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AWIS-SD President's Letter

By Dorothy (Dody) Sears

Dear Fellow AWIS-SD Members & Friends,

I would like to start off my letter this issue with a big “Thank You” to the Newsletter Committee for their consistent quality production of our Chapter’s bi-monthly newsletter!  Aided by enthusiastic contributions from the general AWIS-SD membership, this great team, led by Nurith Amitai, has worked to revive the Member News section, as well as occasionally underutilized article categories like book and movie reviews and local news stories.  In the near future, the Newsletter Committee also hopes to introduce a “News Ticker” section, comprising 1-2 sentence soundbites about local science-related news developments.  Your input will be essential to this feature, so feel free to tip off the Newsletter Committee to any new developments in the area!

I must say that I am so impressed by and grateful for the outstanding efforts, creativity and energy that all our Committees contribute to support the outreach and career development mission of AWIS-SD.  Congratulations to our Outreach Committee and other AWIS-SD members and friends who recently had their peak season of outreach activity at the Expanding Your Horizons Conference, the San Diego Science & Engineering Fair poster judging, the San Diego Science Festival Expo Day, and the Science Fair Awardees dinner.  Kudos also to the Corporate Sponsorship Committee for their critical commitment to fundraising for our Chapter’s activities and scholarships!  I invite you to join a Committee – learn new skills, meet new people, and have fun doing it!  Consider joining the Newsletter, Outreach, Corporate Sponsorship, Website, Scholarship, Strategy Sessions, Public Relations, Events, WIST (ad hoc), or Gala (ad hoc) Committees.  See details about their activities and contact info on our website www.awissd.org.

The last couple of months have been busy with fun AWIS-SD activities that you can read about in this issue, including a well-attended Speed Networking event, a very practical Strategy Session called “Get a Job,” and the Outreach efforts at the Expanding Your Horizons Conference, and other activities in San Diego.  I hope you were able at attend our biennial Scholarship Gala on May 3rd at the La Jolla Woman’s Club.  Due to production schedule timing, news about the Gala and our seven fantastic Scholarship recipients will be reported in the next edition of our Newsletter.  So, stay tuned for the news!  Also in this edition, check out the companion articles about the Mid-Career Coffee Club.

We are instituting a new “buddy” program for new AWIS-SD members!  Each new member will be connected by email with a Board member or Committee Co-chair buddy to meet and learn about the great activities and opportunities in AWIS-SD.  Grab a cup of coffee with your buddy and/or meet up at an event!  If you are not yet an AWIS San Diego member, please consider joining us so that you can enjoy members-only benefits such as monthly Coffee Clubs, six Strategy Sessions and one Focus Session per year, admission to our LinkedIn group, free admission to most events, and discounted rates for others, such as the WIST Conference, Scholarship Gala and Holiday Social.  When you sign up at the AWIS National website (www.awis.org), remember to sign up for membership in the San Diego Chapter.

Have you seen our new AWIS San Diego pin?  We are selling these for $1 each.  You can buy one at the next AWIS-SD event!  As always, feel free to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have any questions, comments or suggestions about/for our chapter..

Most sincerely,
Dody
Dorothy (Dody) Sears

The Mid Career Coffee Club

By Christina Niemeyer

Every third Thursday of the month, a group of approximately eight to ten AWIS-SD members meets at the food court at the northwest corner of Scranton & Mira Mesa Blvd. Because it is quite early, 7:45 a.m. in fact, most have a cup of coffee or latte from the nearby Starbucks. These women are in middle to senior managerial positions such as directors and associate professors. Most have their Ph.D.s and have completed at least one post-doc assignment. In addition to all the schooling, they also have at least seven years of work experience. They meet to discuss what they are facing on a daily basis. Topics include aligning your time with your priorities, conflict resolution, project management, planning and implementation of a clear agenda, saying “no,” stress management, and how to deal with a troublesome team member.

At some of the gatherings, a specific topic is addressed. For example, one month, the group discussed the book “Women Don’t Ask” by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever. Although not everyone had read the book, all the attendees left the meeting understanding why negotiation is so important, especially at this stage of their careers. In fact, they also left with a list of more than 15 websites pertaining to negotiation. At a different meeting, the group addressed an issue they all faced: motivating your team to work harder. All the members felt that they understood that sometimes, and in fact many times, they must work 50 or 60 hours per week to get the job done. However, several of the members were concerned about getting co-workers to understand that being a salaried employee means working the amount of time it takes to get the job done. Following a lively debate-discussion, several strategies were suggested and surely implemented after that gathering.

