High Impact

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Growing up in Old Town Goleta, Britt Ortiz used to ride his bicycle to UC Santa Barbara on warm summer afternoons to swim in the campus pool. Little did he know he’d play water polo in that same pool during high school and college, or that his professional career would land him at UCSB decades later.Talk about coming full circle.
Education changed Ortiz’s life, and as director of UCSB’s Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) he’s doing his best to afford that same opportunity to as many high school students as he can reach. For his nearly 30-year effort, he has received the University of California’s 2017 Dr. Winston Doby Impact Award.
Presented at UC’s annual College Access and Preparation Forum, the award recognizes two exceptional UC professionals selected by their colleagues in recognition of their individual commitment to improving educational opportunities for all California students. The second recipient of the 2017 award is Catherine Cooper of UC Santa Cruz.
This year’s forum explored avenues for improving academic preparation and postsecondary access for all California students, particularly those from underserved communities.
“Britt has dedicated his professional career to helping students achieve their dreams of attending college,” said Margaret Klawunn, vice chancellor for student affairs at UCSB. “The work Britt does is special in many ways and I am impressed by his passions to help all students, not just those who attend UC. He cares just as much about a student going to community college or a California State University. He is deserving of the Doby Impact Award because his work improves lives and will be felt for generations to come.”
The award is named for the late Winston Churchill Doby, a visionary leader and advocate for educationally disadvantaged students. He served as vice chancellor of student affairs at UCLA and as vice president of educational ...

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