At University of the Pacific, great faculty don’t just teach—they mentor, challenge and inspire. 

The Pacific Alumni Association is honoring four exceptional faculty with its 2026 Faculty Mentor Awards, celebrating professors who make a lasting impact through transformative guidance and meaningful relationships with students. Recipients will be recognized October 11 during Homecoming and Family Weekend.

“The Faculty Mentor Awards recognize excellence,” said Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “The honorees are among the best teachers and scholars in their fields, but what truly sets them apart is their work with students to help them develop as lifelong learners. Each faculty member cares deeply about each student and goes above and beyond to support their success.”

More than 60 active and emeriti faculty have received the award since 2008. They exemplify the personalized approach to learning that has defined a Pacific education for 175 years.

“Faculty mentors are the heart of Pacific,” said Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20. “Their influence inspires students to build lives and careers of purpose, while their impact keeps alumni engaged with the university and motivated to give back.”

During his 10 years at McGeorge, Dan Croxall has emerged as a nationally recognized expert in craft beer and alcoholic beverage law. He created the world’s first craft beer law course and is finishing the first craft beer law textbook for schools and breweries. 

Croxall teaches numerous courses while also serving as associate dean of admission. He counsels students in their job searches, helps place graduates in federal and state clerkships, advises the McGeorge Law Review and the Craft Beer Law Society, and coaches award-winning moot court teams. 

“Professor Croxall embodies what it means to be a mentor,” said Dakota Councilman ’23. “He provided practical tips that I use every day as an attorney, and he opened my eyes to niche areas of law that not many people might think about. He was always available to talk and could relate to students as a McGeorge alumnus. No matter what, I knew I could rely on him.”

For more than three decades, Xiaoling Li has trained emerging leaders in the pharmaceutical sciences industry. He has mentored thousands of PharmD students along with dozens of PhD candidates, master’s students, post-doctoral research fellows and visiting scientists.

“During challenging periods in my research, Dr. Li’s insight and encouragement helped me navigate obstacles that felt insurmountable,” said Raj Birudaraj ’00. “He trained me to approach scientific problems creatively and resourcefully—skills that now serve me daily in my professional career. Because of his mentorship I have remained closely connected to Pacific, contributing as an alumnus and seeking to provide current students with opportunities similar to those he once provided me.”

Over the years Li has served as a department chair, graduate program director and associate dean. An expert in drug delivery mechanisms, he championed the creation of an interdisciplinary pharmaceutical and chemical sciences graduate program that leverages the wisdom of industry leaders. He also established a clinical rotation site for PharmD students in China and developed a master’s program focusing on the needs of the pharmaceutical technology sector in Asia.

Li has received many professional and university accolades, including the Distinguished Faculty Award, Pacific’s highest faculty honor. 

A national expert on language and literacy development, Jeannene Ward-Lonergan has served Pacific for 27 years as a teacher, clinician, administrator and impactful mentor. 

The longest serving faculty member in the speech-language pathology department, she championed the formation of the Language-Literacy Center on the Stockton Campus, which has provided reading instruction to hundreds of Central Valley children and expanded Pacific students’ access to clinical experience.

Ward-Lonergan consistently prioritizes research collaborations with students and devotes time to mentoring newer colleagues. “Three months into my new faculty role, the COVID-19 pandemic forced all classes online. I felt extremely overwhelmed, but Jeannene’s exceptional leadership was invaluable,” recalled Megan Black ’13, ’14, ’23. “During that time, when I encountered my first significant classroom challenge, Jeannene was by my side, guiding me with patience and grace. I don’t believe I would have made it through my first year of teaching without her steadfast support.”

Ward-Lonergan provides clinical supervision to students serving youth with spoken and written language disorders. She chaired the speech-language pathology department before transitioning to administrative roles with the School of Health Sciences. As associate dean, she ensures academic program quality, supports empowering learning environments and participates in the department's recruitment and retention efforts.

Nominations for the 2027 Faculty Mentor Awards are now being accepted.