At one rather unique meeting, an exercise using the Artsbased approach, a training tactic using creative methods to develop “soft skills” for scientists, was led by Kathrin Keune. The club was divided into teams and each team was asked to build something with minimal supplies. Insights into communication and leadership skills surfaced through this interactive method. Besides being a lot of fun, the members also found that they really were rather creative, and so were their peers.

Most of the time, however, the forum is casual, or more like a club. Members come with questions for their colleagues that they cannot ask their co-workers or family members. Answers are regularly given by someone who has already addressed the issue. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of being a member of the club is that there is a true sense of camaraderie and celebration; promotions and new career paths, in addition to new business cards, are always shared.

Nice Girls DO Get It
Venting with a Venti Cures Mid-Week Stress

By Pat Rarus

“Winning women clarify their needs without thinking about it.” These words belong to Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., author of the book “Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It”. At a recent AWIS Mid-Career Coffee Club meeting in Mira Mesa, Dody, Molly, Michelle, Hong, Yehudit, Rachel, and Pat read excerpts from the provocative book and vented about frustrations in the business and academic workplaces. Doing so proved unequivocally that good-natured complaining or venting along with a cup of Starbucks® coffee is more therapeutic – and infinitely less costly – than professional therapy sessions.

These monthly morning sessions have become a safe haven to discuss subjects that one cannot mention to coworkers and definitely not to supervisors. For this reason, last names are omitted in this article.

Michelle brought Dr. Frankel’s book, and several attendees commented on the contents. Dody admitted that she used to hedge about what she wanted rather than directly saying, “This is what I need from you.” However, her assertiveness manifested itself recently during a performance evaluation. “Instead of saying, as I used to, that I was well published, I listed the number of papers that have cited my work,” Dody explained. In fact, 29 publications had cited her work for a total of 700 citations! Dr. Frankel, the book’s author, would have been extremely proud of Dody!

But what would Dr. Frankel say about surfing the Internet and even engaging in social networking on the job? That was another discussion topic at the coffee meeting. Molly commented that she often sees people surfing the Internet at work. Dody, by contrast, remarked that, “I don’t even have time to search Pub Med!” Yehudit defending the practice, saying, “When you have a 10-minute break at work, it’s only natural to check the news on the Internet.”

These therapeutic discussions energize the ladies more than all the caffeine in the county. Said Michelle: “These coffees have been a wonderful way to validate or discuss issues that we encounter. I have found them to be a great outlet for me. It’s so interactive that it’s healing.” Hong added, “I put the coffees on my calendar and look forward to them every month.”

Perhaps you, too, should join us on Thursday, May 17, at 7:45 a.m. in the food court at Scranton & Mira Mesa Blvd.

AWIS Outreach Event: Expanding Your Horizons

By Diana Ponce and Angelica Gilroy

It is the 3rd of March, 2012, and a group of enthusiastic girls anxiously awaits the chance to view DNA bands being separated by an electrophoresis device for the first time. The reason? They want to solve a fictitious crime concocted by six AWIS-SD Outreach volunteers. As each girl finally gets to peer at the now-separated DNA strands, a synchronous familiar phrase floods the classroom laboratory: “Whoa, cool!” This was just one of many exclamatory expressions that rang from the mouths of hundreds of exuberant 6th to 10th grade girls who attended the 2012 “Expanding Your Horizons” conference, a daylong event for science-enthusiastic young women who wish to experience the marvels of science at their fingertips.

Once again, AWIS-SD Outreach Committee members and volunteers did an excellent job of running multiple workshops at this San Diego county-wide science conference. AWIS hosted workshops including “Crime Scene Sleuths”, organized by Angelica Gilroy and Diana Ponce, and “Leaning Tower of Spaghetti”, organized by Diane Retallack. Expanding Your Horizons has been held every spring since 2006 at the University of San Diego. Invitations are extended to organizations such as Math for America, Sempra Energy, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, and many more. These institutions host hands-on workshops dedicated to exposing young women to their favorite subjects in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, as well as encouraging them to continue their studies in STEM so that they may be empowered to pursue STEM careers.

