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The Campaign Chairs
General Campus Chairs
Akamai Chair in Internet Mathematics
The Akamai Chair in Internet Mathematics was established with the support of an endowment funded by UCSD’s Ronald Graham, Ph.D., the Irwin Mark and Joan Klein Jacobs Professor of Information and Computer Sciences.
Professor Graham is one of the world’s best-known mathematicians, computer theorists and technology visionaries. He pioneered worst-case analysis in scheduling theory, online algorithms, quasi-randomness and Ramsey Theory—a branch of pure math that states that complete disorder is impossible.
Akamai, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a leading provider of secure, outsourced e-business infrastructure services and software. The company has the largest distributed network and technology platform, with offices across the U.S. and subsidiaries throughout Europe.
Fan Chung Graham, Ph.D., is the inaugural holder of the Chair in Internet Mathematics. Her main research interests lie in the spectral graph theory, extremal graph theory, discrete geometry, algorithmic design, parallel computation, communication networks and Internet computing. She is especially interested in bridging the gap between mathematics in the classroom and the use of mathematics in the real world.
Henry E. Allison Endowed Chair in the History of Philosophy
This chair was established with the goal of recruiting outstanding historians of philosophy, from the ancients through Hegel, to the Department of Philosophy.
Professor Henry E. Allison is a distinguished and highly regarded member of the academic community. In addition to UCSD, Dr. Allison has been on the faculty at the State University of New York (Postsdam), Pennsylvania State University, University of Florida, University of Oslo, Boston University and UC Davis. He has also held visiting professor appointments at Princeton University, Yale University and UC Irvine.
Dr. Allison received the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for Independent Study on several occasions, the International Kant Prize, as well as the Guggenheim Fellowship and the University of California, President’s Research Fellowship in the Humanities.
Daniel L. Alspach Endowed Chair in Dynamic Systems and Controls
Daniel L. Alspach, Ph.D. ’70, is a former visiting professor at the Jacobs School and co-founder of Orincon, a San Diego-based systems integration and information technology company. He funded the Daniel L. Alspach Endowed Chair in Dynamic Systems and Controls with the goal of promoting research surrounding control theory and dynamic systems within the Jacobs School.
Robert E. Skelton, a distinguished professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering and a leading controls theorist, occupies the chair as its inaugural holder. Skelton has been involved with the country’s first space station, Skylab, as well as the Hubble Space Telescope and a wide variety of down-to-Earth projects involving everything from robots to red blood cells. The chair will support his research surrounding control theory.
Amylin Endowed Chair in Lifesciences Education and Research
The chair was founded by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in the Division of Biological Sciences to foster and support the creation and continuation of science education programs.
Amylin Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company committed to improving lives through discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines. Amylin has a commitment to strengthening the communities in which it operates through participation and leadership in charitable, educational, civic, cultural and service initiatives. The company’s support of the campus covers outreach education programs in biological sciences, a diabetes/obesity outreach program at The Preuss School and scholarships for undergraduate students.
Ginger L. Graham, CEO of Amylin, serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council in the Division of Biological Sciences. Julia R. Brown, a member of the UCSD Foundation Board of Trustees was previously Executive Vice President of Amylin and continues to serve as an advisor to the CEO.
Atkinson/Epstein Chair in Management Leadership
The Atkinson/Epstein Chair in Management Leadership was funded by gifts from Drs. Richard and Rita Atkinson and Daniel and Phyllis Epstein. Established at the Rady School of Management, the chair was established to recruit a key new faculty member to the school.
Richard Atkinson served as president of the University of California system from 1995-2003, and as chancellor of UC San Diego from 1980-1995. Mr. Epstein is the founder and CEO of ConAm Management Corporation, a San Diego-based apartment management firm that presently operates approximately 50,000 apartments throughout the United States.
Inaugural chair holder, Allan Timmermann, Ph.D., uses a mix of theory, data and sophisticated econometric techniques to understand the behavior of financial markets. His objective is to understand what determines the movement of stock prices and to use this in managing risk and forecasting future price movements. Working extensively with the Rady School, Professor Timmermann served on the faculty recruiting committee and led the visioning, planning and execution of the Rady Economic Forecasting Conference.
Harriet and Louis Bookheim Endowed Chair in Biblical Hebrew and Related Languages
Funded through a gift from Harriet and Louis Bookheim, the Endowed Chair in Biblical Hebrew and Related Languages enables the Judaic Studies Program in the Division of Arts and Humanities to increase its scope into Biblical Hebrew and other related languages.
Mr. Bookheim is a retired attorney and Mrs. Bookheim is a retired psychotherapist. The two have been involved with the university for many years, with philanthropic support to the UCSD Chancellor’s Associates, the Judaic Studies Program in the Division of Arts and Humanities, and the Shiley Eye Center.
The chair is currently filled by William Propp, Ph.D., whose research specialties include Biblical Studies, Comparative Semitic Philosophy, Assyriology, Northwest Semitic Epigraphy, Historical Linguistics and Judaic Studies.
