Daily Business Report: Tuesday, March 22, 2022
The collapse of community college enrollment:
Can California turn it around?
By Mikhail Zinshteyn | CalMatters
After community college enrollment collapsed in late 2020, California lawmakers last year gave the system of public two-year colleges $120 million to help stem the tide of departing students and bring them back.
So far, progress has been uneven. Through last fall, just 17 of California’s 116 community colleges have seen the number of students they enroll grow since fall of 2020. At 42 colleges, more students left in the fall of 2021 than in fall of 2020, according to a CalMatters analysis of system enrollment data.
Officials acknowledge that the number of students attending continued to sag systemwide. “Fall 2021 headcount is down approximately 7 percent from fall 2020 and down 20 percent overall compared to fall 2019,” a cratering of more than 300,000 students over those two years, said a March memo from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
While $120 million may be a rounding error in the state’s $47 billion commitment to higher education for the current budget year, it’s still a large chunk of change.
Gov. Gavin Newsom now wants to send another $150 million to community colleges to further bolster their re-enrollment efforts.
The expected return on investment is unclear.
PHOTOS: Top, San Diego City College. Below, MiraCosta College in Oceanside.
Micro-unit apartment complex with
406-square-foot studios coming to North Park
North Park is getting a new $35 million apartment building with some of the smallest units in San Diego. Construction started last week on 4250 Oregon Street, which will have 406-square-foot studios and 593-square-foot one-bedrooms.
The project is a pointed example of infill development, occupying a 16,000-square-foot parcel of land with 94 apartments near the North Park Water Tower.
Rental rates have not been determined yet, partly because the complex is not due to open until summer 2023. But it is anticipated they will be lower than the surrounding newer buildings because of the apartment sizes.
Scientists uncover new targets
for treating Parkinson’s
Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found that people with Parkinson’s disease have a clear “genetic signature” of the disease in their memory T cells. The scientists hope that targeting these genes may open the door to new Parkinson’s treatments and diagnostics.
“Parkinson’s disease is not usually seen as an autoimmune disease,” says LJI Research Assistant Professor Cecilia Lindestam Arlehamn. “But all of our work points toward T cells having a role in the disease.”
“Now that we can see what these T cells are doing, we think intervening with antibody therapies could have an impact on the disease progression, especially early on, ” adds LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, who led the work with Lindestam Arlehamn.
This study was published recently in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease.
UC San Diego student Alec J. Calac
catches eye of White House
A student at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science has been invited by the Biden administration to participate in an exclusive group of experts and leaders in the fields of medicine and public health.
A candidate in the university’s Medical Scientist Training Program and a high-profile public health advocate, Alec J. Calac is one of several trainees invited to join some of the nation’s leading clinicians and scholars as a participant in the Health Equity Leaders Roundtable Series to discuss health equity in the United States.
Calac will participate in discussions regarding the social determinants of health, defined by the Centers for Disease Control as “conditions in the places where people live, learn, work and play that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life risks and outcomes.” Roundtable discussions will provide perspectives that support current and future health equity policy and strategy.
Calac is in his second year in the global health track of the joint doctoral program, and has completed two of four years of medical school as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program in the School of Medicine
Deborah Cegielski named senior vice president and
human resources and diversity officer for Cubic
Cubic Corporation announced the appointment of Deborah Cegielski as senior vice president and chief human resources and diversity officer.
Cegielski will be responsible for the strategic leadership of global people and culture functions for Cubic, including talent acquisition, talent management, total rewards, HR systems, corporate communications, public relations, and global business services.
Cegielski will also oversee the development and advancement of the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy.
She will report to Stevan Slijepcevic, president and chief executive officer.
Prior to joining Cubic, Cegielski was chief human resources officer for Velocity Vehicle Group, chief human resources officer for OSI Systems, and vice president of human resources for Landing Systems, a division of Raytheon Technologies (Formally United Technologies).
Cegielski has an MBA from Northeastern University and a Master of Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma.
