STEAM CAREER DAY 2026
Friday, March 6, 2026
Get ready for an exciting opportunity to dive into the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics!
STEAM Career Day is designed to inspire and educate students by connecting them with professionals from the vibrant and diverse world of STEAM. It’s an amazing chance for students to hear first-hand about careers that spark creativity and innovation!
Interested in presenting?
Are you a parent, guardian, or friend working in a STEAM field? We’d love to have you share your career story with our students! We’re looking for enthusiastic speakers who can spark excitement and curiosity about STEAM careers.
Contact Cindy Hickman at 619-675-2902 or SteamChairs7@gmail.com to get involved!
Let’s make next year's STEAM Career Day unforgettable!
2026 PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES
John Bannon, Mission Bay High School, Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) teacher (2023-present). Formerly, Matson Navigation, Dangerous Goods Shipping Manager (2019-2023), US Coast Guard (1997-2019) / MMS Alumni
Mr. John Bannon is a Bird Rock native, 1985 Muirlands/1988 La Jolla graduate and a retired Coast Guard leader. And like all of you, wasn’t sure in Junior High what his future would be… At the age of 27, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard; the 5th (of now 6 branches of the military). Mr. Bannon served in the Coast Guard for 22 years. As an enlisted member, he rose through the ranks, graduating Officer Candidate School in 2003, and retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. In his roles, both enlisted and officer, he served as a Port Safety and Security specialist, then manager. After the unfortunate attack on 9/11, he served as a Coast Guard Sea Marshall defending ports from future attacks and in 2011-2012 serving on a specialized tour in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zone supporting Army hazardous material shipping safety. Besides traveling across the nation, Panama Canal, Middle East, Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, fun missions included Hawaii Coast Guard Diver, small boat driver, and training manager responsible for future Coast Guard enlisted mission specialties training after boot camp. Besides extensive military training, Mr. Bannon’s formal education includes a 2007 Masters Degree in Education from San Diego State University and a 1993 Bachelors degree in History from the University of California at Santa Barbara. When not working at Mission Bay HS, he enjoys time with his family (wife Tahni, son Sean (Muirlands-2024) and daughter Sabine (Muirlands-2025), working on backyard tropical garden and surfing!
Marcia Bookstein, former San Diego Symphony Orchestra Cellist
Marcia Bookstein (nee Zeavin), started the cello at age nine, practicing half an hour a day, with Doris Savery, who never demonstrated, just instructed. Also in Los Angeles, at age 12, she began lessons with Cesare Pascarella, and started practicing two hours a day. At age 16 changed to Eleanor Schoenfeld, and at eighteen auditioned for Gregor Piatigorsky's Master Class at USC and was able to be an auditor in his class, performing there twice a month, while also studying with his assistants, Jeffrey Solow and Nathaniel Rosen. At that time she was practicing four hours every day, while also attending UCLA. She attended UCLA for three years and then switched to Cal State Northridge, as they had a superior music performance department there.
While going to college, Marcia joined the musicians union and played in both student orchestras and professional orchestras, as well as chamber music groups, and doing odd gigs. She remembers going to two parties in the whole six years she worked to get her BA. In 1975 she auditioned to play in an Israeli orchestra and got into the Jerusalem Symphony, for which she auditioned for principal cellist and won. While there, the orchestra did a thirty-five day tour of both Canada and the US.
Upon finishing her degree, Marcia auditioned for the San Diego Symphony and has been there ever since, retiring July 1, 2024, totalling nearly 47 years. She lives with her husband, Mike, three dogs--Ysabella, Gnome Chompsky, and Murphy Einstein Winston--and a family of mice.
Chiara Capobianco, International Professional Harpist
A musical prodigy born and raised in Italy, Chiara Capobianco began performing with orchestras touring all over Europe starting at age 15. Chiara studied classical piano, flute, and ballet before falling in love with the harp. Having lived abroad and performed across the globe. This international award-winning harpist is pleased to now call San Diego her home. She is a music graduate from the prestigious Conservatorio G. Verdi of Milan, and a university graduate in musicology from the Scuola di Paleografia e Filologia Musicale di Cremona, Universita degli Studi di Pavia, Italy. She received an Erasmus scholarship to study at the Ludwig Maximilian Universitat in Munich, Germany. Her eclectic musical talents along with her charming personality shine with local and global audiences alike.