Arthur Brody Endowed Chair in Management Leadership
Arthur Brody funded the Arthur Brody Chair in Management Leadership for the Rady School of Management to encourage the recruitment of a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the business community.
Mr. Brody is the founder, chairman and president of Brodart Company, a book retailer and manufacturer/distributor of library and office supplies in San Diego. He also serves as the chairman of BDI Investment Group, as well as a director and investor of Sorrento Associates, a San Diego venture capital firm. Mr. Brody has long been involved with the UCSD community, as a member of the Rady School Dean’s Advisory Board, UCSD Campaign Cabinet, UC San Diego Foundation Board of Trustees, Chancellor’s Associates, and working with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Friends of Judaic Studies.
Center for Magnetic Recording Research Chair V
Industry sponsors of the Center for Magnetic Recording Research (CMRR), a collaborative effort to conduct research on magnetic data storage technology, have established this chair. The chair is designed to support research interests related to magnetic recording that encompass a number of interdisciplinary areas including chemistry, physics, electrical engineering and computer sciences, and applied mechanics and engineering sciences.
Magnetic recording is the principal means of recording, storing, and reproducing audio and video material and data in business, science and entertainment. Since its founding in 1983, CMRR has focused on helping to keep U.S. companies on the cutting edge of this key technology by looking at problems in research that are five to ten years in the future.
The first center of its kind in the nation, CMRR is funded through contributions from several corporations, the National Science Foundation, and the university. Corporate sponsors include Agere, Hitachi Maxell Ltd., IBM; Imation Corp., Maxtor Corp., the National Security Agency, Quantum Corp., Seagate Technology and Western Digital.
Chancellor’s Associates Chairs
Since 1983, the UCSD Chancellor’s Associates have funded numerous chairs. Chancellor’s Associates chairs are not permanently associated with specific departments or programs in order to give the university maximum flexibility in attracting and retaining outstanding faculty.
The UCSD Chancellor’s Associates program was founded in 1966 to help foster ties between the university and the community, and to create opportunities for the community to become involved in campus activities. Chancellor’s Associates membership recognizes individuals who designate annual gifts to be used at the chancellor’s discretion. Through the years, membership has grown to include more than 470 alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends from across the country. Chancellor’s Associates share the campus’ vision of education and research that enhances our lives and environment.
Chancellor’s Chair in Biological Science
Supported by funds from the UCSD Chancellor’s Associates, the Chancellor’s Associates Chair in Biological Science is held by Stephen M. Hedrick, Ph.D., a professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.
Dr. Hedrick leads a large and active team of researchers in the Cancer Biology Program in the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center. The program is focused on molecular mechanisms that convert normal cells into malignant tumors and on characteristics of tumor cells that enable them to escape growth control. The researchers also investigate how the cells suspend regular differentiation pathways, alter their relationships with neighboring cells and tissues, and acquire invasive and metastatic capabilities. Understanding of these mechanisms and properties will facilitate improvement in existing cancer therapies and contribute to the development of new strategies for diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Chancellor’s Associates Chair in Political Science
Mathew D. McCubbins, Ph.D., is the inaugural recipient of the Chancellor’s Associates Chair in Political Science. He is the coordinator of UCSD’s Law and the Behavioral Sciences Project, the coeditor of The Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization at Yale Law School, and a member of the editorial board for Legislative Studies Quarterly, a publication of the Comparative Legislative Research Center at the University of Iowa.
Dr. McCubbins has received three honors from the American Political Science Association for his scholarly writing: the 1986 Congressional Quarterly Award for his paper “Presidential Influence on Congressional Appropriations Decisions,” the 1991 Gladys M. Kammerer Award for best publication on U.S. national policy for his book The Logic of Delegation, and the 1993 Richard F. Fenno Jr. Prize for the outstanding book published in legislative studies for Legislative Leviathan: Party Government in the House.
Francis Crick Chair in Physical Science
The Francis Crick Chair, established through a Regents Fund, seeks to recognize the importance of interdisciplinary research that links quantitative physical science and biology.
Francis Harry Compton Crick, along with James Watson and Maurice Wilkins, received the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for determining the structure of DNA, the chemical substance responsible for hereditary control of life functions. This was just one of numerous scientific accomplishments Dr. Crick made as a distinguished research professor and former president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
The research interests of chair holder Peter G. Wolynes, Ph.D., include theoretical chemistry and biochemistry, statistical mechanics of biomolecules and condensed matter, protein folding and function, and the nature of glass transition.
Cymer Corporation Chair
The Cymer Corporation Chair was established in the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, to support the work of a faculty member in the area of high performance dynamical systems modeling and control. Support for the chair was provided by an endowment established by three donors, Robert P. Akins ’74, M.S. ’77, Ph.D. ’83; Richard L. Sandstrom, ’72, M.S. ’76, Ph.D. ’79; and the Cymer Corporation.