The main objective of the Crime Scene Sleuths workshop was to educate the girls in the scientific method in order to solve the themed mystery, “Who kidnapped Shamu from Sea World?” Throughout the day, AWIS members and volunteers Vicki Hurless, Christy Mazloff, Lei Lei Sengchanthalangsy, and Ella Tour navigated a total of 34 girls through the scientific method by overseeing the girls as they conducted various experiments arranged at four stations consisting of chromatography, chemical analysis of powders and liquids, and DNA analysis. For example, girls who participated at the DNA station, led by Hurless, were taught how to pipette DNA samples and analyze the DNA bands separated across an agarose gel via electrophoresis. At the end of the workshop, after the girls collected their results from each station, they were asked to talk through and share their thoughts regarding the culprit.

Overall, the girls were inquisitive about the science conducted at each station and were keenly open to sharing their own personal passions. When asked about what she liked best about science, one young lady replied, “I really like learning about chemistry because it is interesting to see how different chemical interactions produce different results.” The girls were also able to participate in a variety of hands-on scientific experiments led by other organizations. Exposing the girls to interdisciplinary fields allowed them to apply their knowledge taught in a classroom to real-life laboratory settings, and discuss various science fields and careers with scientists and/or college students.

AWIS-SD March Speed Networking

By Nurith Amitai

An animated group of 40 participants gathered for this spring’s AWIS-SD Speed Networking event, eager to wrap up the beautiful March day with an evening of meeting and connecting with other local biotech and life science professionals. Tamera Weisser graciously provided a spacious and stylish venue at the San Diego office of law firm Jones Day. A mix of AWIS-SD members and nonmembers snacked on a spread of tasty hors d' oeuvres and sweets while the remaining registrants trickled in, and snuck in a bit of informal networking even before the main event started.

To kick off the proceedings, Monica Brown introduced the Events Committee and alerted the attendees to further events coming up in the near future. She also provided a number of tips for successful speed networking, such as making a quick note of the other person’s eye color to ensure adequate eye contact, focusing on the ways one’s skills or contacts could be of use to the other person, and avoiding controversial topics.

The event continued with a brief presentation by the invited speaker, Christine Timbol from the College of Extended Studies at San Diego State University. Timbol introduced the Life Science Immersion Program (LSIP), a self-paced online certificate program offered by BIOCOM Institute, a local non-profit dedicated to linking learning institutions and life science companies. LSIP is aimed at job seekers looking to start out in or transition into life science industries, as well as current life science industries employees striving to advance in their careers. As Timbol explained, while there is currently no shortage in applicants for positions in life sciences industries, many applicants lack essential skills and knowledge required for these industry jobs. The program provides primers on life sciences industry business principles and practices, financing mechanisms, product and process development, and the role of marketing, sales, business development and intellectual property. In this way, LSIP endeavors to reduce the time needed to orient and train new hires in the life sciences industries. Prospective LSIP enrollees can apply for tuition funding through the Biotechnology Readiness, Immersion, Certificates and Degrees for Gainful Employment (BRIDGE) Grant, a topic on which Timbol could offer expert advice, as she is the BRIDGE Grant manager. For more information on LSIP and the BRIDGE Grant, see:
http://biocominstitute.org/initiatives/Life%20Science%20Immersion%20Program/
http://www.neverstoplearning.net/bridgeproject

Then it was on to the speed networking! In the space of four minutes per encounter, participants summarized their background, skills and career goals, identified common interests and avenues of mutual benefit, and exchanged contact information. The ever-watchful moderators kept an eye on the clock and made sure that everyone moved along to the next person in a timely fashion. With every moment packed with information and interaction, time passed astoundingly quickly. Before the participants knew it, they had met and connected with dozens of fellow attendees. Even though many ran both out of voice and out of business cards toward the end, the enthusiastic networking continued unabated until closing time.

Thank you to organizers Tineke Lauwaet and Monica Brown and host Tamera Weisser for such an enjoyable and productive event!

April Strategy Session: Get a Job: Optimize Your Resume and Nail The Interview

By Kaumudi Joshi

The April Strategy Session was organized by Committee Member Merrie Mosedale and hosted by Jones Day. The sponsor was The Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego. Mosedale started the evening by announcing in the “Member Good News” segment that she had successfully defended her Ph.D. and was moving on to greener pastures. We wish her luck and continued success.

