ROTARY HUMANITARIAN STAR AWARDS - · PDF fileThe Rotary Club of Sierra Madre offers the Rotary...
Transcript of ROTARY HUMANITARIAN STAR AWARDS - · PDF fileThe Rotary Club of Sierra Madre offers the Rotary...
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ROTARY HUMANITARIAN STAR AWARDS
Science Technology Aerospace Robotics
December 14, 2016
www.rhstar.org
Masonic Temple
200 South Euclid Avenue
Pasadena, California
Rotary Humanitarian STAR Awards
Science, Technology, Aerospace, and Robotics
Honoring outstanding humanitarian achievements in Science and Technology
The Rotary Club of Sierra Madre offers the Rotary Humanitarian STAR
Awards to outstanding humanitarian accomplishments in the fields of
science, technology, aerospace and robotics with the intention of
recognizing and promoting such advancements for the greater good.
In relatively recent years, science and technology have formed a union
that has and continues to produce new discoveries to improve our human
condition and concerns at an inconceivable rate.
Our goal is to recognize and promote creative minds exploring oceans
and skies; discovering methods of information sharing, disaster relief,
and healing, and for overcoming obstacles to personal and planetary
wellbeing. From outer to inner space; from satellites to robotics and
microchips, the impossible is becoming our promise for the future. It is
the hope of the Rotary Club of Sierra Madre, that these awards recognize
these accomplishments and inspire further exploration and innovation
within future generations.
2016 Rotary Humanitarian STAR Awards
Program
6:00 Reception
6:50 Presentation of the Colors
The 2nd Battalion 23rd Marines Jeff Porter, Past President, Sierra Madre Rotary
Pledge of Allegiance
7:00 Welcome, Introduction to the RHSTAR Awards Dr. Alan Unell, President, Sierra Madre Rotary
Rotary International Marilyn Diaz, Assistant Governor, Dist. 5300
7:15 Invocation Joe Widman, Assistant US Attorney
Dinner
8:15 Award Presentations
Dan Alle, Past President, Sierra Madre Rotary, Introduction
Emcee, Marie Csete, M.D., Ph.D.,
President and chief scientist, Huntington Medical Research Inst.
9:00 Closing
2016 Board of Advisors
Pamela R. Aschbacher, Ph.D. (Ret.) Director of Research at Caltech
Pre-College Science Initiative
Dr. Aschbacher was a Senior Research Scientist and Assistant
Director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation,
Standards and Student Testing (CRESST) and the Center for the
Study of Evaluation at UCLA. Currently she is a member of their
National Advisory Board and holds a doctorate in educational
psychology from UCLA. She has consulted for RAND, the US
Dept. of Labor, the Armory Center for the Arts, and has been a
frequent speaker on assessment issues to policy audiences.
David A. Bearden, Ph.D.
General Manager of NASA & Civil Space Division of the
Aerospace Corporation.
Dr. David A. Bearden, Principal Director, NASA Advanced
Programs Directorate, holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering
from the University of Southern California. Dr. Bearden
supports NASA interplanetary and earth-science programs. In
2006 he earned the Aerospace Corporation President's Award
for leading the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Analysis of
Alternatives, and is the recipient of the Aviation Week & Space
Technology Annual Aerospace Laurels in 2000. Bearden leads the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and
Advanced Systems Directorate in Pasadena, Calif.
2016 Board of Advisors
Joel W. Burdick, Ph.D.
JPL Research Scientist.
Richard L. & Dorothy M Hayman Professor of Mechanical
Engineering & Bioengineering at Caltech,
Professor Burdick focuses on robotics, kinematics, mechanical
systems and control. Active research areas include: robotic
locomotion, sensor-based motion planning algorithms, multi-
fingered robotic manipulation, applied nonlinear control theory,
neural prosthetics, and medical applications of robotics.
John F. Raffensperger, Ph.D.