Cymer is one of the leading providers of illumination sources for deep ultraviolet photolithography systems and a pioneer in generations of leading-edge semiconductors. The company was founded in 1986 by Drs. Sandstrom and Atkins, both of whom earned undergraduate, masters and doctorate degrees at UCSD.
Robert Bitmead, Ph.D., is the first faculty member named the Cymer Corporation Chair and a professor of Mechanical and Aeropace Engineering at the Jacobs School. His research interests encompass theoretical and applications sides of dynamic system modeling and control.
Cymer Inc. Endowed Chair in Advanced Optical Technologies
The Cymer Inc. Endowed Chair in Advanced Optical Technologies was established to promote groundbreaking advancements within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the Jacobs School of Engineering. This chair is the second Cymer, Inc. endowed chair at UC San Diego.
The chair was supported by generous gifts from the Cymer Corporation, in conjunction with the company’s cofounders and UCSD Jacobs School alumni, Robert P. Akins ’74, M.S. ’77, Ph.D. ’83, and Richard L. Sandstrom ’72, M.S. ’76, Ph.D. ’79. Dr. Akins serves as chairman and CEO of Cymer, Inc., while Dr. Sandstrom is the corporation’s senior vice president and chief technical advisor.
Cymer, Inc. is the world’s leading supplier of excimer light sources, and delivers the deep ultraviolet photolithography sources that are essential to today’s semiconductor marketplace.
Epstein/Atkinson Endowed Chair in Management Leadership
The Epstein/Atkinson Chair in Management Leadership was funded by generous gifts from Daniel and Phyllis Epstein and Drs. Rita and Richard Atkinson to the Rady School of Management. The Epstein/Atkinson Chair comes a year after the announcement of another chair endowment for the Rady School, also from the Epsteins and Atkinsons. The chair was established to provide the resources to attract a strong faculty member who will serve in the continued enhancement of the Rady School.
Mr. Epstein is the founder and CEO of ConAm Management Corporation and Richard Atkinson served as president of the UC system and as UC San Diego’s chancellor.
Ericsson Chair in Wireless Communication Access Techniques
The endowed chair, which was funded by Ericsson Wireless Communications, supports research of the long-time faculty member and leading expert in digital communication theory. It was established to support research and design of innovative and cutting-edge communication access techniques which can be utilized for practical use.
Professor and former chairman of the Jacobs School of Engineering’s Electrical and Computer Engineering department, Laurence Milstein, Ph.D., occupies the Ericsson Chair in Wireless Communication Access Techniques as its inaugural chair holder.
Professor Milstein has significantly contributed to wireless communication, in particular the area of CDMA and interference suppressing receivers. He is the principal investigator on a four-year CDMA Systems research project sponsored through Calit2 by Ericsson and the UC Discovery Grant program.
Stanley and Pauline Foster Endowed Chair
The Stanley and Pauline Foster Endowed Chair was funded by a generous gift from philanthropist Pauline Foster, president of Foster Investment Group, and an active volunteer and friend to UCSD. The chair was established as the first endowed dean’s chair at UC San Diego to fund various programs in the Rady School of Management with the goal of providing students with access to some of the world’s most respected business leaders. The chair is held by Rady School Dean, Robert S. Sullivan, Ph.D.
The biennial Stanley Foster Symposium, featuring topical executive level speakers and focusing on important issues of our time, will be one program supported by the gift.
Stanley Foster, a respected leader in the San Diego business community, was a champion of honesty and integrity in business, which prompted Mrs. Foster to endow the dean’s chair. Mr. Foster’s entrepreneurial spirit created dramatic growth in his family business and he was an early visionary in the redevelopment of downtown San Diego.
Y.C. Fung Chair in Bioengineering
The Y.C. Fung Chair in Bioengineering was established in honor of professor emeritus Yuan-Cheng Fung, a founder of the UC San Diego’s Bioengineering program. Dr. Fung is known as the father of biomechanics and a pioneer in establishing the founding principles of the field of bioengineering. He was the recipient of the President’s National Medal of Science in 2000, and received the prestigious 2007 Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize.
The chair was made possible through generous gifts by nearly 70 of Professor Fung’s students, colleagues and friends as well as the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation; Senyei Family Foundation; and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
Chair holder Shu Chien, M.D., Ph.D., is director of UCSD’s Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering and former chair of the Jacobs School of Engineering’s Department of Bioengineering. Dr. Chien is a world leader in understanding how blood flow and pressure affect blood vessels whose research has led to better understanding and treatment of arterial lesion formation and restenosis in coronary angioplasty.
Pierre M. Galletti Professor of Bioengineering Innovation
In an effort to support bioengineering research at the university, the Pierre M. Galletti Professor of Bioengineering Innovation was established by Natalie and David Lederman and Dane A. Miller, Ph.D., in honor of the late pioneering medical researcher, Pierre M. Galletti, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Galletti was famous in the field of biomedical engineering for his work on biomaterials and artificial organs. He led medical societies around the world, edited journals and advised such scientific organizations as the National Institutes of Health, in addition to teaching undergraduates and medical students alike.
