Daily Business Report-June 5, 2015
Juliet Lee, a teen on a mission.
High Tech High Junior Accepts Fellowship
From Stanford University Medical School
High Tech High junior Juliet Lee has been accepted as a summer fellow at Stanford University Medical School. The result of the arduous application process that attracted worldwide applicants was the award of one of the five, highly competitive spots.
After spending her previous summer completing the prestigious Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills Summer Internship, Juliet has decided to continue her passion for medicine.
During the summer of 2014, Juliet along with other interns conducted high-skilled surgical procedures on porcine models; these include mitral valve transplants, coronary artery bypass graphs, and other crucial surgical skills.
This upcoming two-month intensive experience during the summer of 2015 will take place under the mentorship of one of the world’s foremost surgeons, Dr. Bruce Reitz. Not only will previous surgical concepts be built upon, but the fellowship will also consist of intense research projects and advanced laboratory training.
Juliet is a driven student who is passionate about pursuing a career in health care. She hopes to inspire other students to take risks and work towards their dreams as well, no matter the difficulty.
“Being a teenager is tough — adults never take us seriously,” said Juliet. “Almost every time I told someone I wanted to be a surgeon, beginning in middle school, adults would scoff at the seemingly unrealistic dream. I want to use my experience to reassure my generation that they really are able to achieve their goals, no matter how far-fetched they may seem. Us young people are capable of tremendous things, we just have to be given the chance to do them.”
NFL Owners to Meet Aug. 11 to Discuss
Chargers, Raiders and Rams Stadium Plans
NFL team owners will meet in Chicago on Aug. 11 to discuss Raiders, Chargers and Rams stadium plans. The conference will be used as a timeline and process update, focused on the progress of home markets (Oakland, San Diego, St. Louis) to keep their teams.
The NFL believes there needed to be an update between May and October owners meetings, given the interest in moving the second-largest market in the U.S.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke plans to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood, California, while the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders have joined forces on a project in Carson.
Momentum is building towards a team returning to the L.A. market in 2016. The additional meeting will help that process along.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s office in San Diego said the next round of negotiations between the Chargers and city and county officials over a new stadium will take place Monday.
The two sides are discussing a potential financing plan for a new football facility that would be located in Mission Valley, adjacent to aging Qualcomm Stadium.
A framework for a financing plan was issued last month by a nine-member advisory group appointed by Mayor Kevin Faulconer. The group identified $1.4 billion in funding sources and estimated a construction cost of $1.1 billion.
— From Wire Reports
City Attorney Pushed to Gag
The Mayor’s Stadium Task Force
In newly released emails sent by City Attorney Jan Goldsmith to the Chargers and the mayor’s office, the city attorney sought to control expectations around the stadium task force and freeze out the media, Voice of San Diego reports. If Goldsmith had gotten his way, Mayor Kevin Faulconer would have said nothing when his task force presented its report last month.
ViaSat Gets Navy Contract Worth Nearly $500 Million
Carlsbad-based ViaSat was awarded a federal contract worth potentially $478.6 million over five years to provide radio and navigation systems for the Navy.
The Defense Department, which awarded the contract late last week, said the MIDS JTRS terminal that ViaSat will produce is a line-of-sight radio system for collecting and transmitting broadband, jam-resistant, secure data and voice across a variety of air, sea and ground platforms.
The contract will be administered by SPAWAR, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego.
ViaSat builds satellite and other wireless networking systems and employs more than 3,400 people.
— Times of San Diego
Benefunder in Partnership Designed
To Propel Funding for Pediatric Research
San Diego-based Benefunder, an organization that works with wealth management firms to connect high net worth clients with top research causes across the country, and Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., have launched a first-of-its-kind partnership designed to propel funding for pediatric research.
Under the collaboration, select Children’s National Health researchers will be profiled on Benefunder’s funding platform, including faculty from the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. Researchers at the Children’s Research Institute are investigating a wide range of diseases, including brain and spinal cord injuries and protection, obesity, type 2 diabetes, renal disease, and autism. The Sheikh Zayed Institute’s goal is to make pediatric surgery more precise, less invasive, and pain-free.
“We are excited about the partnership with Children’s National,” said Christian Braemer, Benefunder’s cofounder and CEO. “Our goal is to connect these important causes with the resources they need to create better solutions for children’s health problems.”
Braemer — who was inspired to create Benefunder after his young nephew was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer — said dwindling and competitive federal dollars have placed disproportionate strain on pediatric research.
UCSD Music Department Scores
First 2 Endowed Chairs for Faculty
Local philanthropists have established the first two endowed faculty chairs in UC San Diego’s Department of Music.
San Diego builder Conrad Prebys established the $1 million Conrad Prebys Presidential Chair in Music, and composer Rand Steiger, currently serving as chairman of the music department, has been appointed the inaugural holder.
The $1 million Reed Family Presidential Chair in Music was established by longtime music supporters Ann and Joel Reed. The first chair holder is Steven Schick, a percussionist, conductor, author and distinguished professor of music.
