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Remembering Our Dear Friend Cal LaRoche

Read His Full Biography

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30th Anniversary: Selection Weekend Dinner & Program

VIDEO highlights and remarks

Playlist

10 Videos

A CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2026
6:00 PM–9:30 PM

Please RSVP by March 1, 2026. If you have any questions, reach out to Anita Karadia at akaradia@ronbrown.org.

THE WASHINGTON MARRIOTT GEORGETOWN

The Metropolitan Ballroom

1150 22nd St NW
Washington, DC 20037

Business attire encouraged

Parking available on-site or at 1255 22nd St., NW parking lot

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Featuring fireside chat with William Tarpeh, PhD - RBS 2008

MacArthur Genius Fellow, 2025

BIO

Photos above by Christopher Michel

MODERATED BY

Ku McMahan, PhD – RBS 1999
U.S. International Development
Finance Corporation (DFC)

BIO

HOSTED BY

Miles Johnson – RBS 2004
Google

BIO

SPECIAL SPEAKER

Florence Onyiuke – RBS 2022
2026 Rhodes Scholar

BIO

SPONSORSHIP & TICKETING INFO

30th Anniversary: Selection Weekend Dinner & Program

Friday, March 20, 2026
6:00 – 9:30pm
The Washington Marriott Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

All proceeds from the event go directly to scholarships and mentoring support for Ron Brown Scholars.

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PRESENTING
SPONSOR
($50,000)

  • Two (2) tables in premier location
  • Top-tier name and/or logo placement on all event collateral, including event signage and evening program booklet
  • Dedicated Sponsor Spotlight in RBSP digital communications (pre and post event)
  • Recognition during the event program and RBSP digital communications
  • Elevated visibility among philanthropic, business, and academic leaders
  • VIP photo opportunity
  • Logo inclusion on registration confirmation email
  • Opportunity to provide a branded takeaway at each seat (with RBSP approval)
  • Optional- seating of Ron Brown Scholars and Board members with your group
Add to Cart

PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORSHIP
($25,000)

  • One (1) table in premier location
  • Prominent name and/or logo placement on all event collateral, including event signage and evening program booklet
  • Recognition during the event program and RBSP digital communications
  • Recognition in post-event communication
  • VIP photo opportunity
  • Logo inclusion on registration confirmation email
  • Optional- seating of Ron Brown Scholars and Board members with your group
Add to Cart

GOLD Level Sponsorship
($10,000)

  • Six (6) event tickets
  • Name and/or logo placement on all event collateral, including event signage and evening program booklet
  • Recognition during the event program and select RBSP digital communications
  • Recognition in post-event communication
Add to Cart

CHAMPION Level Sponsorship
($5,000)

  • Four (4) event tickets
  • Recognition at the event
  • Recognition in post-event communication
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VIP TICKETS
($600)

  • Preferred seating
  • Recognition in post-event communication
Add to Cart

GENERAL TICKETS
($500)

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RON BROWNS SCHOLAR TICKETS
($250)

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In Memoriam:
Cal LaRoche (1946–2025)

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Cal LaRoche, a brilliant and dedicated advisor and champion of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, who left us on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025.

Born in New York in January 1946, Cal graduated from Central State University in Ohio, where he joined the Eta Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. His career spanned decades of leadership and innovation, beginning at the National Security Agency and continuing through key roles at IBM, SkyTel Communications, and The Orkand Corporation. 

A visionary entrepreneur, Cal later co-founded DC Ventures and Associates.

His commitment to service was unwavering. Cal chaired the Boards of Trustees at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda and Norwood School and served with distinction for 15 years on the Advisory Board of the Ron Brown Scholar Program. His leadership extended to the Beta Mu, Boulé Foundation Board, where he served as Chair, and to Patients For Affordable Drugs, where he was a founding board member and Treasurer.

An avid golfer and advocate for equity in the sport, Cal co-founded the Pro-Duffer/Carter Foundation Scholarship to promote diversity in golf. A long-time member of TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, he was as passionate about creating opportunity as he was about the game itself.