Bernhard O. Palsson, Ph.D., is the Galetti Professor of Bioengineering and adjunct professor of medicine at UC San Diego. Professor Palsson, an internationally renowned leader in systems biology and bioinformatics, is known for his contributions to tissue engineering strategies, as well as for his invention of a modern technology for propagation of stem cells.
Murray Goodman Endowed Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Murray Goodman Endowed Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry was established by family, friends and colleagues in honor of the internationally recognized peptide chemist and long-time member of the university’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. Professor Goodman’s work at UCSD, considered to be on the cutting-edge of peptide synthesis, involved applying the latest molecular imaging techniques to determine peptide structure. The work’s practical applications included the development of anticancer drugs, artificial sweeteners, artificial growth hormones and pain medication.
Dr. Goodman, who died in 2004 while on a lecture tour in Germany, served as provost of Revelle College from 1972-1974, and as chairman of the Chemistry department for six years. In May 2004, Goodman received the Chancellor’s Associates Recognition Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, a tribute to the inspirational teacher and mentor who trained 84 graduate students in addition to 200 postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists.
Harry E. Gruber Chair in Computer Science and Information Technologies
The Harry E. Gruber Chair supports the work of a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the Jacobs School of Engineering. The chair was jointly endowed by Joan Cunningham and Harry E. Gruber; Kathleen Kenner ’85, Ph.D. ’93 and Brian Kenner ’89; and Isaac Willis, M.D.
Dr. Gruber founded four local pioneering companies, and is currently the CEO of Kintera, the leading provider of advanced Web-based solutions to nonprofit organizations. He did his medical residency, held fellowships and was on the faculty at the UCSD School of Medicine. He also served on the UCSD Foundation’s board of directors and the Jacobs School’s council of advisors. Mr. Kenner is the cofounder and chief technology officer of Intervu. Both he and Dr. Willis, a physician and Intervu investor, are also members of the Jacobs School council of advisors.
Chair holder Larry Smarr, Ph.D., is a world-renowned authority on the evolution of the Internet, telecommunications and supercomputing. He is director of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), a collaborative effort between UCSD and UC Irvine.
Rebeca Hickel Chair in Elizabethan Literature
The Rebeca Hickel Chair was established in the Department of Literature by Walter H. Hickel in honor of his wife, Rebeca. The chair is designed to encourage scholarship, teaching and critical thought through comparative and multidisciplinary studies of Elizabethan literature as the foundation of English and American literature.
Mr. and Mrs. Hickel are members of UCSD’s Chancellor’s Associates. Their son is a student at UCSD, studying in Classical Studies. An engineer by education, Mr. Hickel earned a bachelor’s degree at Northwestern University, and a masters degree from Columbia University. He is owner of CALWEST Properties, a real estate investment trust.
Chair in High Performance Computing
The Chair in High Performance Computing was established in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the Jacobs School of Engineering, with support from the university’s Corporate Affiliates Program and the Chancellor’s Associates Fund.
Through the Corporate Affiliates Program, which has more than 50 member companies, the Jacobs School forges close ties to industry to ensure that the curricula are relevant to today’s engineering issues.
The Chancellor’s Associates program was founded in 1966 to help foster ties between the university and the community, and to create opportunities for the community to become involved in campus activities. Membership has grown to include more than 470 alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends.
Francine Berman, Ph.D., is the current holder of the endowed chair. Her current research focuses on the development of performance-oriented software, models and applications for networked heterogeneous distributed resources, also known as computational grids or metasystems.
Jerri-Ann and Gary E. Jacobs Endowed Chair in Social Sciences
The Jerri-Ann and Gary E. Jacobs Endowed Chair was established to support the research and teaching activities of an exceptional faculty member in the Division of Social Sciences.
Mr. Jacobs received his B.A. in Management Science from UCSD in 1979. The Managing Director of Jacobs Investment Company, LLC, Mr. Jacobs is an active member of the community who currently serves as chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council for Social Sciences at UCSD and is a member of both the UCSD Board of Overseers and the UCSD Athletics Board.
Having pledged $1 million to UCSD’s Division of Social Sciences to augment the Jerri-Ann and Gary E. Jacobs Graduate Fellowship, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs are recognized as “Alumni Founders” of UCSD, which honors the first 50 alumni who give $1 million or more to the campus. Mr. Jacobs serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and is a member of the CREATE Advisory Board, UCSD’s K-12 educational outreach program.
Jerome Katzin Chair in Corporate Governance
With support from QUALCOMM, the first faculty chair for the Rady School of Management was established—the Jerome Katzin Chair in Corporate Governance. The chair also marked the university’s 100th endowed chair.
Jerome Katzin become director of QUALCOMM in 1987 and is now retired from the board. For more than 35 years, he was engaged in investment banking and was a managing director with Kuhn Loeb & Co. and the successor firm Lehman Brothers. He served on the legal staff and held various executive positions with the Securities and Exchange Commission from 1941-1953.
