Alumni Awards
The Cal Lutheran Alumni Board of Directors Awards Program recognizes the outstanding achievements of California Lutheran University alumni. Nominations for awards in the five categories listed below are welcomed from all members and friends of the Cal Lutheran community.
We look forward to receiving your nominations and recognizing the outstanding achievements of your fellow alumni.
Mary Margaret Thomes, Ph.D.
Honorary Alumni
During her 34 years as a CLU faculty member, Dr. Mary Margaret Thomes left an indelible mark on the university. Serving as Chair of the Sociology Department for many years, she is credited with transforming the sociology program into a rigorous social science discipline at CLU.
Her imagination and creativity resulted in the founding of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program on campus and subsequently the Marriage and Family Counseling Center, which provides low cost counseling to those in need. The Community Counseling Center is now the largest outpatient mental health center in east Ventura County. Dr. Thomes served as Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program for 18 years ensuring its standard of quality.
Very active in faculty governance at CLU during the turbulent 1970s, Thomes played a key role in faculty reorganization and in creating the very strong and progressive faculty governance system the university enjoys today. In addition to her contributions to the academic life at CLU, Thomes has played an active role in Thousand Oaks’ civic and community life lending her expertise to numerous organizations and programs. She took a special interest in women’s issues and was involved in establishing Creative Options: A Day for Women, an annual program at CLU that provides workshops and networking opportunities for some 1,000 women.
She is co-author of The Family: From Traditional to Companionship with her late husband, Professor Harvey J. Locke, and Ernest W. Burgess. When published, the book was a pioneer in sociology and soon became the standard in the field.