Daily Business Report-June 3, 2020
The new Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Systems will support sustained observation programs, including California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations. (Photo courtesy of UC San Diego)
NOAA selects UC San Diego for
Cooperative Institute to study
marine, earth, atmospheric systems
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has selected UC San Diego to host the new Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Systems (CIMEAS).
The cooperative institute, led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will conduct collaborative, multidisciplinary research on climate, oceans, and ecosystems to better understand the coupled systems and assess the physical and biological state of the oceans. CIMEAS will advance regional, national, and global understanding of natural and human-caused impacts on ecosystems and the sustainable ways to strengthen our environmental and economic well-being.
The selection of UC San Diego, made through an open competitive evaluation, comes with an award of up to $220 million over five years, with the potential for renewal for another five years based on successful performance.
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Cheryl Anderson named founding dean
of School of Public Health at UC San Diego
Cheryl Anderson, professor and interim chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health in the School of Medicine at the University of California San Diego, has been named founding dean of The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. The school was established at UC San Diego in 2019 with a $25 million lead gift from the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation with an emphasis on research and education designed to prevent disease, prolong life and promote health through organized community efforts.
The new school is designed to define a new future focused on prevention of disease and injury and promotion of health and well-being.
As the inaugural dean of the new Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, Anderson will be responsible for launching the new school and overseeing its management, academic planning, budget, personnel, resource allocation and programs. She will play a major role in the planning and development of the academic curriculum and research portfolio.
Anderson is a trained epidemiologist, whose research has long focused on connections between nutrition and chronic diseases, and the use of clinical trials and interventions to prevent risk factors for common maladies such as heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diet-related cancers and obesity.
Anderson joined UC San Diego School of Medicine as an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health in 2012 after tenures at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
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SDSU names Grant McGimpsey
vice president for research
Grant McGimpsey will join San Diego State University later this year to serve as vice president for research. The appointment becomes effective on Oct. 1.
In his previous role, McGimpsey was at University of North Dakota where he served as vice president for research and economic development, providing strategic oversight and guidance for research.
McGimpsey has led in the growth and development of research in academic institutions, strategic planning and implementation, the development of multi-investigator and multidisciplinary research; and also in increasing extramural research funding and technology transfer.
Notably, under his leadership the University of North Dakota increased reported research expenditures from $68 million to $109 million within a three-year period. Also, McGimpsey created the university’s Research Institute for Autonomous Systems to accelerate research and economic development, and both created and led a more than $10 million data science research initiative to bolster research funding.
In addition to his vice president appointment, McGimpsey also served as dean of the Graduate School at the University of North Dakota.
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Scripps Health reopens final clinics
previously closed for pandemic
Scripps Health this week has reopened the last of its outpatient clinics that had been temporarily closed in March after state and county officials issued shelter-in-place orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Patients may once again visit Scripps Clinic Liberty Station in San Diego, Scripps Clinic Coronado and Scripps Clinic Bariatric and General Surgery in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood for the same range of medical services that were available at those sites prior to their closure, with the exception of radiology, laboratory and Scripps HealthExpress services at Scripps Clinic Liberty Station which have not yet been restored there. During the closures, patients had been redirected to other Scripps sites that remained open.
Operating hours at Scripps Clinic Liberty Station and Scripps Clinic Bariatric and General Surgery are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. At Scripps Clinic Coronado, operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, with some appointments periodically available on Friday between those times.
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Nomad Temporary Housing achieves highest
average score in Relocation Managers survey
San Diego-based Nomad Temporary Housing achieved the highest average score among U.S. temporary housing companies, according to the 2020 Relocation Managers Report. This annual survey of over 1,300 corporate relocation managers was conducted by Trippel Survey & Research LLC.
This is one of over 40 client awards, or #1 industry rankings, that Nomad has achieved in the last four years. Nomad has also been ranked #1 in Highest Average Score, or Tops in Net Satisfaction six previous times by the Trippel Survey of relocation managers or relocating employees.
“This honor extends to the hundreds of quality firms we call Nomad Certified Partners,” said Gavan James, CEO and founder of Nomad. “These companies and their employees in cities around the globe, adhere to the high Nomad standards of service delivery, every day.”
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Key person behind Grossmont College’s
switch to online classes gets special award
Grossmont College faced a daunting challenge when the campus was abruptly closed March 19 in response to the coronavirus pandemic: train scores of instructors on how to make a speedy conversion to online teaching.
