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Outstanding Alumnus
David E. Shaw, ’72
David E. Shaw, chief scientist of the world’s largest hedge fund, will receive the prestigious Outstanding Alumnus Award. The former undergraduate math whiz has brought innovation to the high risk world of finance by incorporating advanced mathematical and computational techniques which search for patterns and predictability to trading on the stock market. Since founding the D. E. Shaw Group in 1988, which today has more than $20 billion in assets, he has redirected his expertise toward developing precise targeted drug therapies for illnesses and disease. Dr. Shaw is a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at Columbia University.
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 VIDEO: Maurizio Seracini ’73
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Professional
Achievement
Maurizio Seracini, '73
Maurizio Seracini, art diagnostician and a former undergraduate biomedical engineering student, will be the recipient of the Professional Achievement Distinction. Seracini electrified the world with the convergence of art and technology when he uncovered a series of magnificent drawings hidden for 500 years behind the DaVinci painting, “Adoration of the Magi.” He gained international acclaim when this discovery was referenced in the #1 bestseller, The DaVinci Code. Today Seracini leads a new breed of scientists who bring electrical and bioengineering, chemistry and biochemistry together with art scholarship. His company, Editech, is based in Florence.
@UCSD story: DaVinci Decoded
60 Minutes episode: The Lost Leonardo
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VIDEO: Robert Glushko ’79 |
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Distinguished Service
Robert Glushko, Ph.D. ’79
Robert Glushko, a cognitive scientist and successful Internet entrepreneur, will be recognized for distinguished service. Fifteen years ago, Glushko’s dissertation advisor, former UC San Diego faculty member David Rumelhart, contracted a serious neurological disease that resulted in profound dementia. In his honor, Glusko created the David E. Rumelhart Prize, which has increased the visibility of the field on a global scale and is recognized today as the Nobel Prize of Cognitive Science. Glushko’s successful community building and leadership within UCSD's Cognitive Science Department has energized and re-engaged alumni as mentors, host interns, lecturers and employers. Professor Glushko is an adjunct professor at the UC Berkeley School of Information, the Director of the Center for Document Engineering, and one of the founding faculty members of the Services Science, Management and Engineering Program.
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Distinguished Teaching
Martin Yanofsky, '78
Martin Yanofsky, an international leader in biological sciences and a recently named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, will be honored for Distinguished Teaching. Regarded as one of UC San Diego’s best instructors, Dr. Yanofsky’s commitment to science education transcends his classroom and the campus. The popular undergraduate mentor not only opens up his laboratory for research and internships but spends countless volunteer hours in the community teaching young 6th and 7th grade students about genetics and DNA and how to use science in their everyday lives. In addition to his many diverse service contributions, he is currently the Chair for the Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, a clear indicator of the esteem in which he is held.
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VIDEO: Joseph Watson
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Honorary Alumnus
Vice Chancellor Joseph Watson
Dr. Joseph Watson, a notable campus figure who will retire after 41 years of service as a faculty member and senior administrator, will receive the distinction of Honorary Alumnus. His campus contributions are a culmination of vision, risk taking, and oversight in support of student affairs, diversity and the development of the UC San Diego campus. Dr. Watson dedicated 11 formidable years of his promising career as a chemist, to support a collective movement that formed the foundation of Thurgood Marshall College. His dedication to innovation can be seen with the creation of TritonLink, an online web portal, and the development of a new 75,000 square-foot Student Services Building. Over the years he has championed diversity and inclusion that has shaped the mission and goals of the campus. Dr. Watson’s retirement in June will mark the end of an era of a great leader.
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Outstanding
National Merit Scholar
Jeffrey Simon ’07
Jeff Simon passed away on July 29, of cancer, at the age of 22. He was a national merit scholar as well as varsity skipper and captain elect of the UCSD sailing team. While he was still receiving chemotherapy for his cancer, he accepted the UCSD Alumni Association's Outstanding Naitonal Merit Senior Award presented at the Alumni Association's Awards for Excellence, held in June. An honors enginerring student, he was weighing offers from Stanford, Berkeley, MIT and UCLA, to pursue a PhD. in mechanical engineering.
Jeff's Website: Celebrating Jeff Simon |
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Outstanding National Merit Scholar
Diana Hung ’07
Diana is a Revelle College biology major with minors in economics and psychology. She was one of eight students admitted into UC San Diego’s Medical Scholars Program established to recruit unusually gifted high school seniors considering a career in medicine. In addition to her outstanding academic record, she has found time to distinguish herself as a student leader, undergraduate researcher, mentor, and counselor. She served as president of the Golden Key International Honor Society, and is currently president of the Regents Scholar Society. Her extracurricular activities include mentoring mentally challenged young adults in “Best Buddies” and as a counselor for Camp Ronald McDonald, a summer program for children with cancer. Her research has included the study of cell cycle time in frog retina cells, shortness of breath in cardiology patients and infant vision in babies born prematurely. Diana will graduate at the end of winter quarter and has been admitted to UC San Diego’s School of Medicine in the fall.
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