The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel will set an elegant stage for the dinner and presentation of awards to Bon Appétit editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild (Journalism, '72), trial attorney Larry Feldman (Business, '66) and former astronaut Scott Horowitz (Engineering, '78), director of space transportation and exploration for weapon and space systems company ATK Thiokol.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards pay tribute to those whose achievements place them at the summit of their professions.

"The positive imprint of Cal State Northridge is visible in virtually every walk of life," said CSUN President Jolene Koester. "This year's honorees are a case in point; they have brought creativity and courage to widely varying fields, and honor to our university."

As editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit, honoree Barbara Fairchild is considered one of the most influential figures in the world of cuisine. Respected by her peers in journalism and by the publication's six million subscribers, Fairchild was promoted to editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit in June 2000, a month after her induction into the James Beard Foundation's "Who's Who in American Food and Beverage." Last summer, she celebrated her 25th year anniversary at the magazine.

Under Fairchild's leadership, Bon Appétit and its editors have earned three James Beard Awards--named after the legendary epicure, cookbook author and teacher--as well as the Bedford Pace Memorial Travel Writing Award and the Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Award for Outstanding Travel Writing.

A member of the Beard Foundation's National Advisory Board, Fairchild is a judge for the group's annual awards event for chefs and restaurants, and its annual Journalism Awards.

Larry Feldman's courtroom skills have earned him "Trial Lawyer of the Year" laurels from both the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association and Loyola Law School. He is an elected member of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers as well as the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

A fierce litigator, Feldman's string of high-profile courtroom victories include a $156 million verdict on behalf of 700 physicians who alleged fraud against an insurance company and a $28 million wrongful termination verdict.

Feldman, special counsel in the international firm of Kaye Scholer, is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America." He was named "Top Tort Lawyer" by Los Angeles Magazine as well as one of California's top ten "Super Lawyers," and received the American Civil Liberties Union Public Service Award for his work on behalf of civil rights and civil liberties.

After earning a bachelor's degree in business from CSUN (then San Fernando Valley State College) in 1966, Feldman was graduated first in his class from Loyola Law School, where he edited the Law Review.

As an American astronaut, Scott "Doc" Horowitz logged nearly 1,200 hours and 16 million space miles during four shuttle missions. As an executive with ATK Thiokol, the world's leading provider of hypersonic scramjet engines and other advanced technologies, Horowitz has brought space transportation and its benefits closer to average, earthbound citizens.

Selected as a NASA pilot in 1992, Horowitz four years later piloted a shuttle mission performing microgravity and tethered satellite science. The next year, he flew as pilot of a maintenance mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, followed by an International Space Station assembly mission in 2000. In August 2001, Horowitz was commander of a Space Station crew exchange and assembly mission.

NASA colleague Ken Bowersox said Horowitz's "huge contribution" to NASA exploration included his leadership of the Astronaut Office's Advanced Projects Branch, critical to NASA's moon and Mars exploration plan. The much-decorated explorer's honors at CSUN--among them first place in an American Society of Mechanical Engineers Design Competition--foreshadowed later awards: the Distinguished Flying Cross, NASA Exceptional Service and Flight Medals, Defense Meritorious Service and Superior Service Medals and a number of U.S. Air Force recognitions for service and pilot training.