ARCS Foundation - San Diego Chapter - 2009 SCHOLAR RECOGNITION EVENT

San Diego’s most outstanding students in chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, medicine and engineering were honored at the November 2009 ARCS Scholar Recognition Event.

They are 42 academically excellent San Diego undergraduate and graduate students in science, medicine and engineering receiving a total of $317,500 in ARCS scholar awards this year. Recipient institutions include San Diego State University, The Scripps Research Institute, the University of California, San Diego, and the University of San Diego. Corporations, foundations and individuals, as well as San Diego Chapter members, contribute annually to this scholar support, with over $6.4 million awarded to 413 scholars since the chapter began in 1985.

This event marked the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the ARCS San Diego Chapter. Highlighting the event was the opportunity for the Scholars to discuss their fields of study and provided guests with brief explanations of their research through poster displays. There was also a featured Scholar speaker from each of the four institutions.

“Each Scholar is actively pursuing research that ranges widely in scope and subject, but each promises to improve our lives,” Kohl said. One student is studying survival pathways after a heart attack to minimize tissue damage. At another university, an engineering student is researching viable nuclear fusion power to provide inexpensive, safe and abundant nuclear energy without a net buildup of radioactive waste. Still another Scholar is focusing on T cells, a major component of the human immune system, exploring factors that can be manipulated for an immune response in the treatment of diseases like cancer and autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes.Other areas of research among the Scholars range from studying novel factors in cells that prevent the infection of the HIV virus, to research in semiconductor nanoparticles which could lead to the discovery of new families of molecules to provide insight into the bonding and chemical nature of bulk semiconductors. A vast variety of critical research is being conducted by this year’s honored scholars including, but not limited to, studies in chemical biology, physics, nursing, biological oceanography, cell and molecular biology, computational science, aerospace engineering, materials science and engineering.

“We consider these talented Scholars to be among San Diego’s best and brightest, and we are extremely proud to honor their significant accomplishments and their outstanding promise for the future,” said ARCS San Diego Chapter President, Candace Kohl, Ph.D. “Each year we are astonished at the creativity and commitment that these Scholars demonstrate in their research laboratories and classrooms.”