The School of Social Sciences is pleased to have among its faculty, staff, students, alumni and community friends two recipients of the UCI Alumni Association’s Lauds & Laurels awards for 2013.  Established in 1971, the awards have recognized and celebrated the accomplishments of more than 800 outstanding anteaters who have prominently contributed to and supported the advancement of UCI’s fundamental mission of teaching, research and public service.

Janice Cimbalo
Outstanding Social Sciences Alumna
UCI Psychology and Economics, ’87 | Biology, ’92
Pepperdine J.D., ’91
Senior Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle Real Estate

Janice Cimbalo began her legal career as a litigation attorney, focusing on cases related to real estate, corporate, international, antitrust, bankruptcy, product liability, and medical malpractice law. She then spent a period of time with Studley, Inc. in Los Angeles engaged in tenant representation before joining Cushman & Wakefield in 2005. By 2007, she was promoted to senior director of brokerage services at the downtown LA office where she specialized in representing tenants from a variety of local and national industries. She joined John Lang LaSalle in 2009 as senior vice president of one of the nation’s most prestigious financial and professional services firms specializing in real estate. Headquartered in Chicago, LaSalle has global revenue exceeding $3 billion, serves clients in 60 countries from 750 locations worldwide, including 180 corporate offices. As senior VP, Cimbalo is responsible for strategic planning and implementation for portfolio tenants across Southern California, the nation and internationally. Throughout her successful career in real estate, Cimbalo hasn’t forgotten her UCI roots. She continually returns to campus to participate in alumni career panels, sharing her story of success to future anteater alumni. She has served as a judge for Mock Trial competitions and as an advisor for the UCI Law Forum. “She plays a pivotal role as a social sciences volunteer and demonstrates her passion for encouraging students to reach their academic goals,” says Rosemarie Swatez, social sciences associate director of development. For her contributions, Cimbalo was named the 2013 Lauds & Laurels Outstanding Social Sciences Alumna.

Kevin Tillie
Outstanding Student Athlete
UCI Sociology Senior

Kevin Tillie was born to play volleyball; his father was a member of the 1992 French Olympic team and his mother played professionally in Holland. A French native from the Mediterranean coastal town of Cagne-sur-Mer, Tillie didn’t meet NCAA eligibility requirements to play in the U.S. after graduating from high school, so he enrolled in Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia. After two years, he transferred to UCI where he’s known as “Air France.” The 6’6” outside hitter was a 2012 First Team All-American, a 2012 NCAA All-Tournament team member and a member of the 2012 All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation First Team. As a junior last year, Tillie was second on the men’s team in kills with 342. In 2012, he helped the anteaters bring home the NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship, a feat he hopes to repeat in 2013. He also plays on the French National team and has competed in the FIVB World League, a concentration of the top national teams from around the globe. “Kevin has become a highly respected leader amongst his peers and has proudly represented UCI in the global spotlight,” says Mike Izzi, UCI athletics director. “His talents put him neck and neck against the world’s most elite athletes, yet he still finds time to exemplify the true meaning of ‘student-athlete.’ He harnesses his energy to focus on the task at hand and dedicates numerous hours to his studies.” This year, Tillie is recognized as the Lauds & Laurels Outstanding Student Athlete.

Join the School of Social Sciences in honoring our two award winners at the 43rd annual UCI Alumni Association Lauds & Laurels Banquet to be held May 16 at the UCI Student Center Pacific Ballroom. Tickets are $250, with 10-person tables available. For more information, call (949) 824-2586.

-photos courtesy of Talent Pages and UCI Athletics
 

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