Jason Malig, ’11, was deployed twice while stationed with the Marines as a field medical service technician at Camp Pendleton. He served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom II and on a Marine Expeditionary Unit in various places in the Western Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the Persian Gulf.

A general biology major at UCSD, Malig says, “My experiences treating the sick and injured at home and abroad made me want to pursue a career in medicine.”

Jon-Paul Bernard, ’09, served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserves as a psychological operations specialist, where his main duty was to persuade and influence the Iraqi people to support U.S. foreign policy. He is pursuing a major in political science at UCSD. “The heightened service to others that the military helped instill in me,” he says, “has driven my education for political science and international policy.”

Jessica Huerta, ’13, chose Vandenberg Air Force Base in the Central Coast of California and Travis Air Force Base in the Bay Area as her two duty stations. She is studying for a degree in sociology at UCSD. She vol – unteered for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and currently serves as an equal opportunity advisor in the Air Force. Her job is to, “promote an environment free from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion,” she says. “A sociology degree from UCSD will help me make a greater impact on my Wing.”

Micki Duran, ’11, was first sent to Marine Corps boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina, for three months training, and then transferred to 29 Palms, Calif. She is now a critical gender studies major at UCSD, and is active in the Student Veterans Organization. At 29 Palms, she practiced her military occupational specialty as a ground radio intermediate repairer.

“It was a little intimidating working with men at first, especially men with rank,” she says, of her experiences as a woman serving in the service, “because you hear stories about higher-ranking men taking advantage of young women.”

Demetrius DiMucci, ’12, served as a nuclear, biological and chemical defense specialist in the Headquarters Battery 1st Batallion, 11th Marines at Camp Pendleton. He is now a molecular biology major at UCSD. “I feel like I relate to the graduate students I’ve met and just a few of the undergraduates,” he says, comparing his experience in the Marines with his return to school. “The two-or three-year gap between me and my contemporaries is pretty big. The world isn’t really the most friendly of places, but the University acts like an ivory tower. I even find myself losing touch with reality from time to time because of it.”

@UCSD – A publication of the UC San Diego Alumni Association

Editor
Raymond Hardie

Associate Editor
Malinda Danziger, ’00

Art Direction
Patera Design

Contributing Editors
Ginny McCormick, Paula Thomas, ’87

Editorial Intern
Sarah Alaoui, ’11

Contributing Writers
Mario Aguilera, ’89, Susan Brown, Christine Clark, ’06, Tiffany Fox, Jade Griffin, ‘03, Debra Kain, Inga Kiderra, Gina McGalliard, ’08, Judy Piercey, Doug Ramsey, Andrea Siedsma

Advertising
Janine Manchel
jmanchel@alumni.ucsd.edu

@UCSD Online
www.alumni.ucsd.edu/magazine
Steven Wakabayashi, ’11

Publisher
Armin Afsahi, ’90

Editorial Advisory Board
Jack Beresford, ’88, Derek Danziger, ’95, Sandra Daley, M.D. ’75, Rex Graham, Michele Humphrey, Inga Kiderra, Judy Piercey, Danielle Pedersen, ’95, Roger Showley, ’70 

UCSD Alumni Association Board of Directors

Executive Committee
Sheldon Engelhorn, ’72 (president), Ira Rubenstein, ’87 (president-elect), Teresa Young, ’74 (treasurer), Karen Moraghan, ’81 (secretary), Chris Arrott, ’80 (officer-at-large), Annamarie Bezzerides, ’91 (officer-at-large), Tony Fiori, ’98, (officer-at-large), 

Directors
Marc Bernard, ’79, Neville Billioria, ’82, Michelle Brega, ’93, John Edson, ’92, Karen Garsson, ’88, Tony Jackson, ’74, Joe Leventhal, ’99, John Liu, ’87, Mark Neville, ’93, Matt Newsome, ’91, Pam Palisoul, ’72, Bill Proffer, ’76 and M.S. ’78, Colette Rudd, ’73, Gregory Stein, ’83, M.B.A. ’06, Frederick Ufkes, ’79, Otis Watson, ’76, Rachel York, ’71

CRAZY TIMES AND NATTY DREAD

I attended UCSD for many of “The Angry Years.” I started with the first year of Muir College, on the Camp Matthew’s staging campus, in the fall of 1967.

I have been wondering if you have looked back at the Central Library archive of the campus newspapers for those years: The Indicator, Crazy Times, Dimension, Natty Dread, along with the Triton Times. I would particularly recommend the first two on that list for insights into “The Angry Years.”

 

Gerald Hall, Muir ’76

Editor: Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD, has a great collection of these early newspapers. Also, soon after we received Gerald’s letter, Janet Petroni, Revelle ’69, mailed us a small treasure trove of these mid ’60s newspapers (see page 45).