While in Italy this past summer she was awarded the prestigious Premio Rossetti-Montano 2024 Artisti girovaghi contemporanei, Contemporary Globetrotter Artist. Chiara’s expansive repertoire of over 1,000 selections ranges from classical, opera, medieval, renaissance, jazz, movie themes, musicals, contemporary and popular tunes, along with Irish, Scottish Welsh, Italian, South American, and Indian folk music. As resident harpist for six years on luxury Cunard ships Queen Mary II, Queen Elizabeth II, and Queen Victoria, she performed across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, South America. She was invited to perform for HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. She is the first Italian to perform at the acclaimed 5th Edicion del Festival Mundial del Arpa in Asuncion, Paraguay. While residing in London Chiara performed at many renown venues including London City Hall, Claridge’s Hotel, Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane Hotel, and Grosvenor House Hotel. While based in Mumbai she toured all over India playing her harp renditions of Bollywood music and popular love songs at weddings and special events. In Thailand she served as resident harpist at Bangkok’s Plaza Athenee Le Meridien Hotel and in Hua Hin’s 5 star Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas. Closer to home, Chiara currently serves as resident harpist at Afternoon Tea at San Diego’s Westgate Hotel. She has performed at the annual Secret Garden tours by La Jolla Historical Society, La Jolla’s First Friday Art Walks, La Jolla Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, Moonlight Amphitheater, and many other venues throughout Southern California. She also teaches harp at La Jolla Music.
Shannon Kenealy Carter, Biotech Patent Attorney
Dr. Shannon Kenealy Carter is a registered patent attorney with expertise in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. She represented numerous innovator companies and universities while serving as outside counsel at the law firm Knobbe Martens, held the position of Vice President of Intellectual Property & Deputy General Counsel at Arena Pharmaceuticals (which was acquired by Pfizer in 2022), and is now the Senior Vice President of Legal at Zura Bio. Dr. Carter earned a law degree from Stanford University, a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from Vanderbilt University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa. She enjoys going to concerts, watching stand-up comedy, cheering for the Padres, and hanging out with her husband and kids in her free time.
Jackie Fisk, Industrial Engineer
Jackie Fisk is a San Diego local as she grew up in Fallbrook, California. After high school, she attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she earned a degree in Industrial Technology. After graduation from college, she began her working career as an Industrial Engineer with The Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, California. While at Boeing, Jackie completed her Master’s in Business Administration at Long Beach State, with an emphasis in Finance and Human Resources. She decided to take her newly acquired skills to San Diego where she landed a position as a Finance Manager for The Northrop Grumman Company. Currently, Jackie works part time as a Finance Manager for Waypoint Management. In her free time she enjoys triathlons, Girl Scouts and spending time at the beach.
Christopher Franklin, Principal Consultant - Health and Life Science Engineering
Christopher Franklin is a Principal Consultant at Acadine Solutions Group, San Diego, CA. Mr. Franklin specializes in Health and Life Science engineering that include a variety of disciplines: AI/ML, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, Systems Integration, Data Management, Cloud Computing, and Program/Product Management. His engineering career began in 1994 when he entered the US Navy as an Electronics Technician and served on the USS Shiloh CG-67. This led directly to an internship at Texas Instruments in Attleboro, Ma where he was tasked in R&D Robotics Engineering. While he enjoyed this
experience – he really fell in love with Software Engineering. A specialization that eventually had him focus on Health and Life Sciences with specialization in medical device technology for over 20 years. Mr. Franklin has had the pleasure of supporting a variety of customers that include the US Navy and Defense Health Agency as well as Fortune 500 companies that include Beckman Coulter (Danaher), Medtronic, Google X, Terumo BCT , and Teleflex. Mr. Franklin Has a Bachelor’s of Science from University of Phoenix and several years of graduate coursework in computer science and professional certifications.
Aaron Gary, Software Engineer
Aaron has worked extensively in healthcare and life sciences providing expertise in secondary use of clinical data and systems biology. He has contributed to many open-source projects in academic and private industry which have been used to generate significant research publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Math and a masters degree in Computer Science. In addition to software development he also spends time as a volunteer web-master for a non-profit health initiative based in Haiti.
