Thursday, March 13, 2025

 

STEAM Career Day is designed to introduce students to potential career paths in fields related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. During 3rd period class, students hear from 3 knowledgeable and engaging presenters that work in a variety of STEAM-related occupations. Presenters share information about the content of their work, what they enjoy about it, what academic path they took and what is required for their field, what kinds of skills and interdisciplinary thinking it requires, the impact of their industry in the world, and what they see as the future of their line of work. They are also encouraged to share their personal stories of growth, challenge and success. Each speaker has 15 minutes of presentation time followed by 10 minutes of Q & A. By the end of 8th grade, students will have been introduced to 9 different STEAM-related potential career paths. If you want to inspire our students at the next STEAM Career Day, please do not hesitate to email our STEAM co-chairs - Cindy Hickman at steamchairs7@gmail.com!

​

 

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES

 

Laura Crotty Alexander, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine

Dr. Laura Crotty Alexander went to Quartz Hill High, a public high school in L.A. county, before attending Duke University. She trained in medicine at Duke and Harvard, followed by a research fellowship at UCSD. She is Associate Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care at UCSD and Chief at the VA San Diego as well. Dr. Crotty Alexander is a Pulmonary and Critical Care specialist with clinical and research-based interests in e-cigarettes. She broadly studies the health effects of e-cigarettes. Dr. Crotty Alexander has two sons (12 and 14), and is glad that they also love science.

​

 

Mark Bertagnolli, Chief Business Officer

Mark Bertagnolli attended the University of Michigan, earning a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. Following college, Mark served in the US Navy on board nuclear submarines, getting qualified as Nuclear Engineer by the Department of Energy. After the Navy, Mark worked in the semiconductor field for 3 years before heading to Wall Street, where he rose through the ranks to become a partner at a hedge fund. After founding his own hedge fund at Morgan Stanley, Mark decided to enter the biotech field, in which he now serves as Chief Business Officer of ViroMissile, Inc., a company working on the cure for cancer.

​

 

Alicia Calhoon, Architect and Interior Designer

Alicia Calhoon is a licensed architect and interior designer. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. After graduating and taking her licensing exams to become a registered interior designer, she worked for a design-build architecture firm, specializing in the design of banks. A few years later she attended Washington University in St. Louis to receive her Masters in Architecture. Upon graduation she moved from St. Louis to sunny San Diego for her husband to attend law school, making this their permanent home. After working for 10 years at an architecture firm, specializing in hospitality projects, she opened her own architecture and interior design practice in La Jolla. Her current projects consist of residential remodels, additions and new construction while also working on a handful of commercial projects a year (restaurants, hotels, offices, etc.).

​

 

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.

​

 

Walter Cho, Ph.D. / Professor of Biology

Walter Cho is a deep-sea biologist and a professor in the Biology Department at Point Loma Nazarene University. His research focuses on the biodiversity, biogeography, and population connectivity of marine animals using a variety of molecular and ecological analyses. Walter received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Harvard University and a PhD in Biological Oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. He has participated in over a dozen scientific expeditions in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and has worked with a variety of vehicles including submersibles, autonomous underwater vehicles, and remotely-operated vehicles.

​

 

David Conover, Graphic Designer

Unbeknownst to him at the time, David Conover’s graphic design career began as a kid; drawing The Beatles and James Bond 007 logos along with heavy, outlined dropshadowed type renderings of girlfriends’ names. Unconsciously, the power of artistic expression became palpable when a typographic rendering of the Hells Angels’ ethos was confiscated by his middle school principal. At the time he had no idea that you could make a living doing this kind of stuff. Many rock band logos and tshirts later he earned his BFA in Graphic Design at Arizona State University, a school whose motto — he lived — was “You gotta fight for your right to party”.

 

After years of setting type on typositors, rubbing down transfer type for ad headlines, developing negs in darkrooms, pasting up page numbers in horticultural publications and designing video game spaceships with 5 pixels, David, and his infinitely more disciplined wife Cecelia, opened StudioConover. Since 1985 they’ve been able to keep the doors open, pay their bills, work with a number of well-respected associates, have fun at what they do and spend time with their children. When you think about it; truly a dream fulfilled.

