Pinnacle 2007 Winners
Educator of the Year Award
Jeanne Ferrante, Ph.D.
UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering, Professor & Associate Dean
Jeanne Ferrante is an extraordinary role model and a research pioneer, as evidenced by her prestigious ACM Programming Languages Achievement Award, IBM Outstanding Innovation Award, and as IEEE and ACM Fellow. These recognitions, and her encouragement, provide enormous inspiration to young women. Dr. Ferrante founded Teams In Engineering Service, an academic program that partners multidisciplinary teams of undergraduates with San Diego non-profits. Dr. Ferrante is extremely active in promoting women's interest and success in college level science.
As Computer Science Professor, she co-founded and advises the UCSD Women in Computing group. Her recent class, Women In Computing, involved participation in the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women In Computing, providing experience and encouragement. She brought MentorNet to UCSD, an electronic mentoring system that has been especially attractive to women students. Her recent $1.2M NSF grant will help launch an Environmental Education Initiative to inspire and encourage middle school girls in science and engineering careers, and will reach over 20,000 middle school students. She founded the UCSD Women's Leadership Alliance, which promotes leadership development and recognition of women campus leaders. For her efforts, she was recognized as UCSD Community Champion for Diversity in 2004.
As Computer Science Professor, she co-founded and advises the UCSD Women in Computing group. Her recent class, Women In Computing, involved participation in the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women In Computing, providing experience and encouragement. She brought MentorNet to UCSD, an electronic mentoring system that has been especially attractive to women students. Her recent $1.2M NSF grant will help launch an Environmental Education Initiative to inspire and encourage middle school girls in science and engineering careers, and will reach over 20,000 middle school students. She founded the UCSD Women's Leadership Alliance, which promotes leadership development and recognition of women campus leaders. For her efforts, she was recognized as UCSD Community Champion for Diversity in 2004.
Individual Technology Award
Karin Eastham, MBA, CPA
The Burnham Institute for Medical Research, Exec. VP and Chief Operating Officer
Throughout her career, Karin Eastham has been passionate about mentoring women of all ranks, helping them to understand and exploit the full potential of their positions. The result is the advancement, empowerment, and creation of a workplace culture where women help women. Since joining the Burnham Institute in 2004, Karin has recruited women to the roles of CFO and VP of Business Development, and has promoted one woman to Vice President and one to Controller. She continues to support the women on her team by involving them in high visibility projects, encouraging them to participate in community networking and professional development activities and empowering them in their daily work activities.
Karin was invited to join the Burnham to help lead the Institute into a new phase of growth. Within months, she optimized the administrative functions and created a new business development position. Karin took the lead in generating over $350 million in new Florida State funding and is now executing a plan to build a bi-coastal operation. Karin has also taken a leadership role in the creation of the San Diego Stem Cell Consortium and is actively involved in shaping the funding rules for Prop 71 research funding.
In the role of CFO, Karin contributed to the growth of two start-up biotechnology companies (CombiChem and Diversa) and took both public. The success of these companies stands as testament to Karin's ability as a strategic and tactical leader. She now applies her biotechnology experience to the public boards she serves on, which include Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Illumina, Inc., Tercica, Inc. and the Burnham Institute. She also serves on the board of biotechnology companies Cyntellect, Inc. and SGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Karin was invited to join the Burnham to help lead the Institute into a new phase of growth. Within months, she optimized the administrative functions and created a new business development position. Karin took the lead in generating over $350 million in new Florida State funding and is now executing a plan to build a bi-coastal operation. Karin has also taken a leadership role in the creation of the San Diego Stem Cell Consortium and is actively involved in shaping the funding rules for Prop 71 research funding.
In the role of CFO, Karin contributed to the growth of two start-up biotechnology companies (CombiChem and Diversa) and took both public. The success of these companies stands as testament to Karin's ability as a strategic and tactical leader. She now applies her biotechnology experience to the public boards she serves on, which include Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Illumina, Inc., Tercica, Inc. and the Burnham Institute. She also serves on the board of biotechnology companies Cyntellect, Inc. and SGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Individual in Services Award
Lynne Friedmann, B.A.