Francisco Garcia Jr. joins
Higgs Fletcher & Mack as partner
Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP iwelcomed its newest partner, Francisco Garcia Jr., who joined the firm’s Trust & Estates and Tax Law practice groups, effective March 14, 2022.
Garcia’s practice includes advising clients in the areas of tax and estate planning, business and succession planning, estate and trust administration, and charitable planning.
In addition, Garcia’s practice also involves the preparation of gift and estate tax returns.
Garcia comes to HFM from Henderson, Caverly, Pum & Trytten LLP. He is licensed to practice in California and is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. He is a member of the California Lawyers Association, Trust and Estates Section; and the San Diego County Bar Association, Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Section.
Garcia is a vice chair of the Fiduciary Income Tax Committee of the Taxation Section of the American Bar Association and regular speaks at the American Bar Association’s Tax Section meetings. Garcia earned his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and previously earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.
Randal Kaufman included in $12 million
initiative to improve hemophilia treatment
A multi-institute research collaboration including Sanford Burnham Prebys has just received a $12 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to improve hemophilia therapy. The award will fund three projects that could lead to safer and potentially curative treatments for the disorder. One of these projects will be led by Randal J. Kaufman, who directs the Degenerative Diseases Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys.
Hemophilia is an X-linked genetic condition that prevents the blood from clotting properly. It occurs in about one out of 5,000 male births. In patients with severe forms of the disease, internal or external bleeding can be life threatening.
Standard treatments for severe hemophilia involve intravenously replacing the clotting proteins that patients are unable to produce adequately on their own. However, a gene therapy approach uses viruses as a delivery mechanism to provide the body with the information it needs to start making its own clotting factors.
Salk Institute appoints Sue Bacino as
vice president of human resources
The Salk Institute announced the appointment of Sue Bacino as vice president of human resources (HR) to advance the overall mission of Salk through the acquisition, retention and support of a diverse, world-class faculty and staff.
Bacino most recently served as head of HR for Ra Medical Systems. In that role—reporting to the CEO and serving as a key member of the leadership team—Bacino was responsible for the implementation of all HR-related processes and functions.
Prior to that, she held the same position at Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, where she partnered with scientific leadership on recruiting, engaging and retaining talent for the 500-employee research site located in San Diego.
Bacino has also served as executive director of HR for Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and she held various leadership positions at Vical Incorporated before Amylin.
Her experience beyond the med-tech field includes serving as vice president of HR for Father Joe’s Villages and Breg, Inc.
BAE Systems completes acquisition
of Bohemia Interactive Simulations
BAE Systems announced that it has completed the acquisition of Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) for $200 million, subject to customary closing adjustments.
BISim joins BAE Systems as a wholly-owned subsidiary, bringing global software development and advanced military simulation and training solutions to the company’s growing digital transformation portfolio.
“The addition of BISim to the BAE Systems team expands our modelling and simulation capabilities and solidifies our systems integration strategy,” said Tom Arseneault, president and CEO of BAE Systems Inc. “With this acquisition, we are even better positioned to meet our customers’ evolving needs in the rapidly growing market for global military training, and deliver next-generation virtual systems to help our U.S. military and its allies effectively prepare for future scenarios.”
The global market for military training and simulation environments and related services is expected to continue growing and surpass $11 billion annually. The combined capabilities will enable BAE Systems to meet this increasing demand for both military and civilian applications..
Qualcomm and Square Enix announce
collaboration on Snapdragon spaces
Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and Square Enix Co. Ltd. announced a collaboration to explore extended reality (XR) experiences for Square Enix’s global network of leading development studios and intellectual property.
The Advanced Technology Division (ATD) at Square Enix, will work on the Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform and the two companies will collaborate on new paths to push the boundaries of immersive gaming experiences.
“Square Enix has always been committed to state-of-the-art game technology to push storytelling boundaries, delivering unforgettable experiences for our fans” said Ben Taylor, technical director, Square Enix Co. Ltd. “We have been investing in XR and look forward to building on Snapdragon Spaces. In particular, we think the time is right with XR to innovate on games of a classic genre we are especially known for and look forward to sharing them with the world to further our mission to help spread happiness across the globe.”