Two accomplished speakers were invited to guide the audience through an effective job search. The first speaker, Diane Baxter, is the education director at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (UCSD). Having successfully changed career paths multiple times, Baxter advised the audience to start early when planning a job change. One of the first steps is to prioritize factors like pay scale, work-life balance and location. She emphasized volunteering at prospective companies as an excellent way to make a memorable impact and learn first-hand about the job position and environment.

The next speaker, Joe Cribari, is Graduate Student Advisor at the Career Services Center, UCSD. Cribari started by pointing out that the academic route is no longer the more popular choice for science graduates. He went on to give tips on crafting a resume that best highlights your strengths, particularly focusing on skills acquired as scientists that can transition into the business sector. According to Cribari, it is important to omit irrelevant information that might distract the recruiter’s attention from your most impressive qualities. A lively discussion followed, with participants sharing their experiences and suggestions with the group.

Salk Institute Scientist Reports Potential New Drug for Treating Memory Decline in Alzheimer’s Rat Model

By Atreyee Bhattacharya

Last December, the excitement was palpable in the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory in the Salk Institute, which is located on the sea cliffs overhanging the Pacific coast in La Jolla. A research team led by Dr. Dave Schubert and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Marguerite Prior reported a new drug in the peer reviewed journal PlosOne; one that may be the first to halt the mental decline associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Prior, who was always captivated by chemistry and biology in her school days in Ireland, was no stranger to AD and its complex genetic pathways when she joined the Salk Institute two years ago. Before then, Prior was a postdoctoral fellow at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, where she was involved in a pioneering study to isolate an aggregated protein that may lead to memory failure in mice and humans affected by AD.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than five million Americans suffer from AD. The number of patients suffering from AD may increase to 16 million by 2050, which will result in staggering medical costs of over $1 trillion per year.

Until recently, it was not possible to distinguish brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s from those affected by the more common age related dementia without performing an autopsy. The recent discovery of a radioactive compound that can attach itself to amyloid plaques, protein deposits characteristically present in brains affected by AD, now allows imaging and identification of the disease while a patient is alive. Less than 5% of established cases of AD are caused by gene mutations that increase the accumulation of the protein amyloid beta (Aβ). Yet most of the new drug candidates being developed to treat AD are designed to reduce accumulation of Aβ.

At Salk, Prior and her team felt that instead of targeting a single molecule, it would be more effective to target a host of associated physiological factors that appear in human brains due to aging. It turns out that chemical modification of curcumin, a compound found in common spices like cumin and turmeric and known to ameliorate AD symptoms, resulted in a more stable and potent drug than curcumin alone. Of the several variants of the modifications of curcumin, Prior’s team found one to be most effective. Trial number J147.

The Salk team administered J147 orally to mice and rats and evaluated its effects on Alzheimer’s model and normal mice using a number of behavioral tests, such as their ability to perform tasks like navigating mazes and remembering the correct path with and without receiving J147 in their food. Prior’s team found that J147 improves memory, promotes learning, protects brain cells and reduces the number of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's model mice and rats. The drug may also improve learning in normal mice. “J147 enhances memory in both normal and Alzheimer's mice and also protects the brain from the loss of synaptic connections. No drugs on the market for Alzheimer's have both of these properties,” says Prior.

It is as yet unknown whether J147 will prove safe and effective in humans, and even if it does, the process may take years. “The drug needs to go through a series of tests to examine its toxicity in animals and then it can go to clinical trials, which may take up to 10 years. Most AD drugs fail in between,” Prior says. However, the fact that J147 protects nerve cells and can be taken orally, which is not possible for any drugs in trial or on the market, makes it exclusive and may hold potential for treatment of people with AD. “A lot of that research required depends on us getting funding, which is always a problem,” laments Prior as she already prepares to dissect mice models for the next level of studies. “I work 10 hours a day, even weekends in the lab.” Success and failures are part of Prior’s line of research, in which she has been involved since her Ph.D. years in Dublin.

Prior is excited by the possibility of medical research in the United States. But she remains skeptical about a career in academia. “Funding is too tight and I like to be involved with patients,” says Prior, who took a course in Clinical Trials and Ethics at UC San Diego Extension. When asked what keeps her going, Prior, looking beautiful in her green outfit sitting at table facing the sea against the setting sun, says simply “I love what I do. You have to love what you do. Otherwise you don’t get ideas.”