Friedmann Communications
Lynne Friedmann is a living legend within the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), where she has worked tirelessly the past 20 years to promote the advancement of women. A seasoned PR professional and science writer, Lynne's leadership and communication abilities have put AWIS on the map. Through innovative programs and calculated risk taking, Lynne has enabled AWIS to grow and flourish - making the AWIS San Diego Chapter the largest and most financially sound of any AWIS chapter. The result is higher awareness and recognition for women in science and coalition building that is addressing workforce issues affecting both women and men.
Lynne is a builder of organizations that last. She established the highly successful AWIS Women in BioScience (WIB) conference series that 14 years later continues to draw sold-out audiences. Many women credit the leadership skills learned on the WIB committee as their springboard for advancement in their professional careers. Lynne has also contributed greatly to Athena as a founding Board Member, as the first communications chair and in the creation and launch of the FEW program.
An award-winning science-communications professional, Lynne is nurturing the next generation of professionals as a program advisor to UCSD Extension where she helped create certificate programs in Technical Communications and Clinical Trials Design & Management.
Lynne is a builder of organizations that last. She established the highly successful AWIS Women in BioScience (WIB) conference series that 14 years later continues to draw sold-out audiences. Many women credit the leadership skills learned on the WIB committee as their springboard for advancement in their professional careers. Lynne has also contributed greatly to Athena as a founding Board Member, as the first communications chair and in the creation and launch of the FEW program.
An award-winning science-communications professional, Lynne is nurturing the next generation of professionals as a program advisor to UCSD Extension where she helped create certificate programs in Technical Communications and Clinical Trials Design & Management.
Corporation Award
AMN Healthcare, Inc.
As recognized for strong company culture, AMN Healthcare provides innovative employee development programs and significant advancement opportunities for women. AMN President and CEO Susan Nowakowski, has spearheaded organization-wide incentives that have greatly contributed to the professional growth and development of female associates, including programs such as career pathing, peer advisors, and employee recognitions and surveys. AMN has launched additional opportunities for women including the AMN Cares volunteer program, monthly roundtable meetings with employees and the President and Financial Assistance for Job Development Program.
Active in the philanthropy community with many causes, AMN sponsors the Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for a Cure and the American Heart Association Go Red for Women. Internationally, AMN provides clinical professionals for Thousand Smiles, a non-profit organization focused on care of the less fortunate children in Mexico who suffer from lack of dental care and from maxillo-facial deformities such as cleft palate by sponsoring clinical professionals. AMN is committed to educating its female associates through supplemental newsletters relevant to women’s healthcare issues and trends.
AMN’s dedication to empowering women professionally and furthering internal advancement is demonstrated in the 61% of senior leadership positions of Vice President and above and 69% of middle managers to directors are held by women. In the past several years there has been a significant increase in the number of women promoted and hired to key leadership positions where they contribute to critical areas of AMN Healthcare including sales, finance and operations.
Active in the philanthropy community with many causes, AMN sponsors the Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for a Cure and the American Heart Association Go Red for Women. Internationally, AMN provides clinical professionals for Thousand Smiles, a non-profit organization focused on care of the less fortunate children in Mexico who suffer from lack of dental care and from maxillo-facial deformities such as cleft palate by sponsoring clinical professionals. AMN is committed to educating its female associates through supplemental newsletters relevant to women’s healthcare issues and trends.
AMN’s dedication to empowering women professionally and furthering internal advancement is demonstrated in the 61% of senior leadership positions of Vice President and above and 69% of middle managers to directors are held by women. In the past several years there has been a significant increase in the number of women promoted and hired to key leadership positions where they contribute to critical areas of AMN Healthcare including sales, finance and operations.
2007 UCSD Pinnacle Award Scholarship Winners
Rachel Belzer
Rachel Belzer is a Senior at Torrey Pines High School. Her goals include the study of biology, medicine and biomedical engineering in order to make advancements in medicine and human health. Rachel spent the past summer working in Dr. Peter Vogt's molecular biology lab at The Scripps Research Institute. She hopes to earn her undergraduate degree in bioengineering and then pursue a masters and MD/Ph.D. focusing on neuroscience. Rachel has applied to Duke, Penn, Northwestern, UCLA, USC and UC Berkley. Her physics teacher says that she always accepts the greatest of challenges and puts forth the infinite effort to bring her projects to a successful conclusion. Last year she wrote a thesis for her English class on the differences in the neurological structure and the thought processes of the brains of men in comparison to women. According to her teacher, she possesses the discipline and intellectual talent to make a real contribution to the neuroscience field. Rachel is a varsity field hockey and Lacrosse player and has volunteered for the American Liver Foundation and the Relay for Life. In her free time, she likes photography, movies, salsa dancing and playing with her dog, Rex.