Michael Halloran, Radio Personality, Disc Jockey & Purveyor of Other People’s Music Since 1977 (Team Halloran/Trouw)
Michael Halloran is a seasoned radio personality and program director renowned for his influential role in the alternative music scene, particularly in San Diego, California. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Halloran’s early exposure to diverse musical genres shaped his eclectic taste. He began his radio career in Detroit, Michigan, hosting the Radios in Motion show on WDET, where he showcased cutting-edge music. In the mid-1980s, Halloran joined 91X (XETRA-FM) in San Diego, a Mexican station. Starting as an evening DJ, he quickly advanced to program director. During his tenure, Halloran was instrumental in discovering and promoting artists such as Jewel, Blink-182, and Jason Mraz, significantly impacting their careers. Halloran’s career is marked by multiple stints at 91X, with notable departures and returns. He left the station in 1996 following its acquisition by Clear Channel but returned in 2011 after programming other stations, leaving again in 2017. Beyond 91X, Halloran has contributed to various Southern California stations, including KROQ-FM in Los Angeles and K-Rock in New York. He has also been involved in unique projects, such as starting a pirate radio station for The Cure and collaborating with artist Shepard Fairey on design work. Halloran’s dedication to music and radio continues to influence the industry, particularly within the alternative and indie music communities.
Federico Halpern, Ph.D
Federico Halpern grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved to the United States right after high school to start university. He spent the next 10 years studying physics, mathematics, and computer science, most of that time learning about plasma science and fusion energy. His doctoral thesis concentrated on predicting the fusion performance of future fusion reactors – this includes ITER, one of the largest and most complex scientific collaborations in history. After receiving his PhD, he moved to Europe to start a career as a researcher in theoretical and computational plasma physics. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris for two years, followed by 5 years at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Federico has been a scientist at General Atomics in San Diego since 2016, working as a computational and theoretical physicist. His everyday work pulls knowledge from mathematics, physics, and computers to develop and run scientific software on the largest supercomputers in the world. His software mostly deals with how plasma turbulence and magnetic reconnection phenomena behave inside fusion reactors. Based on these topics, he has co-authored about 60 peer-reviewed articles about fusion in specialized journals.
Alan Hargens, Ph.D., Distinguished Emeritus Professor, UCSD
Alan Hargens, PhD is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego. He was Director of Space Physiology at NASA and trained over 250 students, two of whom became NASA astronauts. He published 14 books, 420 articles and 64 chapters. His recent awards include the Nello Pace Award in Gravitational Physiology. Citation Award in Sports Medicine, NASA Distinguished Public Service Metal (NASA’s highest award), Nicolas Andry Lifetime Achievement Award, American Society for Space Research Founders Award and Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Society of Adaptive Medicine.
Keren Hilger, MD
Keren Hilger is an Emergency Medicine physician and an Active-Duty officer in the US Public Health Service (USPHS). She is also the proud mother of a Muirlands’ seventh grader. Dr. Hilger’s career did not follow a straight path. In fact, she tried a few things before settling on a career in medicine. After college at Duke University, she attended graduate school in Washington state studying Bioengineering. She then took some time off and worked as an outdoor educator for a few non-profit organizations, including Outward Bound, and traveled a bit. She then began her work for the federal government. While working for the Food & Drug Administration, she began her commission with the US Public Health Service. With the FDA, she performed inspections of medical device manufacturers, food manufacturers, and import facilities. She grew more interested in medicine and decided to apply to medical school in her late 20s.
Dr. Hilger attended the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. She was sponsored by the USPHS. She completed her residency in Emergency Medicine here in San Diego at the Naval Medical Center San Diego in Balboa Park. Her first two assignments working as an Emergency Department physician supported the Indian Health Service in Gallup, NM and Anchorage, AK. Then she spent a few years as the Medical Director for Yosemite National Park. The years in Yosemite were during the height of the COVID pandemic, which made the medical work challenging but living in the park a fabulous experience. Dr. Hilger and her family moved back to San Diego in the fall of 2022, for her daughter to begin fifth grade at Bird Rock Elementary. Dr. Hilger has been assigned to the US Coast Guard in her current position as the first USCG Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Medical Director. She is developing the EMS system for the USCG for service members working across the country and around the world. Outside of her professional career, Dr. Hilger enjoys spending time with her family. They love outdoor activities, traveling and exploring what living in San Diego has to offer.
