Daily Business Report-Sept. 7, 2017
Karolyn Smith with her adopted, three-legged kitten Sophia, and friends.
San Diego Wounded Vet Finds
Healing in Helping Amputee Kitten
San Diego native Karolyn Smith is a survivor. An Iraq war veteran and U.S. Army machine gunner, she suffered spine and brain injuries from a roadside bomb in 2005. After years of surgeries and therapies, Karolyn suffered from PTSD but wanted to learn to cope with her pain and trauma without medication. To that end, she adopted a kitten with three legs.
When Smith met Sophia she thought, “Who better to raise a disabled kitten than a disabled veteran?” Sophia was born with the umbilical cord around her hind leg that damaged its development, requiring amputation. Inspired by her work with military veteran amputees, Smith was determined to help her new kitten.
A self-styled “vetrepreneur,” she decided to see if a prosthetic leg could be designed that would make Sophia’s life easier. Connecting with San Diego-based design lab Fab Lab, they invented the prototype of a prosthesis that could be manufactured on a 3D printer.
Three years and three prototypes later, Smith has become an avid inventor, constantly pushing to create the ideal prosthetic. She will be presenting her invention, and telling her story, at the upcoming Maker Faire San Diego in Balboa Park Oct. 7-8, a hands-on celebration of technology, arts, crafts, science, and the Do-It-Yourself mindset.
Smith continues to push to make her furry friend’s life as comfortable as possible. Self-funded, she hopes Maker Faire San Diego will help raise awareness and backing for her cause. She has published a children’s book to both help raise money and to educate kids about amputation. “Sophia, The Bionic Cat” was published in 2016. Animal Planet is currently airing a feature on Smith and Sophia on “My Cat From Hell” with Jackson Galaxy, and Smith is in the process of writing a screenplay to tell the story of how technology has helped her and Sophia live better, richer lives as an inspiration to kids — the world’s future inventors.
Smith has been honored locally as the 71st Assembly District’s 2014 Veteran of the Year for the sacrifices she has made for her country, and her meaningful, long-time work with veteran’s groups. San Diegans can hear her story firsthand and meet Karolyn in person at Maker Faire San Diego.
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Rancho Carmel Village
Center Sells for $10.5 Million
Rancho Carmel Village Center, a 27,132-square-foot retail center in Rancho Bernardo has been sold for $10,518,888 to New World Limited Partnership. AP-Rancho Carmel LLC was the seller.
The property is located at 12125-12165 Alta Carmel Court and is situated on 3.34 acres. The 100 percent leased center consists of three one-story buildings. There are currently 14 tenants, ranging from a pizzeria, fitness centers, salons, a learning center, a spa, and other neighborhood-type tenants.
CBRE represented buyer and seller in the transaction.
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Nikki Clay and Stath Karras Named
Co-Chairs of LEAD Board of Directors
Nikki Clay and Stath Karras have been named co-chairs of the newly constituted LEAD Board of Directors. LEAD has joined the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce as an affiliate organization and is integrating the chamber’s leadership programming into LEAD’s current offerings. Clay and Karras follow Carisa Wisniewski whose term as chair ended last month.
Clay and Karras are both LEAD graduates, and bring a balanced background of both organizations and deep knowledge of the region’s civic priorities. Clay is a past chair of the chamber board and current board member who was instrumental in the creation of Advance, the chamber’s professional development program for women. She has held chair and member positions of a variety of local organizations, including the San Diego Convention Center, Downtown San Diego Partnership, Scripps Health, the Old Globe, and SDSU’s Campanile Foundation.
Karras, executive director of the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate, has been serving on the LEAD board for four years, most recently as secretary, and has sat on several boards including the chamber, CONNECT, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, and Challenged Athletes Foundation.
Joining Clay and Karras on the LEAD Board are 28 board members.
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Constance Carroll Chairs
San Diego Foundation Board
Constance Carroll, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District, has been elevated to the chair of the board of governors of The San Diego Foundation. She has served on the board for seven years. Carroll has served as chancellor of the San Diego Community College District since 2004. Prior to that, she served in presidential roles at Mesa College of the San Diego Community College District, Saddleback College of the South Orange County Community College District, and Indian Valley College.
The foundation also added Cindy Bertrand, P. Kay Coleman, Leigh Kole Johnson and Ginny Merrifield to the board of governors this year.