Touché.

“After my PhD….”

By Atreyee Bhattacharya and Taylor Stratton

On the 2nd of April, the Women and Minorities in Science at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (WMIS), a nonprofit student organization that is a part of the University of California, San Diego, organized a career lecture on the premises of the renowned oceanography institute in La Jolla. WMIS offers advice and personal experiences shared in an informal, relaxed and welcoming setting for women interested in pursuing careers in science. The brown bag lunch lecture, which is a part of the monthly lecture series organized by the WMIS, featured two women professionals who had one thing in common: both had Ph.D.’s in science, but had opted for non-academic careers.

One of the speakers that afternoon was Silvia A. Mah (Ph.D. & MBA), who is the president of MBA Women International. The second speaker was Laura M. Zahn (Ph.D.), who is a senior editor in the leading scientific journal “Science”.

Silvia Mah was interested in fertilization techniques in sea urchins. After completing her Ph.D. from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), Sylvia, who was involved in educational and diversity related activities at SIO, jumped at the opportunity to teach social entrepreneurship at the Jacobs School of Engineering (at UC San Diego). While teaching, she was motivated by talented engineering students to pursue an MBA herself. “I am still trying to triangulate between my science background, engineering knowledge, and business acumen to find the perfect job,” says Sylvia, who is currently launching a San Diego chapter of the National Association of Women MBAs. She attributes her success to a “passion for enriching and networking women and minorities” that started at SIO.

Taking up something just on a whim may not be a bad idea. Or so thinks Laura Zahn, who solicits manuscripts in plant sciences, evolution, genetics, genomics and ecology for Science Magazine. Laura earned her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona. After completing a postdoctoral stint, Laura, just starting her family, felt unsure as to her future career path. One day, however, she saw an advertisement soliciting editors for Science. She applied on a whim and got the position. Laura loves her work, although she says that it demands a lot of travel – about a week per month. But mostly, she works from her home in San Diego, which allows her to spend time with her family, including her six-year-old son, while pursuing a very interesting career in science – one that she loves but had never envisioned.

Reporting contributed by Taylor Stratton on the April career lecture organized by Women and Minorities in Science at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (WMIS).  Stratton is a Ph.D. candidate at SIO and one of the organizers of the WMIS events/seminars and meetings

Triton Day at UC San Diego

By Atreyee Bhattacharya

In Greek mythology, Triton is the messenger of the ocean. Today, of course, a Triton is one enrolled at the University of California, San Diego. Located near the coast of the Pacific Ocean, UC San Diego boasts research activity worth more than $900 million and twenty Nobel Prizes, among other achievements. The opportunities that this university holds out to incoming freshmen, and the San Diego community at large, were the agenda of Triton Day, which kicked off at UC San Diego on the warm and breezy morning of 7th April, 2012.

Triton Day was a community-wide showcase of UC San Diego as a “center of excellence in learning, research and development”. Through interactive displays, demonstrations, entertainment and children's activities, residents of San Diego, newly admitted freshmen and their families experienced the six undergraduate residential colleges and various student organizations. Events and booths featured detailed information about activities in four research institutes – including the San Diego Super Computer Center, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the UC San Diego Medical Center – which UC San Diego operates.

In events such as the “Meet the Minds Academic Fair”, visitors had a chance to interact with world-renowned faculty and learn about UC San Diego’s wide array of academic offerings in its 114 departments. At the “Health Fair” organized by UC San Diego Health System’s Cardiovascular Center, visitors got their blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose screened. They also received information about pioneering clinical research studies that are conducted in the UC San Diego Medical Center, in association with several regional research centers, such as the Salk Institute, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, and the Scripps Research Institute.

Scripps Institute of Oceanography, known for its cutting edge research and graduate education in earth system, climate, and marine biology, handed out information about future plans by the institute to incorporate increased undergraduate education and research opportunities.

Reserved events like “Charting the Course: College Planning for Future Tritons” at the Faculty Club and more general guidance at the “College Planning Information Booth” provided visitors with ample information on how school and community college students can begin to plan and pay for college.

The “Car Show”, featuring the latest algae fuel motorcycle and the natural gas-powered trash truck, was the highlight of sustainability initiatives that attracted a continuous stream of visitors.