Senior Operations Researcher: Professor; Pardee RAND
Graduate School
Dr. John F. Raffensperger is a senior operations researcher at
the RAND Corporation and professor at the Pardee RAND
Graduate School. Prior to joining RAND, he was a senior lecturer
in management science at the University of Canterbury, in
Christchurch, New Zealand. Dr. Raffensperger holds a B.S. in
industrial engineering from Northwestern University, and an
M.B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago's Graduate
School of Business. His research includes optimization, risk
analysis, logistics, scheduling, and combinatorial optimization. He focuses on design and
implementation of market environments, especially water.
2016 Board of Advisors
Marie Csete, M.D., Ph.D.
President & Chief Scientist,
Huntington Medical Research Institutes.
Dr. Marie Csete serves as HMRI’s President & Chief
Scientist. She headed the joint Emory-Georgia Tech stem cell
laboratory and became the Chief Scientific Officer of the
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Past
achievements include Executive VP at Organovo and Division
Director of the cellular therapies program at the American
Association of Blood Banks in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Csete has
also consulted for academics and industry scientists developing regenerative medicine therapies.
She is on the editorial boards of “Stem Cells Translational Medicine,” “Anesthesia and Analgesia,”
and the “Encyclopedia of Human Biology,”
Philip R. Troyk, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Armour College of Engineering,
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professor Stuart
School of Business Research
Dr. Troyk is Associate Dean of Engineering, Professor of
Biomedical Engineering, Professor, Stuart School of Business
at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Faculty Associate,
Division of Biological Sciences – Department of Neurosurgery
at The University of Chicago. He is founder, president, and CEO
of Sigenics, Inc. Sigenics is the only private-label custom
semiconductor company headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Chicago and Irwindale, CA. As
a leader of a large multi-institutional team, he works to develop an intracortical visual prosthesis
for individuals with blindness. As CEO of Sigenics, he leads an engineering organization that
supplies 250,000 custom electronic chips/year placed in modules that control on-board avionics
for Boeing and Airbus planes, as well as develops chips that are in medical clinical trials for
implantable neural interfaces devices.
2016 Board of Advisors
Michael Ryschkewitsch, Ph.D. NASA Chief Engineer and Lead of Space Programs at the
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Dr. Michael Ryschkewitsch, currently chief engineer at NASA,
will lead the Space Sector at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics
Laboratory in Laurel, MD, starting in January. Dr.
Ryschkewitsch, a highly regarded expert within the space
science and engineering community, is presently responsible
for the technical readiness of all NASA programs. He previously
served as the deputy director for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight
Center and director of Goddard’s Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate. His career at
NASA includes contributions to numerous science missions, including the Wilkinson Microwave
Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission, the Terra Satellite, and the
Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) for the first Hubble Space
Telescope servicing mission. Dr. Ryschkewitsch has earned numerous awards, including the NASA
Exceptional Service Medal, the NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership, the Robert Baumann
Award for contributions to mission success, and the NASA Engineering and Safety Center
Leadership Award. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Florida and
his Ph.D. in physics from Duke University.
Brett Wingeier, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Halo Neuroscience
Mr. Brett Wingeier, Ph.D. is a biomedical engineer and
neuroscientist, with research interests in biosignal processing,
non-invasive brain stimulation, EEG, epilepsy, basal ganglia
disease. He co-founded Halo Neuro Inc. in 2013 and serves as its
Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Wingeier was Principal Engineer
and Clinical Scientist at Neuro Pace. He is named on 25 US
patents. He holds a Biomedical Engineering Doctorate with
studies at Tulane, Stanford, and Swinburne.
