Daily Business Report-April 21, 2021
Ready for Liftoff:
Megan McArthur to pilot NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission
With more than two decades of scientific training under her belt, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur is ready for her return mission to space. The accomplished alumna of Scripps Institution of Oceanography will achieve her aviation dreams when she serves as pilot of the upcoming NASA SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station. The launch is targeted for April 22 at 6:11 a.m. EDT from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the mission is the second crewed flight of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket. McArthur, who is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance, will make the journey alongside NASA astronaut and commander Shane Kimbrough and international partner astronauts Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet.
The Crew-2 mission will mark McArthur’s first visit to the Space Station and second trip to space. During her six-month visit to the orbiting laboratory, she’ll conduct science research in areas such as medical technology, human health and materials to benefit life on Earth, before returning in the fall of 2021.
PHOTO: NASA astronaut and UC San Diego alumna Megan McArthur is about to embark on a six-month mission to the International Space Station. (Photo credit: NASA)
Illumina says it remains committed to GRAIL acquisition
Illumina Inc. announced on Tuesday that it disagrees with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition’s decision to review Illumina’s acquisition of GRAIL, a company founded to accelerate early screening of cancer. Illumina will continue to work with the Directorate-General to bring the investigation to conclusion. Illumina remains committed to the transaction, the impact of which would accelerate the adoption of a multi-cancer early detection blood test, the company said.
Illumina originally founded GRAIL five years ago and the two companies do not compete in any way, according to a company statement. “In reuniting the two organizations,” it said, “Illumina will leverage its global scale of manufacturing and clinical capabilities, as well as its global regulatory and reimbursement expertise, to bring early-stage, multi-cancer testing to patients more quickly and more affordably, resulting in more lives being saved.”
High Bluff Group partners with Green Leaf Business
Solutions for cannabis job recruitment services
High Bluff Group, a cannabis recruitment agency in San Diego, announced a partnership with Green Leaf Business Solutions to provide Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) services to businesses in need of high volume hiring. The RPO solutions will focus on a variety of positions including delivery drivers, budtenders, phone dispatchers, receptionists, packers, security personnel and more.
Though cannabis regulations continue to change across jurisdictions, the need for businesses to recruit reliable, professionals remain constant. In 2020 alone, there was an addition of 77,300 full-time jobs added to the cannabis industry; more than twice the number it added in 2019. This represents a 32 percent year-over-year cannabis job growth despite the pandemic which resulted in the worst U.S. economic growth since World War II.
With record high applications, SDSU expanding
degrees and certificate access
While some colleges and universities across the nation are seeing application and enrollment declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego State University is seeing record application growth.
To date, SDSU has surpassed 103,000 individual applications for fall 2021, including undergraduate and graduate student levels. This growth is happening as the university has introduced new programs and pathways for students to study at SDSU, and in alignment with expanded degree access through the strategic plan.
This academic year, SDSU’s Global Campus added more than a half dozen new bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, including those in economics, child development, civil engineering, and American Indian studies.
The university also recently introduced a new graduate program in teacher leadership, and launched a new online bachelor’s degree in communication. A hybrid bachelor’s degree completion program in child development will be available via a microsite partnership with local community colleges starting this Fall.
Lauren Williams promoted to spa director
at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
Lauren Williams has been named the new spa director of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa’s Forbes Five-Sar Spa. A leader in the spa industry with over a decade of experience, Williams will be overseeing the award-winning spa which spans 1.5 acres.
Prior to her promotion, Williams served as assistant spa director and spa operations manager at The Spa at Rancho Valencia for the past five years. Additional key roles she has held include spa operations supervisor and spa group coordinator at Fairmont Grand Del Mar.
“Our award winning Forbes Five-Star Spa is one of the highlights of Rancho Valencia and we’re looking forward to having Lauren lead the charge,” said General Manager Laura McIver. “Her vast knowledge and expertise in the space will inspire our team as we continue to elevate our spa experience in a new era of wellness.”
Autism Center at UC San Diego receives $1.5 million gift
The UC San Diego Autism Center for Excellence has received a $1.5 million gift from Kristin Farmer, founder and chief executive officer of ACES, a San Diego-headquartered company that provides services to children with autism and their families, to support the work of Karen Pierce, Ph.D., co-director of the Autism Center for Excellence, and colleagues.
Pierce, who is also a professor in the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, has studied autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for more than 25 years, focusing on developing neural and clinical markers for earlier identification of the neurological condition that affects an estimated one in 54 children.
Classy raises $118 million in Series D funding
to help nonprofits increase their impact
Classy, a B Corp Certified social enterprise, announced that it has closed a $118 million Series D funding round led by Norwest Venture Partners, a mission-driven venture capital firm, which has previously partnered with other technology companies like Udemy, Talkspace, Plaid, Gong and OpenDoor. Existing backers, Salesforce Ventures and Hinge Capital, also participated in the round.
Classy will use this capital to accelerate customer-forward product development and double the size of its product and engineering organization over the next two years to meet rising demand..
Following the funding and a year of record growth, Classy will immediately repay its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which it took from the federal government during the pandemic to keep its staff fully employed and to ensure it could continue to serve the social sector at full capacity during a time of increased need.
Atomic-level insights gained for a key protein implicated in cancer
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have identified, at an atomic level, how a part of a protein called PLEKHA7 interacts with a cell’s membrane to regulate important intercellular communications.
The research, published in the journal Structure, points to hotspots within PLEKHA7 as targets for drugs. These targets could be key in designing treatments for advanced colon, breast and ovarian cancers.
Anja Riedel joins Nuffer, Smith Tucker
Public Relations as account executive
Nuffer, Smith, Tucker Public Relations announced the hiring of Anja Riedel as account executive to champion client programs in the local market and provide additional bandwidth to the agency’s strategic growth efforts.
Riedel brings extensive local media relationships and experience in crisis communications, messaging development, social media management and influencer marketing, having represented clients in the hospitality, fitness and financial industries.
A graduate of San Diego State University’s journalism program, Riedel has spent most of her professional career developing relationships locally and honing her persuasive writing skills in support of emerging and established brands in San Diego.
Most recently, Riedel consulted with various local PR and digital marketing agencies, gaining insight into strategic communications planning and execution across a range of industries. Having previously worked for Visit Napa Valley, the region’s destination marketing organization, she gained experience in multiple facets of the marketing process, including building relationships with key stakeholders and partners.
In her role at Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, Riedel is supporting efforts to strengthen client relationships with local media, stakeholders and the public, and continuing to establish NST as a prominent San Diego public relations agency. Tapped to play an important role in the agency’s aggressive growth plans, especially locally, Riedel will work with a range of NST clients, including White Labs Inc. and the Port of San Diego.