Annika Knott, Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (MMS Alumni)
Annika Knott attended La Jolla Elementary, Muirlands Middle, and La Jolla High in 2020 before double majoring in Professional Flight & Aviation Management at Purdue University. She grew up traveling, thanks to the flight benefits that came with her mother's career as a flight attendant for United Airlines. Early on, Annika realized she didn't want a 9 to 5 desk job. At age 14, she began taking flight lessons on weekends at Montgomery Field and immediately fell in love with seeing her hometown from the sky.
At Purdue, Annika was committed to making the most of her college experience. She took on leadership roles in as many academic and social extracurriculars as she could– the Honors College, Aviation & Polytechnic Ambassadors, Purdue Aviation Day, Women in Aviation, Greek life, intramural sports, and more. As part of her coursework, she earned her Private Pilot License, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot License, Multi-Engine Rating, and Flight Instructor Certificates (CFI, CFII). Upon graduating in 2024, Annika returned to sunny San Diego to continue building flight time while teaching people how to fly, which she considers the most special and rewarding experience of her life.
Farinaz Koushanfar, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Farinaz Koushanfar is the Siavouche Nemati-Nasser Endowed Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), where she is the founding co-director of the UCSD Center for Machine-Intelligence, Computing & Security (MICS). Prof. Koushanfar received her PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) as well as her MA in Machine Learning & Statistics both from UC Berkeley, an MS in ECE from UCLA, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology.
She is also a research scientist at Chainlink Labs. Her research addresses several aspects of secure and efficient computing, with a focus on robust machine learning under resource constraints, AI-based optimization, hardware and system security, intellectual property (IP) protection, as well as privacy-preserving computing. Dr. Koushanfar has received a number of awards and honors including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Obama, the ACM SIGDA Outstanding New Faculty Award, Cisco IoT Security Grand Challenge Award, MIT Technology Review TR-35, Qualcomm Innovation Awards, Intel Collaborative Awards, Young Faculty/CAREER Awards from NSF, DARPA, ONR and ARO, as well as several best paper awards. Dr. Koushanfar is a fellow of ACM, IEEE, and the Kavli Frontiers of the National Academy of Sciences.
Jacob Moctezuma, Electrical Engineer
Jacob Moctezuma is an Electrical Engineer and works in the construction design industry. As an electrical engineer, Jacob has worked on many construction projects in New York and Southern California. Some impactful projects he's worked on are North County and South Bay family justice centers, Birch Aquarium, and UBS Arena. Working in construction has been in Jacob's family for 3 generations and he was encouraged to pursue engineering by his family. His favorite aspect of design engineering is being able to help design large scale projects and impact the community in a positive way. Seeing a building you helped design finally complete is very rewarding and makes the long hours and tough schedule worth it. In his free time, Jacob enjoys golfing, surfing, volunteering, and spending time with his girlfriend and golden retriever.
Sahm Nasseri, Chemical Engineer
Sahm works at a company called Generate Biomedicines. We use biology and advanced computer technology like artificial intelligence to help design new kinds of medicines. Our goal is to find better and faster ways to create medicines that can save and improve people's lives. We focus at the moment on designing treatments for diseases like asthma and various cancers.
In my role, I help connect science, technology, and business strategy. That means I work with scientists, engineers, and many others like lawyers, finance people and communications people to turn big scientific ideas into real-world solutions. The way I think of my job is to basically do whatever it takes to help our science reach its maximum potential impact--sometimes that is about getting access to money to fund our work, sometimes that is about getting teams to work together better and everything in between!
I originally studied chemical engineering in Sydney Australia, which taught me how to use math and science to solve problems. Over time, I became especially interested in how technology and business come together so I studied an MBA also in New York.
I’m looking forward to meeting the students and talking about how science, technology, engineering, arts, and math all come together to create the medicines of the future!
Susan Nguyen, DDS / Periodontist
Dr. Susan Nguyen is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and is trained in these surgical methods that save teeth and regenerate bones while offering fast healing and minimal discomfort and downtime.
