2024 Outstanding Alumna

Ruth Koide Ichinaga

Ruth Ichinaga ('57, UCSF) is a retired Oakland Unified School District nurse and was actively involved in bringing one of the first elementary school-based clinics on site. She has been teaching taiko for the past 23 years at the Sakura Kai Senior Center. She has previously danced with the Purple Moon Dance Project and with Oneness Butoh and is currently a member of butohBuddies. Ruth served on the JAWAUCB Board for 19 years and has held positions as Chair, Treasurer and Nominations Chair. She was instrumental in facilitating the creation of the JAWAUCB vision statement.

About Outstanding Alumnae

In 1991, the Board of the Japanese American Women Alumnae of UC Berkeley decided to honor an Outstanding Alumna annually. The selection would be based on the individual’s:

academic career
contributions to the community
career accomplishments

The recipients of this award have distinguished themselves in these areas and are truly deserving of this special recognition. Their names are placed on a plaque permanently displayed in the Alumni House on the UC Berkeley campus.

Please view the slide show below to learn about each of our outstanding alumnae.

Recipients (1991-present)

1991 Yoshiye Togasaki, M.D.
1992 Mary Murai, Ph.D.
1993 Frances Yuge Kirihara
1994 Evelyn Nakano Glenn, Ph.D.
1995 Elsie Sata Baukol, M.D.
1996 Michi Onuma
1997 Ann Saito Howden
1998 Lillian Iida Matsumoto
1999 Chizu Kitano Iiyama
2000 Michiko Fujii Uchida
2001 Reiko Homma True, Ph.D.
2002 Tomoye Nozawa Takahashi
2003 Elsie Adachi Ogata
2004 Pearl Kurokawa Kimura
2005 Hideko Seto
2006 Taeko Joanne Ono Iritani
2007 Grace Noda
2008 Irene T. Miura, Ph.D.
2009 Dorothy S. Oda, RN, DNSc., FAAN
2010 Doris O. Matsui
2011 Joyce N. Takahashi, Ph.D.
2012 Sara Ishikawa
2013 Gloria Imagire
2014 Grace Amemiya
2015 Judy Sakaki, Ph.D.
2016 Kiku Hori Funabiki
2017 Amy Iwasaki Mass, DSW
2018 Margaret Koide Kusaba
2019 Lynn Nakada
2020 Betty Sasaki Furuta
2021 Chizu Omori
2022 Midori Kono Thiel
2023 Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
2024 Ruth Koide Ichinaga

2024 Outstanding Alumna

Ruth Koide Ichinaga

About Outstanding Alumnae

Recipients (1991-present)

Presenting our Outstanding Alumnae (1991 to present)