#46

(2008) Pulitzer Prize-winning alumna Kay Ryan is appointed the U.S. Poet Laureate. Her work uses irony and humor to unravel idiosyncrasies of the human experience. In 2015, Juan Felipe Herrera (pictured to the right) becomes the first Latino U.S. poet laureate. He received the UCLA Medal in 2017 for his achievements as an artist and activist.