Daily Business Report: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023
San Diego City College to offer first
bachelor’s degree in its 108-year history
San Diego City College has secured approval to offer the first bachelor’s degree in the college’s 108-year history. Students at the downtown San Diego campus will soon be able to earn a four-year degree in the burgeoning field of cyber security.
The Cyber Defense and Analysis Baccalaureate Program will launch as early as fall of 2024. City College’s next steps will include hammering out program details, purchasing program resources, preparing campus facilities, finalizing cohort information, and hosting information sessions, before accepting applications next fall through next winter. City College currently offers an associate degree in cyber security.
The California Community Colleges Board of Governors gave its approval for the program at its Jan. 23 meeting in Sacramento.
City College thus will become the second campus in the San Diego Community College District to offer a baccalaureate program; San Diego Mesa College was among the first community colleges in California to offer a baccalaureate program after the Board of Governors greenlighted Mesa’s bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management in 2015. Miramar College, meanwhile, has submitted a proposal for a bachelor’s degree program in Public Safety Management.
“The bachelor’s degree program in Cyber Defense and Analysis will provide a pipeline that not only leads to an above-livable wage career in an industry that is clearly in demand, but will also help diversify the cyber security workforce by allowing more women, military veterans, and people of color to find good jobs,” said City College President Ricky Shabazz. “Social justice and educational equity are at the core of our mission at San Diego City College, and the bachelor’s degree program in Cyber Defense and Analysis aligns perfectly with that mission.”
Top Photo: San Diego City College. (Courtesy of San Diego Community College District)
Sanford Burnham Prebys receives landmark
gift fromT. Denny Sanford to recruit
the top minds in biomedical research
Sanford Burnham Prebys announced plans to recruit up to 20 new faculty positions in research areas including cancer, neurodegeneration and computational biology. A substantial gift from noted businessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford will support this initiative.
Over the next four years, the Institute plans to recruit outstanding early-career researchers and provide support as they develop into world-class scientists.
“Our goal is to recruit the smartest, most innovative scientists from the best laboratories in the top institutions in the world,” says David A. Brenner, M.D., president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys. “In addition, this new gift will be used to invest in our current faculty and research infrastructure.”
“Denny is a visionary committed to making a better world,” says Brenner. “This is a transformational investment in the continued strength of biomedical research at Sanford Burnham Prebys and across the Torrey Pines Mesa. We are grateful for his support, which helps us translate discoveries into improving human health.”
Sanford, an Honorary Trustee of the Institute, has a long-standing relationship with the Institute and was inspired to donate this new gift after Brenner was appointed president and CEO in September 2022.
Construction employment grows in California
Construction employment climbed in 30 states and the District of Columbia from November to December and 42 states added construction jobs during the past 12 months, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials said demand for many types of commercial construction projects remain strong and that firms would likely have added more people if they could find workers.
In December, 30 states and D.C. added construction employees, while industry employment declined in 20 states. California added the most construction jobs over the month (7,500 jobs, 0.8 percent)
Five species on San Clemente Island declared fully recovered
Decades of collaborative conservation efforts on U.S. Navy-owned San Clemente Island resulted in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement Tuesday that five species – San Clemente Island paintbrush, lotus, larkspur and bush-mallow plants and San Clemente Bell’s sparrow have fully recovered and no longer require Endangered Species Act protection.
San Clemente Island is one of eight islands that comprise the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. Thesuccessful recovery of four plants and one bird adds to the list of species that have now successfully recovered across the islands, including the island night lizard, island fox, and the Santa Cruz Island dudleya and island bedstraw. Bald eagle and peregrine falcon populations decimated by impacts from DDT have also rebounded nationally and are successfully breeding on the Channel Islands.
UnitedHealth Group grant helps build more diverse
child and adolescent psychiatry workforce
With the support of a grant from UnitedHealth Group, the University of California San Diego has launched a four-year program to grow a more inclusive child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) workforce in California. This program offers novel learning opportunities, individualized mentorship, and financial educational support for participating medical students. Together, these initiatives will build a stronger community of trainees pursuing careers in CAP and ultimately help create an inclusive, skilled workforce representing the changing demography of California’s children, youth, and families.
Through the four year, $4 million grant, UC San Diego School of Medicine launched the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inclusive Excellece Program (CAPIE), an innovative approach to building a more diverse child and adolescent psychiatry workforce.
Based on a survey conducted by UC San Diego, 87 percent of all students who engaged with the CAPIE program were more likely to pursue child and adolescent psychiatry as their medical specialty because of their experience in the CAP Inclusive Excellence Program.
Duckor Metzger & Wynne elevates
James Sipple to shareholder;
Attorneys Nathaniel Smith, Jonah Mekebri join the firm
Duckor Metzger & Wynne law firm has elevated James Sipple to shareholder, who joins the firm’s Executive Committee. The firm also announced the hiring of Nathaniel Smith as senior counsel, and Jonah Mekebri as an associate.
Sipple has more than 20 years of experience practicing business law and managing all aspects of trust and estates for clients. He joined DMW in 2022 to help the firm expand its Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate practice group. Prior to joining DMW, he was a shareholder at Boner Stern & Sipple.
Smith joined DMW’s Business Litigation and Employment practice groups last year, handling all manner of business and commercial litigation. Previously, he was in-house counsel for a real estate and agricultural company and spent 10 years as a litigator at one of the nation’s largest law firms.