2016 Rotary Humanitarian STAR NOMINEES
Daniel E. Irwin Nominated by: NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
SERVIR: provide developing countries NASA satellite images & data needed to address
environmental issues
Mya Le Thai, Ph.D. Nominated by: Brian Bell Communication Officer UCI
Groundbreaking research on gold nano-wire battery technology
Morteza Garib, Ph.D. Nominated by: Ares J. Rosakis, Ph.D. Professor of Aeronautics & Mechanical Eng. Caltech
Developing & bringing market solutions for cardiac health, glaucoma, 3D dental imaging …
Sierra Madre Search &Rescue Team
Nominated by: Wendie Johnston, Ph.D., Pasadena Bioscience Calloborative
The Development of a search and rescue MapSar technology used around the world
S. Sona Hosseini, Ph.D. Nominated by: Gilda Moshir, President of Rotary Club of San Marino
Design, construction of astronomical instruments for space exploration
Parker R Amstutz
Nominated by: Dana-Nicole B. Samuel
Creating a self-sustaining method to feed starving villages
Julius Su, Ph.D.
Nominated by: Monica Barsever, Science Teacher at Alverno Heights Academy
Collaborative learning app for mobile devices, making high-quality teaching & learning
accessible
2016 Rotary Humanitarian STAR NOMINEES
Core Flight Systems Team, NASA
Nominated by: David C. McComas, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Committed to increased openness & knowledge sharing within the flight software community
Tore C. Knos, Ph.D. Nominated by: Lance A. Ito, Judge Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the
County of Los Angeles
Developed shelter boxes that provide relief to those in disaster stricken areas
Thomas A. Nazario
Nominated by: Lance A. Ito, Judge Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the
County of Los Angeles
Founder of The Forgotten International
Isabelle Warner
Nominated by: Angie Gomez, Vice President of Pasadena Sister Cities Community
Chair of the Pasadena Sister Cities Armenia Subcommittee
Sorin Grama
Nominated by: Douglas Kerns, Ph.D., Founder & CTO of SIGENICS
Creating off grid refrigeration for rural dairy farmers
Samuel Clamons
Nominated by: Monica Barsever, Science Teacher at Alverno Heights Academy
Teaching young scientists the Laser Interferometer-Gravitational Wave Observation LIGO
Calum I Torrie, Ph.D.
Nominated by: William E. White M.D. & Robert A. Taylor
Laser Interferometer-Gravitational Wave Observation LIGO project
Dr. Julius Su
ROTARY
HUMANITARIAN
STAR AWARDS
2016 Award Recipients
Daniel E. Irwin Dr. Tore C. Knos
Dr. Morteza Gharib
Sierra Madre Search & Rescue
Samuel Clamons
The Rotary Humanitarian STAR Award committee is pleased to recognize Daniel E Irwin,
Director of SERVIR, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, as the 2016 RHSTAR Trophy Recipient
in the Environmental Improvement Category.
Daniel E. Irwin
SERVIR Director
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
Nominated by: Todd May, Director, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Nominated for: Developing SERVIR: mission is to provide developing countries NASA satellite
images and data needed to address environmental issues.
Daniel E. Irwin is director of SERVIR, the regional, satellite-based environmental monitoring and visualization system jointly operated by NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development in Central America, eastern and southern Africa, the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region and the Mekong River Basin in Southeast Asia. Recognized in 2007 as one of the "100 steps toward the Global Earth Observation System of Systems," SERVIR has provided key decision-support information for monitoring the land surface, oceans and atmosphere to protect the lives, property and resources of millions on three continents. Irwin co-created SERVIR -- a Spanish word meaning "to serve" -- at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2004-2005. He continues to refine and expand the technology, organizing workshops to train hundreds of scientists and researchers in satellite remote-sensing and GIS. In 2013, he received a "Recognition of Brilliance" award from the Guatemalan government for "two decades of capacity building and technical support for improved management of the Maya Biosphere Reserve and the Guatemalan System of Protected Areas." In 2008, he received the Charles S. Falkenberg Award, presented jointly by the American Geophysical Union and the Earth Science Information Partnership to "a scientist under 45 years of age who has contributed to the quality of life, economic opportunities and stewardship of the planet through the use of earth science information, and to public awareness of the importance of understanding our planet." Irwin also was a 2008 finalist for the Service to America Medals, honoring American public servants who made significant contributions to the nation based on their commitment and innovation, and the impact of their work to address the needs of the country. He received his undergraduate degree in environmental science from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and his Master's degree in environmental science from Miami University of Ohio in Oxford. In addition to his NASA duties, Irwin promotes small business development in rural Central America, seeking economic alternatives to slash-and-burn agricultural practices in the tropical rainforest. He also leads cultural growth throughout Guatemala and other Central American countries, and has spearheaded efforts to build playgrounds and a library for children in remote Guatemalan villages.