​
 

Stacy Cuddeback, MS, Senior Project Manager, Clinical Research

Ms. Cuddeback has been a Project Manager for over 25 years overseeing the implementation of clinical trials. She has worked at pharmaceutical and biotech companies and currently works at PPD, a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, who contracts with pharma and biotech companies to execute clinical trials. In her role she brings together specialists such as statisticians, data managers, laboratory experts, pharmacovigilance experts, and regulatory experts to coordinate trials from protocol development through clinical study report which supports submissions to regulatory agencies like the FDA. Most recent trials include rare disease pediatric studies. Ms. Cuddeback received a bachelor’s degree in public health education from Indiana University and masters degrees in nutrition and exercise physiology from San Diego State University. In her spare time Ms. Cuddeback enjoys hiking, gardening and spending time with her middle school age son.

​

 

Anna De Angelis, Ph.D. - Chemist, Salk Institute for Biological Sciences

Anna is senior research scientist at Salk. She obtained her undergraduate and Master’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Rome, in Italy, where she worked on designing ‘smart’ polymer gels. She came to the United States to obtain her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, where she designed new experiments for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy, a technique used to find detailed structures of molecules using magnetic fields. She applied this method at the University of California San Diego to determine the structures of large molecules that are responsible for diseases like asthma, cancer or COVID-19. She is currently doing research on plant carbon sequestration in soil and is part of the Harnessing Plants Initiative at Salk, with the goal to engineer the new generation of ‘smart’ crops.

 

​

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.

​

 

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.

 

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.

​

 

Corinne Holmes, Electrical Engineer

Corinne has been working in the electronics industry for 25 years with expertise spanning Electromagnetic compatibility, electronic Safety, and Specializing on Environmental compliance and sustainability for the last 17 years. Though her background is in Electrical Engineering, her passion for regulatory compliance and chemistry is a match for the field of environmental compliance. Within the field of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Corinne focuses on substance restriction and ensuring continued market access for consumer products for new products or due to new regulations.

 

Michael Littleton, Mechanical Engineer and Software Developer

Michael Littleton is a Mechanical Engineer and Software Developer and has had several STEAM based careers. As a Mechanical Engineer, Michael worked on the testing and repair of jet engines. Working with jet engines brings in many of the core engineering fields like thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, material science and structural dynamics. As a large and complicated system, it also offers career opportunities for both engineering specialists and generalists. Michael prefers being a generalist, taking positions working with the entire engine as a complete system. As a Software Developer, Michael also prefers to be a generalist, taking on smaller projects where he can be responsible for designing and building an entire software system, from the user interface to the back end systems, to the infrastructure and network systems. In his free time, Michael enjoys sailing, golfing, board games, video games, and volunteering at local schools.

​

 

Elizabeta Memca, Software Architect

Elizabeta (Beti) Memca is a business leader who grew up in Macedonia, a country in Southeast Europe. She always dreamed of studying in the United States and, through hard work, earned a scholarship to Graceland University in Iowa. She graduated with degrees in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and a Math minor. After graduating, she began her career in technology, starting as an integration system consultant and gradually taking on more responsibilities. Today, together with her husband Aleksandar, she owns an IT Consulting company based in Macedonia, and she is part of the managing board, overseeing its operations and marketing divisions. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, Aleksandar, and their two children, Veronika, 11 and Gabriel, 6. Beti has contributed to various projects throughout her career. As a technology consultant, she has worked for Shell, Bonneville Power, ATT, Delta Airlines, Cricket, NYSE, Enron, Royal Caribbean, and many more. As a Managing Partner at IWConnect, she has been involved in numerous projects across various industries, and they are currently involved in over 50 projects, such as IKEA, Petco, Sony, WOW, EvGo, Dentsu, NBA, etc. IWConnect was started because Beti and Aleks believe in giving back to their community. She and her husband are involved in many philanthropic projects, mainly focused on improving the lives of children in their hometown of Bitola, Macedonia, as well as the cities where IWConnect has offices – Prilep, Ohrid, Skopje in Macedonia, Novi Sad, Serbia, and  Amsterdam in the Netherlands. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, gardening, reading, and all types of arts.