Steiger is known for pushing the boundaries and exploring the combination of classical instruments with digital audio processing. Throughout his diverse career he has composed for and conducted critically acclaimed concerts and recordings with distinguished ensembles both here and abroad.
Schick has performed with and led numerous local and international ensembles as a soloist and director. He is founder and director of red fish blue fish, a graduate student ensemble that regularly performs, records and premieres music spanning the past 85 years of Western percussion’s history.
‘Napkin Sketch’ Auction Raises $7,600
NewSchool of Architecture and Design and the local chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students held their fourth annual Napkin Sketch Auction last month and raised $7,600. The proceeds will help fund scholarships and programs for deserving architecture students.
“The event was a big success,” said David Garcia, a NewSchool architecture undergraduate and fundraising chair for the AIAS event. “Personally, this project means a lot to me, and not just because of the time and involvement, but because this is a nice way to bring students and their favorite architects together, even if it’s just through a sketch. Plus, since it’s a fundraiser, the proceeds have been a great help to the success of the chapter.”
The project began as “a sketch for a sketch,” with NewSchool students working on their own napkin sketches to capture the attention of prominent architects. Students then mailed their sketches to targeted architects along with a request for an original sketch that could be auctioned during the AIAS event.
BizAir Shuttle to Begin Daily Flights
Between Carlsbad and Los Angeles
CARLSBAD — BizAir Shuttle will provide daily flights between Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar Airport and Los Angeles International starting June 18, filling a service void left by the April departure of United Airlines from the Carlsbad airport.
BizAir Shuttle will begin with two daily round trip flights and expand to seven between Carlsbad and LAX. Flights to Las Vegas will be added in July and to Phoenix in August. Business and leisure passengers may purchase tickets through the online reservation system at www.BizAirShuttle.com. BizAir Shuttle charges no fees for reservation changes or cancellations, or for baggage. Free wi-fi is available on most flights, and passenger seats are equipped with power outlets.
BizAir Shuttle uses 30-passenger Embraer jets and Dornier jets. It does not use prop planes.
“We bring an excellent safety record, affordable fares, and a commitment to exceeding customer expectations on every flight,” said Ricardo Gomez, director of operations and Development at BizAir Shuttle.
Tech Incubator EvoNexus
Secures 4th Stategic Partner
San Diego-based technology incubator EvoNexus announced Wednesday it will partner with InterDigital, a Delaware-based mobile technology research and development company.
InterDigital ,a public company traded on NASDAQ, will become a strategic funding partner of EvoNexus and seek to build relationships with innovative startups and entrepreneurs. It is the fourth strategic partnership for EvoNexus.
“InterDigital is looking for entrepreneurs with innovative technology, and partnering with EvoNexus is an efficient and timely way for them to get access to those ideas,” said Rory Moore, CEO of EvoNexus.
The partnership will be called InterDigital@EvoNexus. Startups will gain access to mentors, resources, and possible funding from InterDigital.
The company, founded in 1972, is a leader in designing and developing technologies at the core of mobile devices, networks, and global services.
“We built InterDigital by being a pioneer in mobile technology and global wireless standards, and we partnered with EvoNexus because we believe they are a pioneer in the tech startup incubator space,” said Jim Nolan, executive vice president of InterDigital Solutions.
“Southern California is becoming a hub of technology and innovation with EvoNexus at the forefront, so it’s ideal for InterDigital to be involved with the incubator at a strategic level.”
EvoNexus is a technology incubator for Southern California’s startup community with locations in downtown San Diego, University City and Irvine.
— Times of San Diego
Sister Cities Foundation Wins Award
For Afghan Youth Connect Program
The San Diego-Jalalabad Sister Cities Foundation has won a 2015 Innovation Award for Youth and Education from Sister Cities International for its work with the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club Foundation on the Afghan Youth Connect program.
The award was for cities with a population greater than 500,001.
The goals of the Afghan Youth Connect program are to teach IT skills, improve English proficiency, develop a sense of personal social responsibility and help Afghan high school students develop critical thinking in civic responsibilities.
Computer labs have been established at 15 public high schools with a central site serving an additional six public high schools in Jalalabad. During 2014 in Jalalabad, 1,409 male students and 1,033 female students participated directly in the program with another 4,515 students having the opportunity to observe the program.
Participation in the program has improved Afghan students’ English and IT skills. Beyond that, through the small grants program, students have developed a sense of civic responsibility. Both Afghan and U.S. students have developed a better understanding and mutual respect of the cultures of their counterparts.
Personnel Announcements
Feinstein Reappointed to Osteopathic Medical Board
Michael Feinstein, 66, of Coronado, has been reappointed to the Osteopathic Medical Board of California by Gov. Jerry Brown. He has served on the board since 2012. Feinstein has been Western regional clinical dean at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine since 2006 and a physician at the Encompass Medical Group since 2000. He was a physician at the Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group from 1998 to 2000, at Family Practice Associates of San Diego from 1978 to 1998 and at Oakdale Family Practice from 1976 to 1977. Feinstein earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Feinstein is a Democrat.