The Rotary Humanitarian STAR Award committee is pleased to recognize Morteza Gharib Ph.D.,
professor of Aeronautics and Bioinspired Engineering at the California Institute of Technology,
as the 2016 RHSTAR Trophy Recipient in the Health and Medical Category.
Morteza Gharib Ph.D.
Professor of Aeronautics and Bioinspired
Engineering
California Institute of Technology
Nominated by: Ares J. Rosakis, Theodore von Kármán Professor of Aeronautics & Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT) California Institute of Technology Nominated for: Dr. Gharib is a fluid-mechanic by training but chooses to innovate in multiple fields of science and engineering ranging from aeronautics, space, autonomous systems to biomedical engineering. In aeronautics, he invented improved multiple tools to study flows; his impressive studies of vortex dynamics impacts fields ranging from airplane, ship and animal propulsion to heart valve engineering. In biomedical research, his discovery of a universal time scale for vortex ring formation showed that the forces from blood flow guide the developmental patterning of the heart and heart valves. Dr. Gharib later extended this universality to many kinds of flows, including wakes and physiological flows, an important application of the optimal formation time in diagnosing cardiac health. He holds 95 patents that have resulted in a number of thriving start ups that include a shunt for drug-free treatment of glaucoma, a 3D handheld imaging device routinely used by thousands of dentists, and developing a simple, inexpensive, noninvasive solution for monitoring heart failure patients. This has the potential to dramatically reduce the annual cost of hospitalized heart failure patients by more than $40B in the US alone by providing a simple early warning
device that can be easily used by patients at home. Professor Gharib is considered one of the
most prominent interdisciplinary scientists/engineers/inventors worldwide.
The Rotary Humanitarian STAR Award committee is pleased to recognize Tore C. Knos, Ph.D., as
the 2016 RHSTAR Trophy Recipient in the Disaster Relief and Recovery Category.
Tore C. Knos, Ph.D.
Rotary Zone Representative, Disaster
Response Team Member
Disaster Aid USA.
Nominated by: Lance A. Ito (Retired) Judge Superior Court of the State of California, in and
for the County of Los Angeles
Nominated for: Survival and recovery aids for the nonprofit organization Disaster Aid USA.
Dr. Knos has dedicated his life to disaster relief. He serves on the board of directors for Disaster Aid USA and as an ambassador. As an ambassador Dr. Knos makes presentations and chairs Disaster Aid USA booths at various events. His most important work is serving as a Disaster Aid Response Team member all over the world. His deployments include South Sudan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and the Bahamas, providing family survival tents to those devastated by disasters. The family survival pack provide families with basic tools to rebuild their lives. All products contained in the box meet and exceed U.N. standards with some innovative differences. For ease of transportation, the shelter box has wheels and a handle. Its capacity of 190 liters, with the lid serving as a carpenter’s workbench. It is filled with blankets, water containers, cooking utensils, a stove, pots, pans, children’s rucksacks, mosquito nets and other useful items. The Disaster Aid tent is the largest humanitarian aid tent available. It is inter-connectable, which allows the versatility to be turned into a four classroom school or serve as a community center. Dr. Knos’ commitment to delivering humanitarian disaster relief to people around the world represents the ideals of Rotary’s Humanitarian STAR goals.