 

​

Craig Misrach, President & CEO

Craig H. Misrach is the President of UpLyft and joined the organization in 2018 to help spearhead the company’s product launch and commercialization efforts. Prior to UpLyft, from 2006-2014 Craig was the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Freedom Meditech, a diabetes medical device company he led from concept through FDA 510(k) clearance and global marketing and sales. Freedom Meditech completed a sale of the business to Sinocare, LTD in China in November 2016. From 2016-2018, Craig served as a Series 7, 31, and 66 licensed Investment Advisor for AB Bernstein in La Jolla, CA where he crafted wealth management plans for corporate executives and closely held business owners in preparation for selling their respective businesses. Craig began his career at Deloitte where as a Senior Accountant he audited various lower middle-market businesses and assisted in the preparation of S-1, 10K, and 10Q filings for various public companies. In addition to his responsibilities at UpLyft, Craig is the Founder & Managing Director of Poppy Capital (a private equity acquisition fund) and serves on the Board of Directors of Aculief (consumer medical products company) and the Jewish Community Foundation San Diego ($500M+ philanthropic endowment). Craig maintains an active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in the State of California, has a B.S in

Accounting and Finance from Indiana University, and an MBA in General Management from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia.

​

 

Peter Park, MD

Peter Park was born in Seattle Washington to first-generation immigrants from Korea. He was raised in Minnesota. As a child he enjoyed winter sports such as hockey and learned to appreciate the outdoors through Boy Scouts. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Dr. Park went to college at the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts where he earned his bachelors of arts with a double major in computer science and history. Afterwards, he went on to earn his Medical Doctorate at the University’s Medical School.

 

Along the way he has worked a variety of odd jobs including paperboy, convenience store stock boy, corporate records room clerk, horse race track groundskeeper, seasonal construction worker, training manual writer, bartender, hospital station secretary, and autopsy assistant. Dr. Park graduated from the University of Minnesota medical school in 1994 and went on to complete a surgical categorical internship at the Naval Medical Center San Diego in 1995 and Naval Flight Surgeon training in 1996. He served two tours as a Flight Surgeon before returning to training to complete a residency in Emergency Medicine (EM). He has been a board-certified EM physician since 2002. During that time, he has worked across a range of settings abroad and here at home in America. His most challenging and rewarding tour as a military physician was the 6 months he was deployed with the First Marine Expeditionary Force in Al Anbar, Iraq in 2006 fighting Al-Qaeda. In addition to being an active EM doctor, Dr. Park just had the fortune of being able to blend his passion for healthcare with his love of technology and is also board certified in Clinical Informatics. As such he was selected to serve as the Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO) for Navy Medicine. Dr. Park retired from the Navy in 2016 and now practices medicine here in San Diego with Sharp Rees-Stealy and travels once a month to Eureka, California where he provides care to the under-resourced rural community and is also the Medical Director.

 

​

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.

 

​

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!

 

​

Lamont Smith, Founder LSBA Former College Basketball Coach

Lamont Smith is a basketball coach with an impressive track record of success in both youth sports and collegiate coaching. Lamont Smith Basketball Academy (LSBA) was founded in 2019 by Lamont Smith, and has seen tremendous growth since its inception. LSBA was created with the vision of providing a platform for youth basketball players to maximize and advance their skills. The goal is to grow the game, make a positive impact, and serve the community. In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Coach Smith holds a B.A. in Communication from the University of San Diego, where he was a standout player. He served as team captain, earned Defensive Player of the Year honors twice, and received the Leadership Award. Beyond his playing and coaching roles, Coach Smith has been actively involved in various basketball-related programs and organizations, demonstrating his dedication to the growth and development of the sport. With his coaching philosophy, extensive experience, and remarkable achievements, Coach Lamont Smith stands as a prominent figure in the world of basketball.

​

 

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”.

