Fire destroyed an award. Her legacy lives on.

Loma Linda University honors dozens of alumni each year, recognizing their accomplishments since completing their education, sharing their stories as examples to future students of the varied career paths available from a Loma Linda education, and reminding alumni that they are members of a university family that has not forgotten them.

Robin Miller Ungar graduated from the University's Communicative Disorders program in 1975. She chose Loma Linda University for her master's degree because LLU was one of the few universities that had a hospital affiliation. Ungar wanted to work with adult patients, and the University/Medical Center affiliation provided those educational opportunities. She has many good memories of studying with a stellar group of faculty, including Jean Lowry, Kenneth Lutz, Melvin Cohen, and Evelyn Britt.

Her Loma Linda University education prepared Ungar for an impressive career devoted to helping people communicate. Her studies also connected her to a university that remained important long after graduation. Ungar went on to serve 36 years with a fellow Loma Linda University alumna in private practice, providing speech-language pathology services to dozens of hospitals, convalescent centers, and home health agencies across Southern California.

Ungar has always embraced using the arts, particularly music, as part of her therapy work. As her therapy career activities have wound down, Ungar has produced two films, "Soy Cubana," a documentary featuring Vocal Vidas, a Cuban all-female a cappella quartet as they performed in the United States in 2017 and "As We Are", a documentary short film about musicians on the autism spectrum performing in a concert with neurotypical musicians. ("As We Are" is available on Vimeo.)

Ungar was honored as a 2021 Distinguished Alumna by the School of Allied Health Professions. Because of restrictions on large gatherings during that COVID-19 year, Ungar was honored during a virtual event. She provided a short video thank you message with her award, which had been shipped to her home in Pacific Palisades, CA.

Ungar and her husband, Gary Ungar, a motion picture executive, spent 33 years in the same home in the Palisades. Then January 7, 2025, happened. The devastating Palisades fire ultimately destroyed more than 6,800 structures, leaving block after block of homes and businesses nothing more than ash.

With just 45 minutes of warning to evacuate their home, Ungar and her husband grabbed what they could and left. And among the things left behind was something that, in the grand scheme of what had been lost, might have seemed insignificant - Ungar's Distinguished Alumna Award.

Her husband had grabbed his Oscar award and a BAFTA trophy, but lost many other awards. In the fire's aftermath, she overheard some friends tell her husband that many of his awards could be replaced if he contacted the various presenting organizations.

"I would think about my award from Loma Linda University, and how much it meant to me," Ungar said. "I had it sitting on my desk."

Ungar wondered whether the University could reproduce the award, so she reached out to the school. She found herself in contact with Michela Sands, a development officer. During their conversation, Ungar mentioned that she had lost her Alumni Award during the fire, and the loss hurt because it was so important to her.

"When we got off the phone, I immediately reached out to the School of Allied Health Professionals Alumni Office to let them know about Robin and if there was any way the award could be reproduced for her," Sands said. The Alumni Office jumped into action and ordered a new award.

In late August, Sands and Joel Wagness, development officer for Allied Health and Pharmacy, met with Ungar in West Hollywood. During their visit, Sands and Wagness were able to surprise her by re-presenting her with her 2021 Distinguished Alumna Award. Sands read from a letter written by Karen Mainess, Chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders department. Mainess's letter read in part:

"Although the physical award was destroyed, the honor it represents can never be diminished. Your achievements, your service, and the inspiration you have provided to our students and profession remain a lasting part of our department's history.

"It is therefore our privilege to present you with a replacement Distinguished Alumnus Award. While no replacement can restore all that was lost, we hope this small gesture serves as a reminder that your Loma Linda University family remembers, values, and celebrates you."

It was an emotional moment for Ungar, who was thrilled to receive a duplicate award and grateful for the way the school showed it cares for her.

"It was very supportive and heartfelt," she recalls.

Ungar also shared what this gesture by the SAHP meant to her.

"Even though it's been many, many years since being at the school, I felt an incredible spirit of love."