Mr. Katzin is a long-time UCSD supporter. He is an emeritus trustee and former chair of the UC San Diego Foundation and serves as a member of the Board of Overseers, Chancellor’s Associates, Friends of Judaic Studies and the International Advisory Board of the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies.
The research focus of chair holder David A. Schkade is on the psychology of judgment and decision making, and how decision making can be improved.
Norma Kershaw Endowed Chair in Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Neighboring Lands
Norma and Reuben Kershaw provided support through the Kershaw Family Trust to establish the Norma Kershaw Endowed Chair in Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Neighboring Lands. The goal of the chair is to strengthen the research and scholarship of existing programs in Judaic Studies. It constitutes the university’s first endowed faculty chair in the Department of Anthropology.
Ms. Kershaw is a retired educator, lecturer and volunteer in the fields of archaeology and cultural studies, with a specific interest in the history and archaeology of the Levantine region.
Founding chair holder and director of the Judaic Studies Program, Thomas E. Levy, Ph.D., is recognized as one of the leading experts on the archaeology of the Middle East based on his fieldwork both in Israel and Jordan. The chair helps support Professor Levy’s research of distant archaeological sites with graduate students, as well as processing radiocarbon dating samples, procuring remote sensing data such as satellite imagery, and other research related activities.
Tamara and Kevin Kinsella Chair in Neurobiology
The Kinsella Chair in Neurobiology was established with a generous gift from active community leaders, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella with the goal of supporting research and promoting further advancement in the field of neurobiology. The chair is also designed to honor a distinguished faculty member or recruit a promising leader in the field.
For more than two decades, Mr. Kinsella has invested in early-stage technology companies, primarily through Avalon Ventures. Among the companies he has founded are Athena Neurosciences, Aurora Biosciences, Landmark Graphics Corporation, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Synaptics, Senomyx, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Vocera Communications.
Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations
The Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations was funded by a generous contribution from Kwan and Marion So, friends, and colleagues, in an effort to support research and teaching at the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS).
Mr. So is president and Mrs. So is secretary and treasurer of EVG Enterprises, a company specializing in real estate investment services. The two have an expansive history of volunteering and supporting UCSD and IR/PS. Mr. So is a former UC San Diego Foundation trustee, a long-time member of the IR/PS International Advisory Council and a member of the Council’s Executive Committee. In 1997, Mr. So was named an honorary alumnus of UCSD, and in 2003, Mr. and Mrs. So were both named honorary alumni of IR/PS. Mrs. So’s Chinese name is Ho Mui Lam.
Endowed Chair in Modern Chinese History
Support for the Endowed Chair in Modern Chinese History came from a generous gift from an anonymous donor, with the intent of supporting the educational and research efforts of an outstanding faculty member in the Department of History in UC San Diego’s Division of Arts and Humanities.
Stanford S. and Beverly P. Penner Endowed Chair in Engineering or Applied Sciences
Stanford S. Penner, Ph.D., the founding chair of UC San Diego’s first engineering department, generously provided support for the founding of the Endowed Chair in Engineering and Applied Sciences. The chair is designed to strengthen research efforts within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering.
Dr. Penner also held the positions of vice chancellor of Academic Affairs, director of the Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences, and director of the Energy Center (later named the Center for Energy and Combustion Research). He currently holds the position of professor emeritus in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.
QUALCOMM Endowed Chair in Communications and Technology Policy
QUALCOMM generously provided the support for an endowed chair in communications and technology policy established in the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) to support cutting-edge research and teaching.
San Diego-based QUALCOMM is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the company’s CDMA digital technology. QUALCOMM is among the members of the S&P Index, Fortune 500, and Fortune’s “100 Fastest Growing Companies.” It has repeatedly been among Fortune’s list of the “100 Best Companies To Work For in America” and Industry Week’s “100 Best Managed Companies.”
Peter Cowhey, the dean of IR/PS and a leading expert on U.S. foreign policy, occupies the QUALCOMM Endowed Chair. He is also the director of the university’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. Professor Cowhey has special expertise in international communications and information industries. He is a former chief and senior counselor to the International Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission.
QUALCOMM Endowed Chairs in Engineering
Generous support from San Diego-based QUALCOMM established four chairs at the Jacobs School of Engineering. The endowed chairs support work of faculty in the Department of Computer Sciences and Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
QUALCOMM is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the company’s CDMA digital technology. Dr. Irwin Jacobs, Ph.D., cofounded QUALCOMM in 1985. He received a B.E.E. degree from Cornell University and M.S. and Sc.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1966-1972, he taught information and computer sciences at UCSD.
Chair in Embedded Microsystems
Occupying the Chair in Embedded Microsystems, Rajesh Gupta, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He focuses his research endeavors on embedded systems and mobile computing, including the integration of software and hardware to make computers more portable and energy efficient.
