December 8, 2004

The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego Now
Accepting Nominations for Gray Cary-Athena FlexMBA Scholarship

By Keri Minehart

The Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego, announced today that nomination forms for the Gray Cary-Athena FlexMBA Scholarship are now available. The scholarship, which covers tuition for the two-year FlexMBA program, is sponsored in partnership with Gray Cary, a San Diego-based national law firm, and Athena, a UCSD-sponsored organization for executive women in the San Diego technology, life sciences and business communities. The inaugural class of the FlexMBA program, the Rady School's MBA program for working professionals, began their studies in September 2004.

The Gray Cary-Athena FlexMBA Scholarship is awarded to an individual who plays a key role in managing or creating an emerging small to medium-sized science or technology-driven company in the San Diego region, and who shows outstanding personal leadership, intellect and integrity. The recipient must also demonstrate commitment to the technology sector and to the San Diego community. The recipient will be selected by a committee comprised of representatives from Gray Cary, Athena and the Rady School. More information about the scholarship and the nomination form can be found online at www.rady.ucsd.edu/graycary-athena.

In January 2004, Elaine M. Weidenhammer was the first recipient of the Gray Cary-Athena FlexMBA Scholarship. Dr. Weidenhammer is now a FlexMBA student, as well as the associate director of business development of Nanogen, a San Diego-based supplier of molecular diagnostic tests to the medical community and clinical researchers.

"We are certain that the quality of applicants will again be stellar," said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. "If last year's recipient, Elaine Weidenhammer, is any indication of the type of student we'll attract with this scholarship, it will be a huge asset to the FlexMBA program."

"Gray Cary is looking forward to making an investment in someone who has tremendous potential to succeed in the life sciences and technology communities in San Diego," said Lisa Haile, a partner at Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP and co-chair of the firm's life sciences group and Athena board member. "We are pleased to be associated with the Rady School of Management and its vision for training future business leaders."

"Dean Sullivan and Lisa Haile are true leaders of this community and I look forward to working with them in continuing what will be a legacy of building future leaders," said Jeanine Jacobson, executive director of UCSD Athena.

Gray Cary is a national law firm that represents both private and public businesses ranging from growth companies to Fortune 500 corporations with an emphasis on the technology and life sciences industries. The firm has more than 400 attorneys practicing throughout the United States. As of January 1, 2005, Gray Cary will become DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, with over 1,300 attorneys nationwide and over 2,700 attorneys worldwide.

Athena is a program for executive women with a vision to foster personal and professional change through inclusion, risk-taking, education, recognition, and diversity of thought, thereby enhancing competitiveness and opportunity in the San Diego business community.

The Rady School at UC San Diego offers a revolutionary MBA program that grows innovators into successful business leaders. Situated in San Diego's globally recognized hotbed of innovation, the school is uniquely poised to offer access to both cutting-edge research and a fully engaged business community.

The Rady School presents an integrated approach to business and technology and emphasizes cross-boundary collaborations and joint degree programs with UC San Diego centers of excellence: science, engineering, medicine, economics and international relations. The Rady School draws upon UC San Diego's tradition of risk-taking and breakthrough innovation to recruit the top educators and students in the world.

Media Contact: Keri Minehart (858) 534-0855