the campus community and today’s students.

Inside the Celebration:

The day included a campus tour, where returning alumni explored new spaces and reflected on their time at UTEP.

A special alumni reception brought together past recipients of the Top Ten Seniors Award for networking and storytelling.

The celebration culminated with the annual awards ceremony at the Tomas Rivera Conference Room, where this year’s Top Ten Seniors student honorees were formally recognized.

What They Said:
"We're celebrating 75 years of leadership and service that continue to shape what UTEP and Hunt Business stand for," said John Hadjimarcou, Ph.D., Rick and Ginger Francis Dean. "Taking time to reflect on all of our top ten seniors serves as a reminder of the impact our students have long after they graduate from UTEP."

Honorees:

Zachary J. Althoff, 2023

Charles T. Allen, 1988

Michael I. Bernstein, 1964

John S. Birkelbach, 1971

Leonel Chee, 1998

Julie M. Dahlberg, 1995

Richard De Santos, 1990

Gary E. Edens, 1990

John P. Eger, 1979

Jorge Banos Gomar, 2013

Cynthia S. Hoffmann, 1985