UCSD Near You Brings the University’s
Best to Alumni Across the Country

National event series showcases research and fosters affinity among 130,000 alumni

April 21, 2010

By Kristin Luciani

Speaking in Washington D.C. will be Richard Boly, ’92, a career U.S. diplomat and the director of the Office of eDiplomacy.

The University of California, San Diego will kick off its spring UCSD Near You tour on April 26 with a visit to Washington, D.C.  Hosted by the UCSD Alumni Association, this innovative series brings nationally recognized faculty and alumni speakers to key regions of the country to share innovative discoveries and accomplishments with alumni, parents and friends.  Event speakers discuss groundbreaking research and campus news as it relates to current national and global issues.

Now in its fifth year, the UCSD Near You series plays a key role in the UCSD Alumni Association’s efforts to enhance the professional, intellectual and personal pursuits of UC San Diego graduates and raise the level of alumni involvement with the university.  Since its inception in 2005, more than 2,500 UC San Diego alumni have participated in this program.

“UCSD Near You offers alumni across the country the opportunity to learn about cutting- edge endeavors directly from our outstanding faculty and alumni leaders,” said Armin Afsahi, ’90, executive director of the UCSD Alumni Association. “UCSD Near You is one of our most important programs, as it allows our inquisitive alumni to remain on the forefront of their intellectual pursuits.”

UCSD biology professor and algae geneticist Stephen Mayfield, Ph.D. will speak in Boston about the future of algae biofuels.

“Attending a UCSD Near You program was an easy and enjoyable way for me to stay connected to the university’s outstanding alumni, faculty and leaders,” said Henry DeVries, ’79.  “These events are excellent ways for fostering lifelong mutually beneficial relationships between alumni and the world-class university they attended.”

In April, May and June, UCSD Near You will showcase the university’s local impact, national influence and global reach with events that include:

“Why Entrepreneurship is a National Security Initiative”

 

April 26, 2010, Washington, D.C.

Director of eDiplomacy for the U.S. Department of State and International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) alumnus Richard Boly, ’92, will discuss how exporting innovation stimulates growth in the world's emerging economies and consequently, shrinks the root causes of terrorism.  Also speaking will be IR/PS Dean Peter Cowhey and Chancellor Marye Anne Fox.

“The Real Promise of Algae – Bioenergy, Biotherapeutics and Beyond”

May 11, 2010, Boston

In San Diego “Adventurer of the Year” Albert Lin, ’04, M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ’08, will share stories from his expedition to Mongolia in search of the tomb of Genghis Khan.

Algae-based biofuels are fast becoming a reality in America and they hold significant promise for our nation’s renewable energies industry.

In a groundbreaking new study led by UCSD biology professor and algae geneticist Stephen Mayfield, Ph.D., these “little green machines” have been shown to produce human therapeutic proteins. In the future, pharma companies could substantially reduce drug development costs. Learn more about this exciting research and algae’s promise for America’s sustainable future.

“The Search for the Tomb of Genghis Khan – Using Modern Tools to Hunt for an Ancient Past”

 

June 1, 2010, San Diego

This summer, UCSD researcher and National Geographic Adventure magazine’s “Adventurer of the Year,” Albert Lin, ’04, M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ’08, will mount his second expedition to the steppes of Mongolia in search of the tomb of Genghis Khan.  Lin, whose work is on display on Calit2’s HIPerSpace Wall, will share his “Indiana Jones” adventures at this talk.

For more information about UCSD Near You and to register for events, please visit alumni.ucsd.edu/ucsdnearyou or call (858) 534-3900.

 

Media Contacts:

Malinda Danziger, 858-822-0063 or mdanziger@ucsd.edu

Kristin Luciani, 858-822-3353 or kluciani@ucsd.edu