Chico State Alumni Association

When asked to pinpoint the start of his trajectory as a world-renowned expert in disaster resiliency, response, and reconstruction, Kit Miyamoto (Civil Engineering, ’89) doesn’t hesitate: Chico State.

As founder and CEO of Miyamoto International, he has spent decades helping communities recover and rebuild after earthquakes, fires, floods, and armed conflicts. Miyamoto's teams have responded to more than 100 disasters worldwide, assessed over 600,000 damaged buildings, and helped reconstruct more than 50,000 structures across the globe.

But long before the international recognition, global recovery missions, and engineering breakthroughs, Miyamoto was a Chico State student inspired by faculty who helped shape his purpose and passion.

“What made Chico State especially impactful was the access to professors and the close-knit environment,” he shared.

On Friday, May 15, Chico State proudly awarded Kit Miyamoto an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his humanitarian leadership, engineering innovation, and lifelong commitment to safeguarding lives and strengthening communities worldwide.

Congratulations, Dr. Miyamoto! Your work represents the very best of Chico State and the power of using education in service of others.

Celebrating the graduates of the Colleges of Natural Sciences and CSU, Chico HFA (Humanities and Fine Arts)! 🎓🎉

Student speaker Wesley Porter reminded us that those moments where we felt like we were “getting nowhere” were actually the moments we were building bridges to our future. “Working through the confusion is the very signature of expanding your knowledge.”

To the Class of 2026, no matter where your next chapter takes you, remember that you always have a home here at Chico State! ❤️🐾

📸 Photos by: Jason Halley