Chancellor’s Champions Gear Up for 5K

The 16th annual Chancellor’s Challenge 5K Run/Walk for Scholars—a longstanding campus tradition to support scholarships—is less than a week away. While campus community members are still registering for the event, four 5K participants are especially eager to get the race started—the Chancellor’s Champions.

For the fourth year in a 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 a “friendly” competition. Each group has selected a representative runner to compete for the coveted title of “Chancellor’s Champion.” The winning designee will receive the coveted, roaming award to be displayed on campus. They will also get to have lunch with Chancellor Fox at the Faculty Club.

The following are the 2012 competitors for the Chancellor’s Champion contest. Keep an eye out for them training on campus and be sure to cheer them on at the 5K.

• Faculty

  Michael Todd is a professor and vice chair of UC San Diego's department of structural engineering. Todd and his graduate students conduct research in structural dynamics and control, structural health monitoring, energy harvesting, fiber optic sensing and more. He enjoys running, amateur meteorology, wine collecting, and playing bass guitar and double bass in rock, jazz and gospel ensembles.

• Staff

  Chris Raub is a postdoctoral researcher in the department of bioengineering. He earned his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from UC Irvine in 2009. Raub ran cross country and track while at Harvey Mudd College in an NCAA Division III program. He has participated in the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K for the past two years and he enjoys the mixed terrain of the race.

• Student

  Tim Tucey is a graduate biology student studying telomerase in budding yeast. His first race was the Chancellor's Challenge 5K in 2006, and since then he has finished seven marathons. He will compete in the New York City Marathon in three weeks. The Chancellor’s Challenge 5K is one of Tucey’s favorite campus events because it brings together the community and emphasizes fitness—all while providing much-needed scholarships for promising students.

• Alumni

  Nick Sigmon graduated cum laude from Revelle College in 2010 with a degree in human biology. Sigmon is a runner who also competes in multisport events. He competed with the UC San Diego triathlon team during the 2009-2010 school year. He is currently preparing for the ITU Long Course Triathlon World Championships this November.

Proceeds from the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K directly benefit undergraduate scholarships at UC San Diego. Led by Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, the 5K is a campus tradition that has raised $2.5 million for undergraduate scholarships since it was established in 1996, benefiting 850 ambitious and motivated students UC San Diego.

The advance fee to participate 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. To register, visit 5k.ucsd.edu. Volunteers are also needed at the finish line. Please email pvansise@ucsd.edu to help.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Sponsors include: Fisher Scientific; Darcy and Robert Bingham; Arthur Brody and Phyllis Cohn; Darlene Shiley, in memory of Donald Shiley; Ann and Bob Dynes; Audrey S. Geisel/Dr. Seuss Foundation; Peter, '67, and Peggy Preuss; Ann and Joel Reed; UC San Diego Emeriti Association; UCSD Alumni; Elizabeth Van Denburgh, '78; Andrew and Erna Viterbi; UC San Diego Retirement Association; Pauline Foster; and Robert, '86, and Amy, '87, Marren.

Gifts to the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K contribute to the $50 million fundraising goal of “Invent the Future: The UC San Diego Student Support Campaign.”