Chair in Information Theory and Its Applications
Alon Orlitsky, Ph.D., a professor in the Jacobs Schools’ Department of Computer Science and Engineering, is the chair holder of the QUALCOMM Chair in Information Technology and Its Applications. His research is concentrated on communications and information theory, with particular interests in signal processing, data compression, speech recognition and learning theory.
Chair in Mobile Computing
The Chair in Mobile Computing is currently unfilled.
Chair in Telecommunications and Information Technologies
Ramesh Rao, Ph.D., is the chair holder for the QUALCOMM Chair in Telecommunications and Information Technologies. He also serves as the UCSD director of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology. Professor Rao’s research encompasses architectures, protocols and performance analysis of wireless, wire line and photonic networks for integrated multimedia services.
Gerry & Jeannie Ranglas Chair in Ancient Greek History
UC San Diego recently established the Gerry and Jeannie Ranglas Chair in Ancient Greek History with a leadership gift from Mr. and Mrs. Ranglas and additional contributions from members of San Diego’s Greek community and Greek cultural organizations.
The endowed chair, which is currently unfilled, will support research of ancient Greek history from circa 800 BC, to the death of Alexander the Great, circa 300 BC.
Skyworks Endowed Chair in High Performance Communications Devices and Circuits
Established in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering, the Skyworks Chair in High Performance Communications Devices and Circuits was initially founded to support research in the field of high performance communications devices and circuits with an endowment from Conexant Systems. Since then, Conexant Systems and Alpha Industries merged to form Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
Skyworks is the industry’s leading wireless semiconductor company focused on radio frequency and complete semiconductor system solutions for mobile communications applications. Skyworks offers a comprehensive family of components and RF subsystems, and also provides complete antenna-to-microphone semiconductor and software solutions that support advanced 2.5-generation and third-generation services. Skyworks’ products are used in dozens of industry-leading handset designs.
Peter Asbeck, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of high-speed integrated circuits using advanced materials, is the first recipient of the Skyworks Endowed Chair in High Performance Communications Devices and Circuits.
Structural Systems Research Chair
The Structural Systems Research Chair has been established by the Jacobs School of Engineering Corporate Affiliates to support the Department of Structural Engineering in providing comprehensive education and training to engineers with funds created by the school’s Corporate Affiliates Program.
The Department of Structural Engineering uses a holistic approach to structural systems engineering in its teaching by emphasizing and building on the commonality of engineering structures at the levels of materials, mechanics, analysis and design.
The Corporate Affiliates Program is a primary means by which the Jacobs School cultivates relationships with industry. Through the program, which has more than 50 member companies, the school forges close ties to industry to ensure that the curricula are relevant to today’s engineering issues.
Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Chair in Byzantine Greek History
The Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Chair in Byzantine Greek History was established by Carol Vassiliadis, family, friends, colleagues and other members of San Diego’s Greek community, in honor of her late husband, Alkiviadis Vassiliadis.
The chair supports teaching and research surrounding the more than 1,000 years of history of the Byzantine Empire, from circa 324 AD to 1453 AD.
Sheryl and Harvey White Chair in Management Leadership
The Sheryl and Harvey White Chair in Management Leadership was established at the Rady School of Management with a gift from Sheryl and Harvey White. Mr. White is a co-founder of QUALCOMM and retired chairman and CEO of Leap Wireless International.
Rady faculty member, Vish Krishnan, Ph.D., is the chair holder and leads the school’s efforts in the areas of innovation, technology and operations. Establishment of the chair has allowed him to work with students and companies on issues such as innovation and operational growth, both of which are key drivers for technology industries.
Daniel Yankelovich Chair on Social Thought
Daniel Yankelovich is renowned as one of the most influential people of the past century in the arena of public affairs, communications and public relations, spending more than forty years monitoring social change and public opinion in the United States. Mr. Yankelovitch endowed the Chair of Social Thought in the Department of Social Sciences to support a senior social scientist whose work transcends traditional academic disciplines.
Mr. Yankelovich serves as director of the UCSD Civic Collaborative, which works to establish close, productive ties between the campus and the communities of the San Diego region. He is also a long-standing member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Mr. Yankelovich is director emeritus of CBS, US West, the Meredith Corporation, Diversified Energies and ARKLA as well as trustee emeritus of Brown University and former Chairman of the Educational Testing Service. He is also trustee of the Kettering Foundation and the Fund for the City of New York.
In 1958, he founded the research firm of Yankelovich, Skelly and White and in the 1970s initiated the New York Times/Yankelovich poll.
School of Medicine Chairs
Endowed Chair in Behavioral Genomics
The Endowed Chair in Behavioral Genomics was established by an anonymous donor in the Department of Psychiatry in UC San Diego’s School of Medicine. The goal of the chair is to provide funding for teaching and research endeavors in behavioral genomics.
The endowed chair is currently unfilled.