If education seemed to be the main theme on the day, the organizers made sure that no one went home thinking that UC San Diego does not value entertainment. At the Student Beach Party, young people met current UC San Diego students representing various student organizations. The “Triton Vision” booth offered attractive prizes to participants for recording short video clips.

It was indeed a day of education and entertainment for all ages, involving strong community participation that showcased learning and life in the ocean city of San Diego.

The Dalai Lama, Off Camera

By Atreyee Bhattacharya

19th April, La Jolla: San Diego was excited about the presence of his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who was a guest at UC San Diego for a couple of days in April. He spent the two days lecturing at UC San Diego and San Diego State University. Here is a snippet that was not caught on camera or by the press.

On this last day the Dalai Lama’s scheduled visit to San Diego, word spread around the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) that his Holiness was having lunch at the seaside Caroline’s Café. Many dropped their work and made a rush to the area near the café, which had been cordoned off. A few of us gathered in the Pawka Green – a grassy patch within the SIO campus. More people trickled in as time passed. The small crowd of mostly graduate students and faculty waited an hour to catch a glimpse of the Dalai Lama once he finished his lunch and walked to the car.

As we were about to give up, the Dalai Lama came out, accompanied by Chancellor Fox and the director of SIO. Instead of just walking to his car, the Dalai Lama smiled and waved at all of us for quite a few minutes. Minutes later, his Holiness was escorted to the waiting car; even from within he kept waving, until his car rounded the bend.

A nice surprise for many who could not get tickets to his lecture or attend the live streaming sessions.

Member News

AWIS-SD Board Member, Tamera Weisser, was presented with the Athena San Diego 2012 Pinnacle Award in the Individual in Services category on April 26, 2012 at the annual awards banquet, which was attended by more than 600 people from the San Diego business community. AWIS-SD President Dorothy Sears also received a nomination for the award in the Individual in Education category. Athena San Diego is an organization comprised of executive women in the high-tech, biosciences, healthcare, defense, energy, clean-tech and services industries. The Pinnacle Awards recognize people and organizations who personify Athena's mission of fostering the personal and professional growth of women through mentoring, education, recognition, and leadership training thereby enhancing diversity, competitiveness and opportunity within their industry or organization, as well as the San Diego business community. Awards are presented to the nominees who strive to enhance diversity through the identification, development and advancement of skilled and talented women, and have had a beneficial impact within their organization and the San Diego community. Tamera is currently Of Counsel in the Intellectual Property group at Jones Day practicing biotechnology patent law, and she received the Pinnacle Award in recognition of her involvement and leadership in local women’s professional organizations, including the Association for Women in Science and Lawyers Club of San Diego, which reflect her strong commitment to supporting the advancement of women in the law and science.

Jennifer Grodberg, Ph.D., RAC, has been named 2011-2012 Annual Conference workshop coordinator for the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). Grodberg is Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at Trius Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California. She holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook (now Health Sciences School of Medicine) and received Regulatory Affairs Certification in 2007. Grodberg has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 17 years, and prior to that held a faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School. An AMWA member since 1996, Grodberg is president-elect of the Pacific Southwest Chapter of AMWA, has developed and moderated several annual conference open sessions, and co-leads an Investigational Drug Applications workshop each year. Founded in 1940, AMWA is the leading professional association for medical communicators. The organization, headquartered in Rockville, Md., has 5,500 members worldwide and seeks to foster excellence in medical communication. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) association, AMWA offers an extensive educational program, a three-day annual conference and a forum for networking, promotes a code of ethics within the profession, maintains an informative Web site (www.amwa.org), and publishes the quarterly AMWA Journal. (This announcement was based on an AMWA press release.)

Laura Cerviño had a baby boy this March. Laura Cerviño, an assistant professor working in the Center for Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies at the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences of the University of California San Diego, is also the mother of a 2-year-old daughter.

Former Co-chair of the Outreach Committee, Samantha Stout, was part of the UCSD team of engineers searching for Leonardo da Vinci's lost mural, The Battle of Anghiari. The research took place in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy in the magnificent Hall of the 500 and was documented by National Geographic. The documentary aired March 18th and 22nd in the US and around the world. Samantha is working on her PhD in the department of materials science and engineering, and is currently an IGERT fellow in UCSD's Center for Interdisciplinary Science in Art, Architecture, and Archaeology (CISA3). More information can be found here: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/projects/lost-da-vinci/
http://culturalheritage.calit2.net/cisa3/