The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences takes great pride in honoring Deneen Vojta (A&S ’86) with the school's 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.
This honor recognizes Dr. Vojta’s extraordinary leadership at the intersection of medicine, innovation, and health system transformation. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an ability to bridge the gap between the academic, non-profit, and business communities to make significant improvements in health at scale – focusing on prevention, signal detection and early intervention. These efforts led to honors including Top Innovator from Modern Healthcare, CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards Best of Innovations, and an Emmy® Award Winner, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Dr. Vojta currently serves as EVP of Blue Shield of California and previously as EVP of Research & Development at UnitedHealth Group, where she led the creation and scaling of multiple nationally recognized innovations including the country’s first payer-enabled clinical trials platforms allowing for real world evidence generation writ large. Her work is well-published and has been cited as establishing UnitedHealth Group as a leader in digital health innovation, and she remains a trusted voice on AI, data-driven care, and equitable access to healthcare.
Beyond her executive accomplishments, Dr. Vojta has served on global public company boards, led sustainability initiatives tied to children’s health and literacy, and supported health innovation across the U.S., Middle East, and Europe. A proud pediatrician and mother, she has consistently blended clinical expertise with visionary leadership in ways that exemplify the values of the Dietrich School.
For these reasons and more, the Dietrich School is thrilled to honor Dr. Deneen Vojta and celebrate her lasting impact on health, science, and society.