Larry L. Hillblom Foundation Chair in Geriatrics
The Larry L. Hillblom Foundation founded the Chair in Geriatrics to support research targeted to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and/or cures of age-related chronic or degenerative disorders of the brain or vision.
Geriatrics specialist Laura L. Dugan, M.D., joined the UCSD School of Medicine faculty in 2005 as the first physician-scientist to hold the Hillblom Chair in Geriatrics. In addition to promoting healthy aging in a special diagnostic and treatment clinic for older patients, Dr. Dugan researches the molecular mechanics of aging. She is attempting to define the role of free radical oxidative injury in stroke or trauma, as well as in chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A second area of research focuses on development and characterization of a class of potent anti-oxidant compounds known as buckyballs, as potential therapy for age-related diseases.
Dr. Richard and Tatiana Lansche Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology
A gift from Tatiana A. Lansche established the Dr. Richard and Tatiana Lansche Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology at the Shiley Eye Center of UCSD to further research endeavors. The contribution honors the work and memory of the late Richard K. Lansche, M.D., a respected San Diego-area ophthalmologist.
In addition to establishing a local ophthalmology practice, Dr. Lansche obtained a hospital appointment to the Scripps Hospital and worked as a consultant in ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology to the Scripps Clinic. Dr. Lansche served as chairman of the La Jolla Academy of Medicine, an organization that Mrs. Lansche continues to be involved in today. At the time of his death, Dr. Lansche was involved in a research project trying to link the computer to human memory. He was working on a determinate for design in a semi conductor-based intelligent computer.
Dr. Stuart Brown, Ph.D., professor and chair of the UCSD Department of Ophthalmology since 1983 and head of the Shiley Eye Center, is the inaugural chair holder. Dr. Brown is world-renowned for his contributions for basic and clinical research of the cornea.
Kenneth M. Moser Endowed Chair
The Kenneth M. Moser Endowed Chair was supported by various donors in honor of the late Dr. Kenneth M. Moser, a founding faculty member of UCSD’s Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, to recruit and retain stellar leadership.
Widely recognized for his work in pulmonary vascular diseases, the late Professor Moser was a world-renowned authority on acute and chronic thomboembonic disease. He was instrumental in establishing UCSD as the world’s leading referral center for pulmonary thomboendarterectomy surgery and one of the country’s models for the management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Patricia Finn, M.D., is the current chair holder of the Kenneth M. Moser Endowed Chair. She also serves as director of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the UCSD Medical Center.
George E. Palade Chair
The George E. Palade Endowed Chair was established by friends and colleagues, the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, Margaret Shaw Roberts Fund, and Joseph N. Roberts Estate in honor of Nobel Laureate George Palade, M.D., who is considered to be the father of modern cell biology. Funds for the endowed chair will be used to support a faculty member in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the UCSD School of Medicine.
Dr. Palade came to UC San Diego from Yale University in 1990 to serve as UCSD School of Medicine’s first dean for Scientific Affairs, where he created one of the preeminent cell biology programs in the nation and served as a professor of Medicine. He held both posts until his retirement in 2001 at the age of 88. Dr. Palade remains an advisor to the vice chancellor of Health Sciences and the dean of the UCSD School of Medicine. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1974.
Anne F. Ratner Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics
The Anne F. Ratner Professor of Pediatric Ophthalmology was established by Mrs. Ratner at the Abraham Ratner Children’s Eye Center to help further the research, teaching and clinical care conducted at the center.
In honor of her late husband, Mrs. Ratner donated the lead gift to found the Abraham Ratner Children’s Eye Center in the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology at the UCSD School of Medicine. Together, their association with UCSD dates back to 1967, when the couple became the original members of the Chancellor’s Associates. They also supported Friends of Judaic Studies, The Preuss School and the UCSD Cancer Center Gala. Mrs. Ratner has long been active in the San Diego community and has been honored by many organizations for her philanthropy, including the Women’s division of United Jewish Federation and the Salvation Army.
Director of the Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Ocular Motility Services at UCSD, David Granet, M.D., is the inaugural chair holder. Dr. Granet’s research interests have ranged from devising a new technique to facilitate adjustable suture surgery to re-evaluating the use of electro-physiologic testing in apparently blind infants.
Shiley Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease Research
Generous support from Donald and Darlene Shiley funded the Shiley Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease Research at UC San Diego’s Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. The gift will assist in furthering the center’s groundbreaking Alzheimer’s Disease research by providing funding to faculty members working to identify the causes of the disorder, develop interventions to stop and prevent the onset of the disease, and at the same time improve existing treatments to improve the quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients and their families.
Mr. and Ms. Shiley are active members of the community, providing support to other healthcare and neuroscience initiatives at the university as well. Ms. Shiley is a member of the National Alzheimer’s Association Board. She is also a trustee for the UC San Diego Foundation, a member of the UCSD Campaign Cabinet, a member and past-chair of UCSD Chancellor’s Associates, and a member of the UCSD Board of Overseers. She also serves on boards at the Salk Institute, Scripps Clinic and the University of San Diego.