Instructional design technology specialist Dawn Heuft rose to the challenge, working with colleagues to lead dozens of boot camp sessions with instructors over a two-week period. Her efforts earned her plaudits as the first recipient of the college’s aptly named Grace Under Pressure Award.
At Grossmont College’s 21st Annual Recognition Awards ceremony – held virtually for the first time – the instructional design technology specialist was described by President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh as “the one individual who we as a campus have perhaps leaned on the most.”
“Dawn has done an incredible job getting all of our classes online,” he said. “For many, the stress of just the idea of moving all classes online in the span of days would prove too hard to bear. Dawn has shown grace under pressure these past few months by providing high-quality and innovative consulting to students, faculty and staff.”
Heuft is responsible for maintaining and training instructors in Canvas, the course management system that supports online learning and teaching. Once the campus was closed after the shelter-in-place order was imposed, Heuft and colleagues she calls Canvas power users shifted into high gear to hold training sessions.
“We called it our Canvas Boot Camp,” she said. “We held multiple Zoom sessions each day.”
About 80 instructors have gone through the training and some 280 have signed up for summer training sessions and self-paced instruction in learning the ins and outs of Canvas.
Praised as open, honest and compassionate, Heuft has a legion of fans among college faculty who view her as an ally and coach as they are suddenly faced with learning Canvas.
“She has taken the time to meet with me and demonstrate how to use particular features of Canvas so that I could use these features to enhance my teaching,” English professor and Learning Disabilities Specialist Carl Fielden said. “She has greatly improved the quality of our online instruction by working one-on-one with faculty to design engaging and content-rich courses that contribute to students’ persistence and completion of their academic goals.”
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Michael Zarconi named shareholder
of Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel
The law firm of Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel announced that Michael Zarconi has been named a shareholder of the firm.
Zarconi, who joined Sullivan Hill as an associate in 2012, has a wide range of experience as a general civil litigator including commercial and business litigation, construction disputes, insurance coverage, and labor and employment matters.
Zarconi earned his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Colorado. He serves as vice chair and on the Executive Committee of the Construction Law Section of the San Diego County Bar Association.
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John Zangardi joins Redhorse
Corporation as its new president
John Zangardi, a nationally recognized information technology leader, has joined Redhorse Corporation as its president. In this new role, Zangardi will be responsible for the day to day operation of the company. Company founder David Inmon will retain his role as CEO and will focus on the strategic growth of the company.
Zangardi most recently served as senior vice president of business initiatives and strategic partnerships with Leidos Civil Group.
Prior to joining Leidos, Zangardi enjoyed a distinguished career in government service spanning more than 30 years, concluding with his role as chief information officer for the Department of Homeland Security, a presidential appointment. At DHS his responsibilities encompassed information technology and associated management and security.
Zangardi transitioned to DHS from the Department of Defense where he served as acting chief information officer, a position he assumed from his role as principal deputy chief information officer. He also previously served as the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, information operations, and space, and the acting Department of the Navy chief information officer. (
Zangardi began his career in government service with the U.S. Navy. He retired as a naval flight officer after serving as a squadron commander and in various staff assignments over the course of his military service.
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Luna Grill names AJ Kamra as its
first-ever Head of People
Luna Grill has named AJ Kamra as its newest executive team member, joining the company as its first-ever Head of People. Kamra will lead and enhance Luna Grill’s HR and employee relations functions as the company continues its strategic expansion plans.
As Head of People, Kamra will design, execute and implement a people-first strategy and long-term vision for growing the Luna team while maintaining and strengthening a passionate, collaborative, nimble and fun culture.
Kamra will work hand in hand with Chief Financial Officer Bob Bartlett on the company’s overall financial and economic direction, specifically overseeing areas such as HR, talent acquisition, benefits and team member relations with a focus on driving overall branding as an ’employer of choice.’
Most recently Kamra was head of people at Sustainable Restaurant Group in Portland, Ore. and senior vice president of human resources at OTG Management in New York.
According to CFO Bob Bartlett, Kamra’s addition will be key as the company continues to focus on innovation and adaptation in a changing restaurant environment. “Working in partnership with the entire management team, AJ and I will be looking at ways to do everything better, across all disciplines, building a ‘best in class culture’ and give team members long-term opportunities for growth,” Bartlett said.