Mekebri is a member of DMW’s Business Litigation, Employment and Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate practice groups. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a legal intern for the Placer County District Attorney’s Office and held other positions with political offices and campaigns.
CBRE hires leading office and R&D brokers in San Diego
CBRE announced four leading North County San Diego brokers had joined the company’s San Diego office practice. Matty Sundberg and Michael Mahoney join the firm as senior vice presidents, and Justin Halenza and Bob Cowman join as first vice presidents. All four were previously with Cushman & Wakefield.
Sundberg has over 20 years of experience representing property owners and corporate tenants. In the last 15 years, he has completed over 1,200 sales and lease transactions totaling more than $1 billion and amounting to 10 million square feet.
For nearly two decades, Mahoney has advised his clients on office and flex space in San Diego. Throughout his career, he has completed thousands of transactions in Central San Diego and North County.
Halenza arrives at CBRE with 25 years of experience. He has negotiated over 2,500 transactions totaling more than $1 billion and is recognized as a leader in the office and R&D markets throughout San Diego
Cowan specializes in the representation of property owners and occupiers in North County. He brings 15 years of experience to his new role and has completed over 700 transactions totaling $800 million. Cowan was named a 40 Under 40 honoree by San Diego Metro Magazine in 2019.
Beverly and Joseph Glickman
Hillel Center opens its doors
Located adjacent to the UC San Diego campus, the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center—a state-of-the-art, 6,500-square-foot facility—will host Jewish holiday experiences, Jewish learning and community activities, and will serve as the headquarters for the university’s numerous Jewish student organizations. The center, which officially opened Jan. 15, will welcome students of all backgrounds, leading to deeper connections across diverse campus communities.
Cymbiotika launches new
product, Inflammatory Health
SAN DIEGO — Cymbiotika, a leading nutritional supplement brand known for creating pure, clinically backed supplements, announced its newest product, Inflammatory Health. It is a
daily supplement that may help individuals fight joint discomfort by supporting a healthy inflammatory response and promoting joint flexibility, mobility, and comfort. Inflammatory Health retails for $72 and is available for purchase through the Cymbiotika website.
MedCrypt extends Series B with additional
investment from Dexcom Venture
SAN DIEGO — MedCrypt Inc., the proactive cybersecurity solution provider for medical device manufacturers, announced additional funding from Dexcom Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Dexcom. This extension follows MedCrypt’s Series B funding round in November 2022 with investments from Intuitive Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC Inc., among others, bringint the company/s funding to date to $36.4 million.
Jack in the Box partners with SiteZeus
for advanced location intelligence
TAMPA, Fla. — Jack in the Box, and SiteZeus, an A.I.-powered location intelligene platform, announced a partnership designed to bring cutting-edge technology to the San Diego restaurant brand’s site-selection and market-analysis process. The partnership came from SiteZeus’ comprehensive solutions suite and Jack in the Box’s need for a more robust market-planning tool. With ample data, real-time insights, white-space analysis, sales forecasting, and more, SiteZeus will support the brand’s agile approach to portfolio expansion and optimization.
San Diego International Airport is
best airport for working remotely
SAN DIEGO — San Diego International Airport is the best airport for working remotely, according to a report by Upgraded Points. Among other perks for remote workers, the airport has the most shops per square mile and the most Starbucks per square mile. Factors considered were Wi-Fi download speeds, number of airport lounges per square mile, number of restrooms/charging stations, along with detailed percentages on on-time departures, delayed departures, canceled departures.
Ethos Asset Management announces
deal with agricultural cooperative
SAN DIEGO – Ethos Asset Management Inc USA announced a new long-term financing partnership with The Cooperativa Mista São Luiz Ltda, “Coopermil,” a cooperative whose mission is to organize rural producers as the best form of management for small property. Ethos has committed to providing significant capital infusion that will continue for several years. Ethos Asset Management is an independent, U.S.-based company with global reach in resource mobilization and project financing. For more information, please visit https://www.ethosasset.com
Weekend Pacific Surfliner
service to resume on Feb. 4
ORANGE, Calif. — The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, which manages the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service, will restore partial train service between San Diego and Los Angeles. Trains will again operate between Oceanside and Irvine on Saturdays and Sundays starting Feb. 4. Passenger rail service was suspended between Irvine and Oceanside on Sept. 30, 2022, out of an abundance of caution after officials noticed movement of the tracks and the adjacent hillside.
Biological Dynamics to deliver presentation
at Precision Medicine World Conference
SAN DIEGO – Biological Dynamics, a company developing and commercializing its ExoVerita platform for early disease diagnostics, announced that Harmeet Dhani, M.D., medical director, will present at the Precision Medicine World Conference in Santa Clara, Calif. Dhani’s PMWC showcase presentation on Jan. 26 is part of the Clinical Utility of Liquid Biopsies track. The track focuses on how liquid biopsy technologies facilitate detection of early-stage cancer, which could help contribute to improving patient outcomes rates and reduce the need for invasive diagnostic procedures.
Clean Energy to provide 86 million gallons
of RNG to S.D. Metropolitan Transit System
NEWPORT BEACH — Clean Energy Fuels Corp., the largest provider of the cleanest fuel for the transportation market, has been awarded a contract by San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), to provide an expected 86 million gallons of renewable natural gas to operate its bus fleet. “San Diego MTS was an early adopter of natural gas in the 1990s and has continued to seek cleaner and more economical fueling options,” said Clean Energy Senior Vice President Chad Lindholm. “As a result of the use of RNG the people who live in the San Diego area will have less exposure to greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air.”