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New UC San Diego Master’s Degree Will Train
Professionals for Drug Development Careers
The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at UC San Diego now offers a Master of Science in Drug Development and Product Management — the pharmacy school’s first master’s degree program. The program is intended for experienced professionals to gain managerial and regulatory knowledge required to lead all aspects of the drug development process, from discovery to clinical application in managed markets.
The program is now accepting applications at https://ddpm.ucsd.edu. The deadline is March 14, 2018. The first class of 24 students will enter the program in fall 2018.
The master’s degree is intended for individuals who already have a background in pharmacy, nursing, medicine or other related biomedical field, but need specialized drug development and product management skills for career opportunities and advancement in pharmaceutical and managed care industries or in related government agencies, such as the US Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency.
The Master of Science in Drug Development and Product Management program is led by Williams Ettouati, director of industrial relations and development, and Jan D. Hirsch, professor and chair of the division of clinical pharmacy at Skaggs School of Pharmacy.
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Cubic Awarded $25 Million Contract
for Combat Training Centers in Asia-Pacific Region
Cubic’s global defense segment has secured a potential $25 million contract to develop three mobile combat training centers for an unidentified Asia-Pacific country.
The company said it will also help the international customer implement communication system components, integrate exercise control systems and conduct after action reviews.
Dave Buss, president of Cubic Global Defense and an inductee into Executive Mosaic‘s Wash100 for 2017, said the company seeks to help U.S. allies and partners develop realistic training environments that can simulate complex military operations.
The contract also covers the delivery of laser-based simulation equipment designed for dismounted soldiers, vehicles and multiple weapon configurations.
Cubic will perform engineering and production activities in San Diego, California and carry out deliveries through 2019.
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SDSU Recognized for
Commitment to Diversity
For the fifth consecutive year, San Diego State University has been awarded the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The HEED Award is the only national recognition honoring colleges and universities that exhibit outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion across their campuses. SDSU will be featured with 79 other recipients in the magazine’s November 2017 issue.
“SDSU is among a select group of national institutions that has been awarded the 2017 HEED Diversity award,” said Aaron Bruce, SDSU’s chief diversity officer. “This recognition reflects the ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion on our campus, where we are providing all students, regardless of their background, with opportunities to grow academically and personally.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected SDSU for its exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives and for its ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community. The magazine is the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
At SDSU, students from all backgrounds are achieving academic excellence. SDSU’s six-year graduation rate for underrepresented students is 69 percent, compared to the university’s overall six-year graduation rate of 74 percent, an indicator that SDSU is one of the most successful universities in the country in addessing the achievement gap. The six-year graduation rate is the national standard of comparison among universities.
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Scripps Mercy Hospital Earns Honors
as a Top Nurse Employer in California
Nurse.org, a web career site for nurses, has recognized Scripps Mercy Hospital as one of the best hospitals for nurses to work for in California. Over the past two years, Nurse.orghas collected more than 1,854 reviews by nurses at 314 California hospitals about their workplace satisfaction. Reviews in California state have revealed that Scripps Mercy Hospital has one of the highest levels of satisfaction among its nurses.
Reviewers cited accessible management, “wonderful staff”, and “great benefits” as the basis for the 4.4 star rating with 95 percent of the nurses surveyed recommending the hospital as an employer.
Nurse.org Product Manager Phillip Lee, congratulated Scripps Mercy Hospital on this achievement saying, “We’re excited to be able to recognize Scripps Mercy Hospital for its great work environment. The nurses we have surveyed speak highly about their experience and recommend it to their colleagues.”
Click here for the full rankings of the Best Hospitals for Nurses in California.
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A New Small Business Development
Center is Opening at University of San Diego
A grand opening is set for Monday for a new Small Business Development Center at the University of San Diego. Michael A. Vailante, Regional IX administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, will speak at the 1 p.m. ceremony in the Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice Theatre and the public is invited to attend.
“We are proud to launch the center to serve small businesses and entrepreneurs in San Diego,” said Jaime Alonso Gómez, dean of the USD School of Business. “This will be an exciting multi-disciplinary effort among USD’s School of Business, Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, and Division of Professional and Continuing Education.”
USD faculty members, collaborating organizations, and other professionals will serve as mentors and technical experts for both start-ups and established technology-oriented companies, offering consulting on general business matters, financing and technology. The center also will offer programs and events for mentoring, networking and training.
