In Brief

Meet the Alumni: Medicinal Chemist Mark Tichenor
Scripps Research alumnus Mark Tichenor, now a medicinal chemist with Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development in La Jolla, will share his career pathway and experiences at the California campus Meet the Alumni series presentation on Thursday, June 9, 4 PM. Tichnor is also co-chair of the Younger Chemist Committee of the American Chemical Society's local section.

A 2002 University of California San Diego graduate with a BS in chemistry, Tichenor earned his PhD in 2007, working in the Scripps Research Boger lab. His thesis focused on natural product total synthesis and medicinal chemistry.

Sponsored by the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office and the Network for Women in Science, the Meet the Alumni series features a casual setting and discussion format, covering such topics as career influences, transitions, and options. Light refreshments will be served. Registration is required.

For more information about the Meet the Alumni series and upcoming career-related events, contact Ryan Wheeler, rwheeler@scripps.edu or x4-7297, or visit the Career and Postdoctoral Services webpage.

NWiS Coffee Hour Presents "Dissertation and Defense"
Providing expert advice on tackling every graduate student's ultimate goal—the dissertation and defense—is the aim of the California campus Network for Women in Science (NWiS) June 6 coffee hour, scheduled for 3 PM in the Faculty Club Tennis Room.

Scripps Research guest speakers—including Professor Larry Gerace; Marylyn Rinaldi, administrative director of graduate studies; and Daphne Lurie, director of Counseling Services—will offer perspectives, resources, and suggestions to successfully navigate the dissertation and defense process.

Coffee and refreshments will be provided. NWiS encourages the participation of both male and female colleagues and all faculty members. Further information on NWiS activities on the California campus can be found at the organization's webpage.

Lunch & Learn: Men's Issues
With the Father's Day holiday approaching, the next Lunch & Learn presentation, scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, will explore mental health issues impacting men. The session will be held at noon in the Molecular Biology Building Committee Lecture Hall on the California campus and streamed live at 3 PM to the Florida campus, room A116.

Jeff Jones, clinical psychologist and subject matter authority, will present "Men's Issues: What? Men Have Issues, Too?" Specifically, Jones will:

• Identify common men's mental health issues
• Describe the signs of depression in men
• Suggest methods to help men dealing with mental health issues.

The Lunch & Learn series is presented by the Counseling and Psychological Services Department.

Florida Team Walks the Night for Cancer Research
A 25-member "Scientists for a Cure" team of Scripps Florida researchers and staff recently walked 18 hours through the night to raise funds in the American Cancer Society's (ACS) local Relay for Life event.

The team, which included faculty members Paul Thompson, William Ja, and Min Guo, as well as graduate students, postdocs, and staff from several departments, took turns walking and running the relay path at Lake Shore Park in Lake Park, FL, from 6 PM Friday, May 20 to noon, Saturday, May 21. At ACS Relay for Life events, a representative from each team remains on the track throughout the overnight walk.

The Scripps Research group ranked third of 12 participating relay teams in total amount raised, collecting more than $2,670 through individual donations and other fundraising efforts, according to graduate student Heather Rust, the team's co-captain with Adrian Orozco, Procurement Department scientific buyer and chair of the entire Relay for Life event. In total, the event raised $32,000 for ACS-supported efforts.

"I feel that it is important for people in the community to realize that we are not just scientists doing research and waiting for donations from outside supporters," said Rust. "We are passionate about finding cures for cancer and other diseases, which leads us to be actively involved in this pursuit even beyond the bench."

Rust found particularly motivational a quote on the t-shirt of one relay participant and cancer survivor: "Supporters make it possible. Scientists make it happen. Survivors make it personal."

ScrippsAssists Volunteers Help Stage Gala for Children
The ScrippsAssists employee volunteer group on the California campus recently helped stage the Home Start organization's successful Blue Ribbon Gala 2011.

A San Diego non-profit dedicated to child abuse prevention and family-strengthening services, Home Start raised more than $110,000 at the April 29 event, held at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa.

The funds will help maintain vital mental health services for children experiencing trauma and neglect, and support families currently struggling with poverty issues due to job loss, major illness, budget cuts in social services, and other debilitating circumstances.

ScrippsAssists volunteers at the gala included Mishelle McClanahan-Shinn, ScrippsAssists co-chair and senior administrative assistant in the Barbas lab, and her husband Tim Shinn; Deirdra Tomasso, senior administrative assistant in the Wright lab; and Marcia McRae, ScrippsAssists co-chair and administrative manager for the Molecular and Integrative Neurosciences Department. ScrippsAssists also supports Home Start through the annual Adopt-a-Family program and toy drive.

Florida Campus Celebrates Summer with Family Picnic
An exciting volleyball championship game, snow cones and grilled burgers, and a water slide were among the highlights of the annual Scripps Florida family picnic, held on Saturday, May 21, on campus grounds.

Capturing the volleyball tournament trophy for the second consecutive year, the "Lead ID" team defeated Team Peptoid of the Kodadek lab in a "thriller" 22-20-point final game, according to spectators. Lead ID—all members of the Translational Research Institute's Lead Identification group— beat eight other teams in the single-elimination event. The team will keep and display the "Lerner Trophy"—a specially fashioned Stanley Cup look-a-like—until next summer's tournament.

The event's 215 attendees also enjoyed lawn games, a "bounce house," 50/50 raffle, and a lunch menu that included hot dogs and veggie burgers, chips and side dishes, and dessert. In brief welcoming remarks, Harry Orf, vice president for scientific operations, acknowledged the volunteers who organized the event and the donations of senior staff, faculty, and department chairs that helped underwrite the picnic's cost.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

A 25-member team of Scripps Florida researchers and staff walked 18 hours through the night, raising $2,670 for the American Cancer Society.

Scripps Florida employees came together recently for a fun family picnic. Costs were underwritten by donations from senior staff, faculty, and department chairs.