Cal’s legacy is carried on by his beloved family: his mother, Lucille “Gloria” David; his wife, Esperanza, and their sons, CJ and Ethan; his former wife, Cheryl LaRoche; their daughters, Gina LaRoche, Renee LaRoche-Morris, and Danielle LaRoche; six grandchildren; and his siblings. His wisdom, warmth, and unwavering belief in the potential of young people will remain an enduring part of the Ron Brown Scholar community.

We are forever grateful for Cal’s enduring support, leadership, and love. He leaves behind a legacy of excellence, generosity, and deep humanity. He will be deeply missed.
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MacArthur Genius Fellow, 2025

William Tarpeh, PhD
RBS 2008

UNDERGRAD: Stanford University

GRAD SCHOOL: University of California, Berkeley, 2013, MS Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2017, PhD Environmental Engineering

As an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, Dr. William Tarpeh is reimagining waste as a powerful resource. His work centers on developing sustainable technologies that transform discarded materials into clean water, fertilizers, and energy—advancing solutions that sit at the intersection of environmental engineering, chemistry, and social impact. Through this approach, his research not only pushes scientific boundaries but also addresses pressing challenges of equity and access.

Today, William is focused on bringing these innovations to scale, particularly in communities with limited infrastructure. A pilot project in Kenya successfully produced urine-derived fertilizers at a lower cost than synthetic alternatives. Closer to home, he and his colleagues are preparing to test an electrocatalyst in a box (ECaB) system in California farm fields using agricultural runoff. If successful, this technology could significantly reduce nitrate pollution—responsible for harmful algal blooms—while generating a sustainable, affordable source of fertilizer. As waste from human, agricultural, and industrial activity continues to grow, William’s work plays a vital role in protecting environmental and public health while sustainably producing the chemicals modern life depends on.

William’s journey reflects the very mission of the Ron Brown Scholar Program: to support brilliant minds who lead with purpose and service. From his undergraduate days at Stanford to his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, and now as a leading researcher and mentor, William has embodied the spirit of excellence and community uplift that defines our Scholar network.

MODERATOR

Lanakila “Ku” McMahan, PhD
RBS 1999

UNDERGRAD: Duke University

GRAD SCHOOL: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Health, 2007, MPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Health, 2011, PhD

Dr. Ku McMahan currently serves as a Deputy Managing Director at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), where he provides oversight and helps manage the agency’s technical assistance portfolio.

A recognized expert in science and technology policy and innovation programs that advance global prosperity—particularly at the intersection of agriculture and water—Ku has managed more than $250 million in grant and technical assistance funding over the past decade.

With in-country experience across more than 80 countries in Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia, Ku’s work has had a broad and lasting impact. Through SWFF, more than six million farmers and their families have received increased support, contributing to the production of over 3.5 million tons of food.

HOSTED BY

Miles Johnson
RBS 2004

UNDERGRAD: Harvard College

Miles Johnson is a 2004 RBS Scholar and 2008 graduate of Harvard College. He hails from Oakland, CA and lives in New York City with his husband, Tim. Miles is Director of Engagement Architecture at Google, where he leads a team designing novel ways to motivate employees to do their best work. Miles currently serves as the President of the RBS Alumni Association Board, and he’s excited to be able to contribute to the powerful RBS community in a new way. In his free time, Miles loves the performing arts – especially theater and dance – travel, and creative writing, and is slowly, fitfully, working on what may someday become a novel.

SPECIAL SPEAKER

Florence Onyiuke
RBS 2022

UNDERGRAD: University of Pennsylvania

Florence Onyiuke (RBS 2022) is a senior in the Huntsman Program at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a double major in International Relations & Business with a minor in Spanish. On campus, she plays an active role in several organizations, serving as Executive Director of Black Wharton Consulting, a three-year Perry World House Student Fellow, and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board. Her academic interests center on international economic development, international law, and immigration. As a 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellow, she explored these themes through comparative study of economic policy, social change, and conflict response across Washington, D.C., Cape Town, and Dublin. She has also interned at J.P. Morgan and McKinsey & Company. At Oxford, she intends to pursue an M.Sc. in African Studies with a focus on economic development.