Linda Ge
Linda is a Senior at Westview High School. She has always been fascinated with the field of science and her favorite gift from Santa when she was six years old was a crystal-growing kit. Her career goal is to make meaningful contributions to society by becoming a doctor in the area of biomedical research. She discovered her passion for research while interning at The Scripps Research Institute last summer. In the fall, she hopes to attend UC Berkley, UCSD, MIT, Stanford, Princeton or Harvard. Linda's AP Chemistry teach says that Linda's work ethic, integrity, drive and passion for learning far exceed every other student that she has encountered during her years of teaching. In fact, Linda ranked in the top 100 of 11,000 students in the 2006 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, which is a remarkable achievement for someone with less than a year of actual chemistry instruction and experience. Linda is also a member of the varsity swim team, a member of Key Club and volunteers with the American Cancer Society and the MS Society. In her free time, she plays the piano, violin and likes Rubic cubing, reading and shopping.
Karen Tian Lee
Karen is a senior at Rancho Buena Vista High School. She realized on a recent visit to Tibet how diverse and beautiful the world is, yet there is an apparent gap between the beauty and the quality of life in third world countries. Her experience motivated her to help those less fortunate, whether it involves finding more efficient means of food production or useful drugs that could contribute to a better quality of life. She would like to pursue a career in the biological or pharmaceutical fields and hopes to major in biological sciences or biochemistry. Her choices for school in the fall include Brown University and UCSD. Karen's chemistry teacher and Academic Team Coach says that Karen is intelligent, diligent, graceful, and filled with integrity. Karen is as fine a person and student she has known in her 26-year teaching career. Karen's school activities include the Science Olympiad, varsity tennis team, academic team and Key Club. She has volunteered as a tutor at Crestview Elementary and the St. Francis Soup Kitchen. In her free time, she likes to play the piano, read and watch foreign films.
Nancy Ngan-Phan Nguyen
Nancy is a senior at Mira Mesa High School. She hopes to become a family doctor and work in a clinic that provides vital medical services to families whose financial and educational circumstances do not give them access to good medical care. She plans to obtain an undergraduate degree in Psychology so she can begin to understand the human mind, body and behavior. She would like to attend Harvard or UCSD. Nancy's AP Calculus teacher says that he has never met anyone more persistent and determined than Nancy. Her English teacher says she has a strong work ethic to match her intelligence, a gentle disposition to match her determination and a sense of humor to match her sense of responsibility. Nancy's school activities include AFJROTC, Class Council and Key Club. She has volunteered at Read Across America, Cedar Fire Evacuation Center, Mira Mesa Town Council Street Fair and is a Mira Mesa Library Tutor. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family, read, tutor children, do Sudoku puzzles and look for the hidden meanings and symbols behind movies.
Lissette Wilensky
Lissette is a senior at Mt. Carmel High School. She has always been fascinated by the workings of the human body and loves chemistry. In particular, she has developed a fondness for the immune system, one of the most complicated systems in the body. Her goal is to study either biochemistry or bioengineering. Upon graduation, she would like to work in a research laboratory, preferably with stem cells or immunological studies. Lissette has applied to Cornell, Harvey Mudd, Olin College, UCSD, UC Berkley and UCLA. Her chemistry teacher is continually impressed with her intelligence, insight, natural ability to teach others, and the high quality of her work. She states Lisette is really an amazing young lady who will contribute much to our world. Lissette is the Captain of the Academic League and is also a member of the Math Club, Science Club and Political Forum. She placed first in the American Chemistry Society competition and is the winner of the CalTech Book Award for excellence in Science and Math. Her community activities include Key Club, Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation, and tutoring high school students in six subjects. Her personal interests include martial arts, piano, art history, ballroom dancing and reading.