USD launches online master’s degree in
Engineering for Sustainability and Health
The University of San Diego has created the Master of Science in Engineering for Sustainability and Health (MESH) degree program to provide today’s problem solvers with a purposeful and critical transdisciplinary practice incorporating a complex system approach to sustainability and health.
A collaboration between sciences, health, social sciences, and other disciplines in order to be able to make an impact on the environment and create a global difference is a new way of thinking for our society and planet. The MESH degree was designed by engineering and environmental experts in close collaboration with key industry stakeholders to offer a unique curriculum for individualslooking to be change-makers, innovators, and disruptors from all disciplines and backgrounds.
The premise of the new program is derived from the think-tank that many of the problems we face may be related to our engineered world, as many innovations are conceived in a vacuum that only considers the task at hand. The solutions cannot come from engineers alone and health and humanitarian efforts must come into play. There is a critical need to work collaboratively across disciplinary boundaries and create substantial alternatives to our current systems. The MESH program was designed for those across professions who are passionate about addressing the challenges facing our natural and built environment.
Scripps partners with San Ysidro Health
on perinatology services
Scripps Health has entered into a partnership to provide perinatology services to patients of San Ysidro Health who are experiencing high-risk pregnancies.
New and existing patients can access perinatology services through a referral by their San Ysidro Health obstetrician and gynecologist. Services include detailed fetal imaging with ultrasound exams and consultative services.
Eligible patients can receive ultrasound exams and consultations at San Ysidro Health’s Maternal and Child Health Center, located at 4050 Beyer Blvd. in San Ysidro.
Patients whose ultrasound exams reveal abnormalities will receive consultative services from a maternal-fetal medicine physician. An individualized care plan will be developed based on each patient’s unique medical needs.
“High-risk pregnancies have been rising across America in recent years, so the need for specialized care for vulnerable women and their babies has never been greater,” said Sean Daneshmand, M.D., medical director of the maternal-fetal medicine program at Scripps Clinic.
The San Diego Foundation and Dr. Seuss
Foundation in partnership to bestow grants
The San Diego Foundation and the Dr. Seuss Foundation announced a partnership to offer $1 million in grants to nonprofits supporting young children, ages 0 – 5, and their families in San Diego County.
“We are excited to partner with the Dr. Seuss Foundation on early literacy,” said Mark Stuart, President and CEO of The San Diego Foundation. “Their support helps intensify the focus on preparing a child to read in their earliest years – a time when brain development and learning is critical to academic success and lifelong learning.”
The 2022 Early Childhood Initiative Equitable Opportunities Grant supports nonprofit organizations implementing strategic efforts to build regional resilience by increasing equitable access to high-quality, affordable early education and support services for children, ages 0 – 5, and their caretakers. Past Early Childhood Initiative grants have increased access to quality, affordable early education and care through service expansions, improved access to early intervention and behavioral health supports, and resources for disproportionately impacted children and families.
Regional bicycle and trail advocates
support Ocean Kamp in Oceanside
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and the San Diego Mountain Biking Association announce their support of Ocean Kamp, a proposed mixed-use plan in Oceanside. The organizations have endorsed Ocean Kamp’s vision to create new multi-use trails and a bike pump track onsite, enhance connections to existing trail networks and encourage overall greater use of bicycles.
At the heart of Ocean Kamp, a 4.5-acre, state-of-the art wave lagoon would allow visitors and residents to enjoy surfing, swimming and paddle boarding, among other events and activities. The proposed community would also include several miles of public trails, 20-acres of open space, a public surfboard shaping bay, a bike pump track, as well as cultural and surf heritage exhibitions and displays.
“Ocean Kamp’s plan has thoughtfully incorporated opportunities for the daily use of bicycles as part of a vibrant mixed-use destination,” said Andy Hanshaw, executive Director of SDCBC.
“Ocean Kamp will be an exciting place for local and visiting outdoor activity enthusiasts and mountain bikers to enjoy for years to come,” said SDMBA Executive Director Susie Murphy.