​

 

Elise Trouw, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, visual artist (Team Halloran/Trouw)

Elise Trouw is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and visual artist whose innovative approach to music has captivated audiences worldwide. Known for her seamless live-looping performances and genre-blurring sound, the San Diego native has carved out a distinct space in the industry, blending pop, rock, jazz, and alternative influences with a fiercely independent spirit.

 

Trouw first gained viral recognition through her meticulously crafted one-woman-band videos, reinterpreting classics like Foo Fighters’ “Everlong” and Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love.” Her breakout success led to a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a rapidly growing online following, now numbering in the millions​. Following the success of her debut album Unraveling, she sold out her first headlining tour and was later invited to open for Incubus on their 20 Years of Make Yourself and Beyond tour in 2019. In 2020, Trouw was invited to perform in a video for the Amazon digital premiere of Sound of Metal, a film exploring the world of a drummer who loses his hearing. She reimagined Metallica’s Enter Sandman with a fresh, atmospheric approach, performing alongside Travis Barker and Paul Raci, who starred in the film. The video paid homage to the film’s themes of rhythm, texture, and resilience, showcasing Trouw’s ability to reinterpret iconic songs through her distinct artistic lens​.

 

Beyond her solo work, Trouw has established herself as an in-demand drummer, performing with a range of artists across many genres. (Seal, Creature Canyon, Wise John) She was also featured as a drummer in Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, a PBS tribute special alongside Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, and Noah Kahan. Her work as a drummer has earned her industry recognition, including a Rolling Stone shoutout from Stewart Copeland and high praise from other legendary musicians. She also has a signature line of drumsticks with Vater Percussion, further cementing her influence in the drumming world. Elise has also been a pioneer in fostering collaboration in the digital space. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched #EliseCollab, an online project where she shared stems of her recordings, inviting fans and musicians to remix, reinterpret, and create alongside her—resulting in hundreds of collaborations from around the world. In 2023, she released the Losing Sleep EP, followed by a successful U.S. tour. She has performed at major international jazz festivals, including the Montreal Jazz Festival, as well as major music events such as SXSW and Kaaboo Del Mar. With a hands-on approach to every aspect of her artistry from production and performance to visual storytelling—Elise Trouw continues to push creative boundaries, forging her own path in the modern music landscape.

 

​

Elizabeth Van Clief, Financial Expert

ELIZABETH VAN CLIEF is the owner of her own law firm Van Clief & Van Clief LLP. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UCSD, a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, and a Masters of Laws in Taxation from the University of San Diego School of Law. Elizabeth’s technical background allows her to bring a mathematical approach to her practice of law.

 

The firm Van Clief & Van Clief LLP provides expert financial services to a variety of lawsuits including lawsuits that deal with conflicts in assets between parties in divorce, death and probate, estate planning, and bankruptcy. Elizabeth's financial emphasis is retirement benefits law. Elizabeth forms expert financial analysis on the growth, division, and valuation of retirement plans in conflict lawsuits including, but not limited to, government pension plans, stock options, restricted stock units, 401(k) plans, and Individual Retirement Accounts.

​

 

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.

​

 

Rick Wagner, Ph.D. CTO San Diego Supercomputer Center

Rick Wagner is an astrophysicist who’s really good with computers. He began his career at UCSD using supercomputers as a tool for research, working on problems in cosmology and supersonic turbulence. Eventually, he got a job at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) designing, building, and managing the same kinds of supercomputers he used for science. Rick took a break from UCSD to work for the University of Chicago, helping researchers with data management solutions. While he was there, Rick began working in cybersecurity, trying to smooth the boundary between cybersecurity and research to protect sensitive data. Now, he’s back at SDSC as the Chief Technology Officer, helping projects navigate a constantly advancing technology landscape.

 

Yusuf Yazici, M.D.

Yusuf Yazici is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine in New York and the Chief Medical Officer of Biosplice, a biotech company in San Diego. He earned his medical degree from Istanbul University in Istanbul, Turkey. He completed his internship and residency at Creighton University in Nebraska and his fellowship in rheumatology at the Hospital for Special Surgery of Cornell University in New York. His areas of interest are patient care, clinical research, teaching and new drug development.

​

​

Click here to read about our previous year's presenters.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​