San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
3 receive honorary doctorates from San Diego State
San Diego State University recently awarded honorary doctorate degrees to three people who have had a significant impact on the university, the San Diego community and our world.
Honorary degrees were conferred upon former Qualcomm and Microsoft executive Peggy L. Johnson; Gen. Merrill Anthony Mcpeak, who served on the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff; and José Padilla, former executive director of California Rural Legal Assistance. The degrees were presented during the university’s annual commencement ceremonies in May.
Johnson, who received an honorary doctor of science, earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from SDSU in 1985. After working as an engineer at General Electric’s military electronics division, she joined San Diego-based Qualcomm in 1989 as a software engineer. In August 2001, she was named president of Qualcomm Internet Services at what was then the dawn of the mobile phone revolution. She became executive vice president of business development for Microsoft in 2014 and is now CEO of Florida-based Magic Leap, which manufactures augmented reality devices.
Mcpeak, who received an honorary doctor of humane letters, earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics from San Diego State College, where he was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program. He entered active duty after graduation in 1957 at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
Mcpeak’s military career spanned 37 years. He was commander of the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing in NATO, February 1980-June 1981, promoted to general in August 1988 and named chief of staff for the air force in October 1990. He retired as a fourstar general in October 1994; his many decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross.
José Padilla, who was awarded an honorary doctor of law during a ceremony at SDSU’S Imperial Valley campus, was executive director for the nonprofit law firm California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) for 38 years. The firm provides free legal services to low-income residents of rural counties and is known particularly for its advocacy for agricultural workers.
Padilla is the grandson of farmworkers from the Imperial Valley. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
During his time at CRLA, the firm also established programs to advance environmental justice in disadvantaged communities, address LGBTQ+ issues, and to reduce educational disparities for vulnerable communities in rural California.