The Rotary Humanitarian STAR Award committee is pleased to recognize Sierra Madre Search
and Rescue Team, as the 2016 RHSTAR Trophy Recipient in the Disaster Relief and Recovery
Category.
Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team
President: Arnold Gaffery
Nominated by: Wendie Johnston Ph.D., Pasadena Bioscience Collaborative
Nominated For: The development of search and rescue MapSar technology used
across the country and around the world.
Maps are at the core of any Search and Rescue (SAR) operation. Geographic information system (GIS) software allows rescue personnel to quickly generate maps that depict specific aspects of a rescue operation and show what is happening on the ground over time. The maps and operations data can be shared over a network to supply an enhanced common operating picture throughout the Incident Command Post (ICP). Sierra Madre Search and Rescue played a key role in the launch of a new web portal that supplies search and rescue (SAR) personnel with GIS tools, educational materials, and a virtual community for learning and sharing. The launch of the MapSAR website is the result of a community of search and rescue personnel linked together by their use of GIS with a goal to build on that work and supply standards, documents, and training to the international SAR community with the invaluable job of finding lost people.
The Rotary Humanitarian STAR Award committee is pleased to recognize Samuel Clamons, as
the 2016 RHSTAR Trophy Recipient in the Improved Sharing of Knowledge Category.
Samuel Clamons
Graduate Student at Caltech - Professor Richard
Murray's Bio-engineering Research Group, iGEM
(International Genetically Engineered
Machines) coach
Nominated by: Monica Barsever Science Teacher at Alverno Heights Academy
Nominated for: Teaching young scientists the LIGO project (Laser Interferometer-
Gravitational Wave Observatory)
Mr. Clamons is a doctoral student at Caltech in Biology and Biological Engineering.
He serves as a mentor to the iGEM team of high school girls at Alverno Heights
Academy in Sierra Madre who earned second place in the 2016 iGEM
competition. International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition
is the preeminent international synthetic biology competition. The team conducts
authentic scientific research over an 8-month period, culminating in a synthetic
biology conference, iGEM Giant Jamboree, which includes presentations and
poster sessions. It has been called the World Cup of Science.
Synthetic biology has applications in medicine, biosensors, materials, and
biological research. This cutting edge technology has already produced huge
medical successes, such as ready production of drugs.
The Rotary Humanitarian STAR Award committee is pleased to recognize Julius Su, Ph.D., Co-
founder of Su-Kam Intelligent Education Systems (SKIES) as the 2016 RHSTAR Trophy Recipient
in the Improved Sharing of Knowledge Category.
Julius Su, Ph.D.,
Co-founder of Su-Kam Intelligent Education
Systems (SKIES)
Nominated for: A collaborative learning app for mobile
devices, making high-quality teaching and learning easier and accessible
to all.
Nominated by: Monica Barsever, Science Teacher at Alverno Heights
Academy
Su-Kam Intelligent Education Systems (SKIES) is a collaborative learning
app for mobile devices. Dr. Su’s goal is to make high-quality teaching
and learning easier and accessible to all. SKIES is aimed at integrating
time-tested teaching and learning methods with innovative technology
for every teacher and student. It is an easy-to-browse “class tree,”
allowing teachers to create lessons with embedded multimedia and
assessments, and students to post and answer each other’s questions;
attach web resources, drawings, pictures, video, and data; and add
concept maps and mini-lessons in groups. SKIES transforms the
classroom into a supportive and engaging environment, with full
participation from all learners.
Special Thanks to 2016 RHSTAR
Sponsors
The Honorable Lance A. Ito &
Margaret A. York
Alan D. Unell & Vokouhi Hovagimian
Poser Investments, Inc.
THE FOUR-WAY TEST
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical
guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional
relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100
languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings:
Of the things we think, say or do
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?