Dr. Nguyen served in the U.S. Army Reserve for nine years and is active in the local dental community. While serving as a past Board of Director and in leadership positions as President-elect, Secretary and Chairman for Continuing Education for the San Diego County Dental Society, teaching as clinical professor at UCSD, mentoring pre-dental students, volunteering at Veterans Village of San Diego, SD Medical Reserve Corp as a COVID-19 vaccinator and California Disaster Healthcare, Dr. Nguyen educates colleagues, medical providers and the public about oral health.
Restoring oral health and saving teeth are Dr. Susan Nguyen’s top priorities. Her team is dedicated to providing the personalized, gentle care every patient deserves.
Danika Pramik-Holdaway, Artistic Director with San Diego Civic Youth Ballet
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Danika Pramik-Holdaway began her dance training at Marin Ballet, studying under Mikko Nissinen, Margaret Swarthout, and Cynthia Lucas. She continued her studies with intensive programs at Ballet Met, The Joffrey Ballet School, and the Rosella Hightower International School of Dance in Cannes, France. She received her B.A. in dance and pre-med from Barnard College, Columbia University, graduating cum laude. While in New York, she performed works under the coaching of Virginia Johnson and Yuriko, including dancing the lead role in Barnard College’s production of Lew Christensen’s Con Amore. While in college she also worked as a Marketing Assistant for Ballet Hispanico in New York City. After graduating, she danced with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet Company in Pittsburgh and taught in various schools in the Pittsburgh area. Upon moving to San Diego, she became a company member with the San Diego Ballet, where she danced until 2010. She joined SDCYB as an instructor in 2006 and became the Artistic Director in 2009. During her time with SDCYB she has directed and choreographed Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, Coppélia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Sleeping Beauty, and most recently, SDCYB's 80th Anniversary production of The Firebird. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and PBT (Progressing Ballet Technique) instructor. Danika is overjoyed to be able to further the mission of SDCYB and share her love of ballet with children from all over San Diego.
Tom Rice, Retired Pilot
US Navy call sign UB. Born and raised on Long Island, New York. Graduated from Fairfield University in Connecticut in 1980. Commissioned as an Officer in the USN in 1981. Flew F-14s for 15 years including 2 World cruises on the USS Kitty Hawk. Started working for American Airlines in 1988 and recently retired after 35 years. Happily married for over 30 years with 3 kids who graduated from Muirlands Middle School and La
Jolla High School.
Britta Richardson, Cinematographer
Britta Richardson has been a Cinematographer in the Local 600 International Cinematographers Guild for over 28 years. She works on Feature Films such as Top Gun Maverick, Episodic Television (Young Sheldon), Commercials, and Music Videos. The last couple of years, she has been filming Promos for Hulu and FX. She also owns her own business as a Professional Still Photographer. She is a mother of 2 boys. Her son Drake is 15, and is a Freshman at La Jolla High and a 19 year Dash, who is at Chapman University. He is majoring in Business, Finance and plays Lacrosse for the University. She attended McDonogh Preparatory School in Baltimore, Maryland and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Arts in Film Production and Photography and a Minor in Eastern Asian Studies at The University of Arizona. Britta has also worked with the Associated Press as a Still Photographer, covering major news stories and sporting events, such as the World Series and the Super Bowl.
Scott Rifkin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
Scott Rifkin grew up in Rockford, Illinois and at various times wanted to be a dolphin trainer, a genetic engineer, and a microbiologist. He went to college at Harvard University and quickly joined a lab studying cognition in cotton-top tamarins, a species of South American monkey. He spent a summer studying wild dolphin behavior off the coast of Florida, another in Santa Fe, New Mexico investigating the evolution of RNA, and another on a project about butterfly ecology. During college he became very interested in how variation between organisms comes about and in particular in the relationship between how organisms develop and how they evolve. After spending a year at Stanford where he worked in a lab measuring how much every gene in the genome is used during fruit fly development, he went to graduate school at Yale where he earned a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. During his graduate work his main project was to study how natural selection shapes patterns of gene use across the whole genome. After his PhD, he did further scientific training as a postdoctoral fellow in biophysics at MIT, where he studied how randomness at the molecular level affects the development of an organism. Since 2009, he has been a professor of Biology at UCSD, where his lab continues to study the biological processes that generate variation, and how complex systems like organisms evolve. Sadly, he has moved away from dolphins and monkeys (they are hard to study in a lab!), and mainly uses bread yeast, roundworms, and computer simulations to test his scientific ideas.
SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT (Officer Buraus / Officer Thurston)
The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of San Diego, California. Established on May 16, 1889. It is the second-largest municipal police department in California, after the Los Angeles Police Department.
Our Mission: To maintain public safety by providing the highest quality police services to all of our communities.
Our Vision: The San Diego Police Department strives to advance the highest levels of public safety, trust, and professionalism by strengthening community partnership through fair and impartial policing while fostering employee enrichment and growth to ensure we remain America’s Finest police department.
Our Values: Human Life, Integrity, Partnerships, Diversity, Employee Enrichment, Compassion, Innovation and Courageous Justice
Marta Sánchez, BA, MA, Ph.D. retired UCSD Professor of Literature
Marta E. Sánchez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants; she was born and raised in East Los Angeles. She is a Professor Emerita of the University of California-San Diego (1977-2004) and Arizona State University (2004-2014), where she taught Chicano, Latin American, and U.S. Ethnic Literatures in Spanish and English. She received her doctorate from the University of California, San Diego in Comparative Literature. She is the author of three books: Contemporary Chicana Poetry: A Critical Approach to an Emerging Literature (University of California Press, 1985), the first critical analysis of poetry by Chicanas; “Shakin’ Up” Race and Gender: Intercultural Connections in Puerto Rican, African American and Chicano Narratives and Culture, 1965-1995 (University of Texas Press, 2005); and A Translational Turn: Latinx Literature into the Mainstream (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2020). Her articles have appeared in major literary journals: PMLA, Diacritics, MELUS, SigloXX/20th Century, American Literary History, American Literature, Genders, Translation Studies, Editing American Literature, Oxford Bibliographies Online.
Paul Scurio, Chief Pilot – Sunbird Aviation
Meet Captain Paul Scurio: The Sky’s the Limit! Imagine looking up in the sky at an airplane and thinking, "Whoa, I want to do that!"; That was Paul Scurio. But he didn't just dream about it, he made it happen. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame and then joined the US Navy, where he learned to fly cool planes like the P-3, a plane used for tracking submarines. In the Navy, Paul became a Tactical Aircraft Commander and an Instructor Pilot, teaching others how to fly. After the Navy, he flew big jets like the Boeing 727 and 737 for Delta Air Lines – the kind you take on vacation! Paul didn’t stop there. He became a corporate pilot, flying for companies like Qualcomm and Netflix. Imagine flying people who make your favorite shows and gadgets! Now, he’s the Chief Pilot for Sunbird Aviation, where he manages the flight department and ensures the safety of everyone on board. He’s flown all over the world in some of the most advanced aircraft, like the Gulfstream 650 and the Citation X. Flying isn’t just about getting from one place to another. It’s about adventure, exploration, and seeing the world from a whole new perspective. Education is a key to success. The STEAM disciplines help pilots understand the mechanics of flight, navigate complex systems, and innovate new technologies to make flying safer and more efficient. Captain Paul Scurio’s journey shows that if you dream big and work hard, you can turn your coolest dreams into reality, even if they involve flying awesome planes all over the planet!
Evan Snyder, M.D. and Ph.D.
Evan Snyder earned his M.D. &Ph.D. jointly at Penn on a government-funded scholarship & studied psychology, philosophy, and linguistics at Oxford. He completed training in pediatrics, neurology, & newborn intensive care at Harvard -- the first in the world to be “triple-boarded” – and served as Chief Resident in Medicine & Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital as well as studying genetics at Harvard. He went on clinical & research faculty at Harvard & started his lab where he helped discover & define stem cells, particularly in the brain. He was recruited to the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute (SBP) & UCSD in La Jolla to start a Center for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine and to help build the stem cell program in California. Dr. Snyder is regarded as one of the “Fathers” of the stem cell field, has been elected to the Association of American Physicians & to the American Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering. He served 2 terms as Chairman of an FDA Advisory Committee & was president of the American Society for Neural Therapy & Repair. His biography was chosen for inclusion in a textbook called “Child Neurology: Its Origins, Founders, Growth & Evolution”.