Harold Simon Chair in International Health and Cross-Cultural Medicine
The Harold Simon Chair was established by an anonymous donor to recruit a new, prominent faculty member to the Division of International Health and Cross-Cultural Medicine, in honor of the division’s former chief, Harold Simon, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Simon is a founding member of the School of Medicine faculty and a leader in the field of international health and health policy.
A professor of international health policy, Dr. Simon was the founding dean of admissions, education and student affairs at the School of Medicine from 1966-1979. He has authored eight books and more than 130 articles on many topics, including infectious diseases, health policy and cross-cultural issues. He is a fellow of numerous national and international societies and is a founding follow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Current chair holder, Steffanie Strathdee, Ph.D., serves as professor and chief of the Division of International Health and Cross-Cultural Medicine. Dr. Strathdee is an infectious disease epidemiologist who has spent the last two decades focusing on underserved, marginalized populations in developed and developing countries.
Judith and Jack White Chair in Cardiology
The Judith and Jack White Chair in Cardiology was established to enhance research carried on in the UCSD School of Medicine’s Division of Cardiology with a generous donation from Judith and Jack White, long-time supporters of the university.
The Whites came to La Jolla from Ohio more than 30 years ago, when Mr. White founded the first discount investment brokerage firm on the West Coast, Jack White & Co. In 1978, he launched a full-scale discount house in San Diego and was the first U.S. broker to offer customer trading in shares of no-load mutual funds. In 1998, his company had $12 billion in assets and served 120,000 clients. That same year, he sold his company to Waterhouse Investor Services, continuing to serve as chairman of Jack White & Co., which operated as T.D. Waterhouse.
Anthony DeMaria, M.D., was selected as the inaugural chair holder. He is a professor and chief of the Cardiovascular Division. Dr. DeMaria is a world expert in cardiac ultrasound, and he regularly participates in trials involving noninvasive methods to diagnose and treat heart disease.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Chairs
McQuown Chair in Natural Science at SIO
The McQuown Chair has been established by John and Leslie McQuown to support a stellar faculty member who contributes to education and research programs in complex systems, environmental forecasting and resource issues. The chair holder will also encourage collaborations across academic disciplines as well as with governmental and industrial partners to facilitate solutions to the challenges of sustainable marine resource management, especially through the application of marketing and management tools.
Mr. McQuown is a founder and chairman of KMV LLC, which was acquired by Moody’s in 2002. Moody’s KMV is the world’s leading provider of quantitative credit analysis solutions to lenders, investors and corporations. Mr. McQuown remains the non-executive chairman of the internal board and a member of the company’s executive office.
Mr. McQuown developed an interest in the oceans and took up scuba diving in the mid-1970’s in order to spend time in the waters of Southern California and Hawaii. He has attended several workshops at Scripps on marine mammals and marine biology, and has participated in a cruise with UCSD Professor Steven Leatherwood studying humpback whales.
Elizabeth Hamman and Morgan Dene Oliver Chair in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Science
The Chair in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Science was established by Elizabeth Hamman Oliver and Morgan Dene Oliver to support research and teaching efforts related to marine biodiversity and conservation science.
Mr. Oliver is CEO of Oliver McMillan Co., one of the largest commercial development firms headquartered in San Diego. He has been recognized for producing major architectural award-winning projects throughout the Southwest. Mr. Oliver is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where he received a B.S. in real estate and urban land economics from the School of Business Administration.
Mrs. Oliver serves as a member of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Director’s Cabinet. She studied art at Vanderbilt University. Together, the couple supports a number of nonprofit organizations including the UCSD Art Gallery, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the San Diego Symphony, the Ocean Conservancy and the Museum of Photographic Arts.
Roger Revelle Chair in Environmental Science at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
The Roger Revelle Chair in Environmental Science at Scripps Institution of Oceanography was established to honor Roger Revelle, one of the world’s most highly regarded oceanographers, who also is considered to be the father of UC San Diego. The gift from Revelle’s wife, Ellen, and family represents the largest single donation ever made for an endowed chair in the 104-year history of Scripps Oceanography. Funds for the endowed chair will be used to recruit an outstanding climate scientist for Scripps, one of the world’s foremost climate change research institutions.
Roger Revelle (1909-1991) was one of the nation's most prominent oceanographers and a world leader in the application of science and technology to help solve problems in developing countries. Revelle, one of the true pioneers of climate change research, is often described as the "grandfather of the greenhouse effect." Revelle’s research on climate change was a major factor in his selection for the National Medal of Science, which he was presented with in 1990 from then-President George H.W. Bush.
Long associated with the University of California, Revelle was director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography from 1951 to 1964. His vision and energies led to the establishment of the UC San Diego campus in 1960, where he was a professor of science and public policy. In 1965, the first of UC San Diego’s six colleges was named Revelle College in his honor.
$2 Million in Support Fuels Center on Pacific Economies
“Invent the Future” Student Support Campaign Launches 