April 28, 2005

Rady School of Management
Announces Scholarship Recipient

By Kari Minehart

The Rady School of Management today announced Hui Cai as the recipient of the 2005 DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary-Athena FlexMBA Scholarship. Cai is a senior scientist at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development in La Jolla, working on small molecule drug discovery programs targeting diseases of the immune system.

The scholarship, which covers tuition for the two-year FlexMBA program, is sponsored in partnership with DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, an international law firm, and Athena, a UCSD-sponsored organization for executive women in the San Diego technology, life sciences and business communities. The FlexMBA program for working professionals began in September 2004, and Hui Cai will be part of Rady’s second FlexMBA class this fall.

The DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary-Athena FlexMBA Scholarship is awarded to an individual who plays a key role in a 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. Cai was chosen by a selection committee comprised of representatives from DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Athena and the Rady School.

“The scholarship nominees were all exemplary,” said Robert S. Sullivan, dean of the Rady School. “Hui’s qualifications and background are the perfect fit for the FlexMBA program and her many accomplishments certainly make her deserving of this scholarship.”

“It is truly an honor to be awarded this prestigious scholarship,” exclaimed Hui Cai. “I am excited about the opportunity to learn and grow at Rady, one of the most innovative incubators for technology and business leadership.”

Hui Cai received her master’s degree in chemistry from Peking University, then moved to the United States and pursued her doctorate at The Scripps Research Institute. Upon attaining her Ph.D. in 1999, she began her career at Johnson & Johnson. She is a co-author of more than 20 published research papers and is a co-inventor on seven issued U.S. patents and patent applications.

Cai currently serves as a member of the City of San Diego Science and Technology Commission, as president of the San Diego Chinese Association, as a board member and vice president of the Sino-American Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Professionals Association and as a board member of the American Chemical Society, San Diego Section. She has also played leadership roles in initiating and organizing the Annual Symposium on Biopharmaceuticals in San Diego, a program that creates connections between academia and industry, and between life sciences technology and the business community.

“By selecting Hui for the scholarship, we know we are investing in someone who will make positive contributions to the life sciences and technology communities in San Diego,” said Lisa Haile, a partner at DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, co-chair of the firm's Life Sciences Practice Group and Athena board member. “An MBA from the Rady School will allow her to build upon her already impressive resume, and to become a leader in this exciting industry.”

“Hui has been actively involved in biotechnology, and her involvement has made a difference to our community” said Jeanine Jacobson, executive director of UCSD Athena. “We are excited to have Hui as the 2005 DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary- Athena FlexMBA scholar.”

DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary U.S. LLP is a business law firm of more than 1,350 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, whose core practices are corporate and securities, litigation, real estate, intellectual property and government affairs. Worldwide, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has over 2,800 lawyers in 49 offices in 18 countries, offering leading practices in commercial, corporate and finance, human resources, litigation, life sciences, real estate, regulatory and legislative, technology, media and communications.

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 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