Matt Sullivan, Business Strategy and Analytics, San Diego Padres / MMS Alumni
Matt Sullivan graduated La Jolla High School in 2003 and holds a Master of Arts in Econometrics and Applied Microeconomics from San Diego State University. In his role with the Padres, he is responsible for all business reporting, process automation, and predictive modeling for attendance and revenue. Matt is also a Professor of Economics, Statistics, and Information Systems at San Diego State University.
Iva Teixeria, CEO and Founder of the Good Face Project
Iva Teixeira holds a BS in Mathematics, an MS in Operations Research and Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is the CEO and Founder of the Good Face Project — basically a superhero R&D lab in the cloud for skincare that helps make sure the stuff you put on your face isn't secretly gross or harmful. She launched the company in 2018 because she realized the beauty industry had a LOT of sketchy secrets that needed to be fixed. Think of it like a fact-checking machine, but for your moisturizer — their platform checks hundreds of thousands of ingredients to make sure cosmetic companies are keeping it real and are able to make the next Summer Friday's lip balm for you.
Before she was running a tech company of her own, Iva packed up her whole life and moved from Bulgaria to start fresh with just $3,000 in her pocket. Now she leads a team of 70+ people from 14 countries, and has built a database of over 1.8M chemicals so that *you* (yes, you!) can know exactly what's in your chapstick, sunscreen, and everything in between. Pretty cool for someone who just wanted to come to the US and do math!
Tom Tillett, Aerospace Engineer
Tom has always been curious about how things work, especially things that fly. As a kid, he loved taking things apart, solving problems, and imagining how machines could be improved. That curiosity led him to study engineering at the University of Manchester in the UK.
After graduating, Tom began working on aerospace parts for major aircraft companies like Boeing and Airbus. His career has taken him all over the world, including Indonesia, China, Russia, Poland, France, and eventually San Diego. Along the way, he has worked with teams from many different cultures, all focused on building safer and more advanced aircraft.
Today, Tom works for Collins Aerospace, where he designs and improves the structures that surround airplane engines. These parts are incredibly important. They help engines run efficiently, protect passengers, and even help slow the airplane down when it lands. Every day, they operate in extreme temperatures, from –65°F high in the sky to over 1,200°F near the engine.
Tom works with a team of engineers to solve complex challenges on some of the most advanced passenger aircraft in the world. What he loves most about engineering is that there are so many paths you can take. If you enjoy solving problems and building things, engineering can take you anywhere.
Sarah Topol, RN BSN BA, Registered Nurse and Clinical Trial Coordinator
Sarah Topol works at the Scripps Research Translational Institute as a research study coordinator. After completing a nursing degree in Boston, she found a dream job of working in research as a nurse, in La jolla. For the past 18 years she has worked on research in genomics, infectious disease, heart disease, cancer, wireless medicine, longevity, rare disease, COVID and Long Covid. Sarah interacts with study participants and provides education about the research and collects clinical information or specimens from the participants. She works with scientists and doctors as well as an ethics board that approves the research projects. She has stories from people who lived to 104 with perfect health and stories from people with rare diseases who lived years with no diagnosis until they participated in a research study at Scripps Research. Sarah also has a degree in Cultural Anthropology and was once a backpacking leader for middle school age kids! She spends her free time stand-up paddle surfing, snorkeling, crafting and being outdoors with her 3 kids and their dog.
Ray Vizcaino, Head Cake Decorator
Ray Miranda Vizcaino is the head cake decorator for Sugar and Scribe Bakery. Ray served 5 years with the United States Marine Corps before following his dream in the pastry world. Ray has been on numerous Food Network Shows such as Halloween Baking Championship, CANDYLAND, Food Network Challenge and Big Time Bake, and other numerous shows. Ray has also won Food Network Challenge Pokemon and Food Network Candyland. Ray is also a manager for Sugar and Scribe Bakery and oversees event/coordinating details for the bakery as well. He is always finding new and innovative ways to create beautiful cakes and desserts that everyone will enjoy.
Tim Wright, PE, LEED AP / Civil Engineer
Tim Wright, P.E., is the President and founder of Wright Management Inc., specializing in project and development management for complex construction projects. A licensed Civil Engineer and LEED Accredited Professional, Tim has over 20 years of experience managing, permitting, and building a wide range of projects across California and Texas, including multifamily, retail, hospitality, and medical spaces. He’s known for finding win-win solutions with city agencies and community groups. Tim graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Click here to read about presenters from our previous years.
