In Brief

Six TSRI Graduate Students Named ARCS Scholars

Six graduate students at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have received Scholar Awards from the San Diego chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Students (ARCS) Foundation, a national organization advancing science in United States through grants to academically outstanding U.S. citizens pursuing degrees in science, engineering or medical research.

The TSRI fellowship recipients are:

Josh Silverman
John Tat
Sarah LeBeouf
Nicole Schirle
George Campbell
Jessica Bruhn-Johannsen.

The program is funded through corporate, foundation and individual donors. Since 1997, the ARCS Foundation has awarded $847,500 to TSRI students.

Receiving ARCS Foundation Scholar Awards are (front row, left to right) Josh Silverman, Jessica Bruhn-Johannsen, Sarah LeBeouf, John Tat, Nicole Schirle and George Campbell. Those attending the presentation include (back row, left to right) Jamie Williamson, dean of graduate and postgraduate studies; ARCS member Mary Fitz; ARCS Chapter President Diane Chalmers; ARCs members Kim Doren and Alice Brown; and TSRI Acting President and CEO James Paulson. (Photo by Cindy Brauer.)

Employee Benefits Open Enrollment Begins October 27

Employee Benefits Open Enrollment will be held from Monday, October 27 through Friday, November 7, 5 PM Pacific Time. During this annual opportunity, participants may make changes to their TSRI benefit selections and, if eligible, enroll or re-enroll in the Health Care and/or Dependent Care Spending Accounts for the 2015 plan year.

In the Benefits department’s continued effort to be environmentally friendly and to reduce mailing costs, all Open Enrollment communications, including the new 2015 plan information, is being sent via email and will be available on the Open Enrollment website. It is important to review the information provided in the Open Enrollment booklet regarding changes for the 2015 plan year. The booklet will be available for review by Tuesday, October 7.

Healthcare costs continue to be a challenge in the current funding environment. Therefore, TSRI has chosen to implement a few changes to the health plan designs this year, which include:

HMO Plan participants will experience a moderate increase to premium costs.
Although there are no plan design changes to the Comprehensive, HSA-Compatible and Graduate Student PPO Plans, the claims administrator and network will be moving to Aetna.
Flexible spending account (FSA) administration will be moved from UMR to Tri-Ad.
Members enrolled in the HSA-Compatible PPO Plan may now enroll in a Health Savings Account through Aetna with the convenience of payroll deductions.

Every effort has been made to keep the increases as low as possible. Greater detail regarding the changes will be included in the information booklet.

TSRI employees should to be aware that the maximum dollar amount for the Health Care Spending Account is limited to $2,500. Eligible and previous participants in the Health Care and/or Dependent Care Spending Accounts in 2014 still must log on and elect a new deferral amount to participate in 2015. A 2014 election WILL NOT roll over to 2015.

Participants with questions regarding Open Enrollment should contact Benefits Administration at (858) 784-8487 or at benefits@scripps.edu.

Research Ethics Training Scheduled for CA Campus

A seven-session course, Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), will be held on the Scripps California campus in October and November. In addition to fulfilling TSRI’s mission to foster a culture of research integrity, RCR training is required for researchers receiving government funding from such agencies as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

The course, scheduled from 1 to 3 PM, will begin Monday, October 20, and continue on October 29 and 30, and November 5, 6 and 11 in the Graduate Office seminar room on the first floor of the Hazen Theory Building.

The course description is available at http://sdrec.ucsd.edu/courses/tsri. Space is limited and priority is given on a first-come, first-served basis to trainees who have received fellowships, are on training grants or are supported by the Skaggs Institute or similar funds.

Advance registration is required. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive certificates for their records.

Other RCR training options are available, including additional proposed courses on the TSRI campus in coming months. Updated information will be posted to the Career and Postdoctoral Services office website.

