A Race for Champions: Chancellor's Champions
Gear up for Chancellor's Challenge 5K Oct. 22

Jade Griffin | Oct. 14, 2010

They have polished their sneakers.  They are doing their daily stretches.  You might see them running through campus.  The Chancellor’s Champions—who will race as part of the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K Run/Walk for Scholars on Friday, Oct. 22—are gearing up for the big day.

The event benefits undergraduate scholarships, helping to ensure that students from all social and economic backgrounds have the opportunity to receive a world-class UC San Diego education.  Since the event’s founding, participants and sponsors have raised $2.3 million to benefit 835 students.

For the third year in the row, the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K will feature the Chancellor’s Champion contest, in which students, faculty, staff and alumni will race against each other in friendly competition.  Each group has selected a representative runner to compete for the coveted title of “Chancellor’s Champion.”  The winning designee will receive a roaming award, engraved with their name, and lunch with Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. This year’s competitors include:

William Pandori ’13

Student Champion
William Pandori is a member of the UC San Diego triathlon team. The molecular biology and physical anthropology double major also played goalie for UC San Diego’s roller hockey team last year and participated on the ultimate Frisbee team.  Pandori is considering a career as a cardiologist, researcher or teacher.  Pandori is thankful for the opportunity to run as a Chancellor’s Champion contender.  His best time for a 5K race, which he hopes to top, is 16:08.

Chris Van Schie, Ph.D.

Staff Champion
Chris Van Schie is a postdoc in the department of biology, studying the immune system of plants. From the Netherlands, Van Schie joined UC San Diego in 2007 after graduating with a Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam. Running for Van Schie used to be a way to stay in shape in the off season for soccer. But now it offers a great distraction from work, and relieves stress. For Van Schie, running is a family tradition. His father ran a marathon in three hours at the age of 60.

Dan Lesser, M.D.

Faculty Champion
As a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, Dan Lesser serves in the UC San Diego division of pediatric respiratory medicine, with a focus on pediatric sleep medicine. Lesser ran cross-country and track as an undergraduate at Brown University before competing in marathons as a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh. He then went on to run the Los Angeles Marathon during his pediatric residency. Lesser has enjoyed becoming a part of both the academic and athletic community at UC San Diego. 

Pieter d’Arnaud ’96

Alumni Champion
Pieter d’Arnaud is a statistician for Synteract, Inc., a full-service contract research company based in Carlsbad, Ca. As a student at Warren College, d’Arnaud participated in one of the very first Chancellor’s Challenge 5K runs. It was also at UC San Diego that he met his wife as a student. Today, the couple has two children and Pieter continues to enjoy running through campus and participates in the UC San Diego Master’s running program. His goal for the 2010 Chancellor’s Challenge 5K is to finish the race in less than 19 minutes. Commenting on why he has continued participating in the event all these years, d’Arnaud said, “I want to support education at UC San Diego.”

Past Chancellor’s Champion winners include faculty member Allan Timmerman in 2009, and staff member Sam Corbett in 2010. This year, it’s anyone’s race. 

Participation in the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K is $10 for students, $15 for all others. Day of race registration is $15 for students and $20 for others.  Sponsorship opportunities are also available.  Gifts to the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K will also contribute to the $50 million fundraising goal of Invent the Future: The UC San Diego Student Support Campaign. Register today at ucsd.edu/5k.