Graduate Studies, Career & Postdoctoral Services Open House: October 8

The Graduate Studies and Career and Postdoctoral Services offices invite the Scripps California community to an Open House, Wednesday, October 8, from 4 to 6 PM, in their new location on the Hazen Theory Campus. The event will include refreshments and music. The offices are located on the first floor at 10640 John J. Hopkins Drive—the first building on the east side of the tunnel under North Torrey Pines Road.

National Depression Screening Day: October 9

National Depression Screening Day, Thursday, October 9, is held annually during Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 5 to 11, to raise awareness and screen people for depression and related mood and anxiety disorders. To find local depression-screening sites or for an online screening assessment, visit http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org. All inquiries are confidential.

Confidential assistance is also available to TSRI benefit-eligible employees, postdocs, graduate students and/or their family members from the institute’s Counseling and Psychological Services Department. For further information or to schedule an appointment on the California campus, call Daphne Lurie at x4-7915 or Diana Bull at x4-2950; department assistant Holly Wheeler, x4-7297 or hollyw@scripps.edu, can also schedule appointments. For appointments on the Scripps Florida campus, contact Dana Scoville at (561) 228-2288 or dscovill@scripps.edu.

Depending on individual medical plans, 24-hour emergency psychiatric services are available through United Behavioral Health at (800) 888-2998 or Aetna Behavioral Health at (800) 424-5928.

TSRI Encouraged to ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’ on October 16

The TSRI Operational Safety Committee encourages participation in The Great California ShakeOut, a worldwide earthquake preparation campaign scheduled for Thursday, October 16, at 10:16 AM local time.

The program advocates use of the internationally recognized "Drop, Cover and Hold On" protocol to protect lives during earthquakes, when the greatest danger is from falling or flying objects. Specifically, as an earthquake begins, individuals should drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops. Should a table or desk be unavailable, safety protocol suggests dropping to the ground in an inside corner of the building and covering the head and neck with one’s hands and arms.

Several TSRI labs in the Dorris Neuroscience Center have participated in the ShakeOut program in past years. The drill has been helpful for even earthquake-experienced lab members, said Kathy Spencer, scientific associate in the Mueller lab. “Two tall lab members found out they don’t fit under their desks, so they needed to find another place where they would be protected,” she noted. “It was a good test to try out a safe place and to keep it clear.

For help in participating in the drill, contact Jim Gohres at x4-8240 or jgohres@scripps.edu. For additional information on The Great California ShakeOut and other earthquake safety measures, visit the group’s website.

5K Run/Walk Celebrates Volunteerism in Memory of Jared Purton

The 5^th Annual Good On You 5K Run/Walk in San Diego will once again celebrate the memory and spirit of volunteerism of the late Jared Purton, a postdoctoral fellow at TSRI killed by a drunk driver. Online registration is now open for event, scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 9 AM, at Crown Point Park in the San Diego Mission Bay area.

The race course finish line will feature displays of local charities. Three highlighted charities—The Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank; Laurel Foundation, an HIV/AIDS victim support group; and Animal Pad, a dog rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming group—will receive a portion of the event’s proceeds.

All ages are eligible to participate and costumes are encouraged. The top three male and female runners, the best individual (male and female) and the best group costume will receive prizes. Raffle prizes will also be part of the event.

Event fees are: $25 pre-registration, $35 race day for ages 12 and above; $15, ages 2 to 11; under two years are free. Participants who register by October 19 are guaranteed race T-shirts. This year, strollers will be allowed at the back of the race.

The Race/Walk is sponsored on the Scripps California campus by the Society of Fellows. For additional information, visit the Jared F. Purton Foundation website.

ScrippsAssists Offers Opportunities to Serve

ScrippsAssists, the institute’s employee volunteer group, offers two special event community service opportunities during October in the San Diego area.

Home Start’s Hallo-Wine Fall Festival, Saturday, October 18
Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, registration, greeting and assistance with the wine cellar, silent auction and vendors. Held at a private estate in the Marston Hills neighborhood, the event raises funds for Home Start’s child abuse prevention programs.

Two shifts are available: noon to 4 PM and 2:30 to 6:30 PM. Interested volunteers contact ScrippsAssists project coordinator Mishelle McClanahan Shinn at mshinn@scripps.edu.

Information on event tickets and on the agency’s programs can be found at the Home Start website.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Bike MS, Sunday, October 19
The annual Bay to Bay Bike MS Tour needs volunteers help at two San Diego rest stops: Birdrock Elementary school, 5371 La Jolla Hermosa Ave., La Jolla, from 9 AM to noon, and Crown Point Shores, Crown Point Shores Dr., 3700 Corona Oriente Road, San Diego /Pacific Beach, from 8:30 AM to 2 PM. Tasks include set-up/breakdown, providing water and refreshments and cheering riders. Volunteers bring their own chairs and food. Drinks and light snacks will be provided. Wear sunscreen, hats and comfortable clothing.

For further details and to sign up, contact ScrippsAssists project coordinator Jess Sheu-Gruttadauria at jgruttad@scripps.edu. For additional event information or to donate, visit the National MS Society’s website.

CA Campus Competes for ‘Green’ Commute Honors

Scripps California is competing again in the annual iCommute Rideshare Corporate Challenge, a program of the San Diego Association of Governments to promote work commute alternatives to driving alone. TSRI faculty and staff are encouraged carpool, vanpool, bike, walk or take public transit to campus at least once a week during the month of October and log their alternative commutes on the iCommute website.

In addition to helping TSRI compete in its category, participants are automatically entered in prize drawings whenever they log eligible trips online in Trip Tracker. The grand prize is a new adult bike valued at $450. This year, commuters can win more prizes by sharing stories of their alternative commute (e.g., a scenic walk or bike route, a fun carpool experience, etc.) on Facebook.com/SANDAGregion, on Twitter using #Rideshare SD or with a photo on Instagram using #RideshareSD and @SANDAGregion.

TSRI participants can sign up for an iCommute account using a TSRI email address. The iCommute website offers tools and resources to plan alternative commuting.

The California campus RideShare Challenge participation is coordinated by the Human Resources Department.

ScrippsAssists Craft Fair Exhibitor Registration Open

Exhibitor registration is now open for the 2014 ScrippsAssists Fall Craft Fair, to be held Thursday, December 11, from 11 AM to 2 PM in the Immunology building galleria.

The annual event, open to the general Torrey Mesa public, features artisan and handcrafted products. Potential exhibitors are asked to email ScrippsAssists by Tuesday, October 14, with their name, affiliation and contact information; crafted product description; exhibitor table staff names; and availability to donate a raffle prize.

The $25 per table exhibitor fee must be paid by Tuesday, October 28. All proceeds from exhibitor fees and the Craft Fair raffle are donated to non-profits serving the local community.

This event is open to TSRI employees, Scripps Green Hospital and Scripps Clinic/Health Torrey Pines employees. A TSRI/Scripps Green/Scripps Health employee may sponsor a spouse/significant other or family member; however, the TSRI/Scripps Green/Scripps Health employee must be in attendance at the exhibitor's table during the Craft Fair. For further information, contact the ScrippsAssists project coordinator Mishelle McClanahan-Shinn at mshinn@scripps.edu or x4-2738.

At the Auditorium: Autumn Jazz

The Athenaeum Music and Arts Library continues its annual fall series, Jazz at The Scripps Research Institute, Wednesday, October 15, 7:30 PM, with the acclaimed Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas Sound Prints Quintet. The concert will be presented in one set, with no intermission. Additional program and ticket information is available on the Athenaeum’s website.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

During last year’s Great California Shakeout drill, Evan Fitchett, research technician in the Cline lab, crouched beneath a desk, following the accepted “Drop, Cover and Hold On” safety protocol during an earthquake.

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