 

NOT-SO-ANGRY YEARS

I enjoyed the Letters to the Editor from Fred Fruchthendler and Richard Sauerheber. Their memories are my memories: “Heavy” Palcic, as photographer for the campus newspaper, once stuck a camera in my face while on the sidelines of an intramural softball game (I was a member of those DeAnza teams). A couple of years later, I sent that photo to relatives with my thenmandatory, graduation announcement— long hair, sideburns, mustache and all— I’m not sure my parents were impressed.

Speaking of late night trips to cure the munchies, how about the 2:00 a.m. runs to V.G.’s in Cardiff to get the first batch of cinnamon rolls of the day?

I also enjoyed Sylvia Tiersten’s “The Angry Years.” It was a well written article evoking more memories. An omission to the sidebar, “One Decade—Four Chancellors”—I’d like to think the UCSD Alumni Board’s vote of no-confidence played a role in convincing Chancellor McElroy that he had little continuing support in the UCSD community.

I’m also not sure Ms. Tiersten’s article was appropriately titled. While we certainly confronted societal issues that provoked strong emotions, my memories of UCSD from 1968 to 1972 are not those of anger.

 

Randy Twombly, Muir ’72 Presidents Society Member

 

REVOLUTION AND COFFEE CAKE

I just read “The Angry Years”—my years— in at | UCSD and saw your request for memorabilia for the Witness2History series.

I have some ditto sheets from the strike of 1969, a couple of copies of the UCSD Strike Daily, and an “All Cal Edition” of the UCSB paper from May 28. No clue why I kept them all these years. I was going through a box over the summer and purged quite a bit, but these pieces seemed worth saving for some reason. Or perhaps there’s another archive on campus that might be interested?

I also have, but am not willing to give up, my T-shirt silkscreened with “On Strike— Shut it Down” and a big blue fist. I love that shirt. It’s hard to believe it’s over forty years old! Yikes! Haven’t worn it since May 1969. Oh, and my letter from Mrs. Marcuse, signed by her, with a recipe for her sour cream coffee cake “to be made for radical causes only.” I was at some meeting or other and gravitated away from the political rhetoric and towards the food (I was not a good revolutionary). I must have found out she made it and asked her for the recipe. The irony is not lost on me. I’ve kept that note as a reminder that, when confusion reigns, food is comfort.

Many memories. It was a very exhilarating and strange time to be a university student.

 

Wendy Graff, Muir ’72

Editor: We thank Wendy for her memorabilia, especially the radical T-shirt and the coffee cake recipe.

CORRECTION: In our story on Genomatica in the “Entrepreneur’s” column of the September 2009 issue, we wrongly named Geno – matica’s co-founder. In fact it was Bernhard Palsson, Ph.D., the Galetti Professor of Bioengineering, who co-founded Geno – matica along with Christophe Schilling, Ph.D. ’00. We apologize to Professor Palsson for the error.

ANOMALY FACTORY

I was interested to read the letter in the September issue re: old memories. It mentioned Heavy Palcic. I was his girlfriend then and we are still in touch. He was HHH, “heavy heavy heavy,” and I was LBJ, “LittleBitJaffe” (Hubert H. Humphrey and Lyndon Baines Johnson!).

One of my oddest/fondest memories is when they finished building Muir. The center of the buildings was just dirt, not yet landscaped. So one night we had a big bonfire with, I assume, construction debris. I remember big parties, few rules and lots of dogs on campus.

Also the “fornicatorium” on Revelle quad, in response to some draconian pronouncement regarding the limitations of “24-hour visitation.” And Jef Raskin’s maze! He ended up doing documentation for Apple. He was a true visionary and genius. I took two independent study computer classes from him.

Is there still an “Anomaly Factory” in one of the old Marine base buildings? I think not, I toured there with my own son in 2004 and hardly knew the place.

 

Betsy (Jaffe) Wilson, Muir ’72

Editor: As far as we know there is no longer an “Anomaly Factory.” In fact, there are very few Marine base buildings left.

 

New site strengthens alumni community

It’s a new, online community designed just for you. Now there’s no excuse in not knowing “whatever happened to …?” You can search for, and connect with, UCSD friends, create and customize your own profile page, share and view class photos, register for events, start a blog, and much more!

Your UCSD connection is just too powerful not to use—so sign up today and connect with 130,000 alumni at alumni.ucsd.edu—it’s free!

MICHAEL HOLMES, MARSHALL ’93

Michael Holmes thought he’d be a writer or work in local government. But when he went to UCSD and became involved with Associated Students of UCSD as a student advocate and president, he realized that he wanted a career in law.

“As Student Advocate, I was the ‘student lawyer’ on campus who represented students in their disputes with the University administration and faculty,” he says, “and as a result I started to think seriously about a career in law for the first time.”

In his role as AS president, Holmes found that he had to settle many disputes between faculty and students—most notably one involving on-campus student co-ops. The University administration threatened to shut down co-ops because of the groups’ failure to buy insurance or keep the University updated with copies of their finances.

“This was unacceptable to me—the co-ops were important to students not only because they were student-run and operated, but because they provided valuable and economical services to students,” Holmes says.

With the help of AS and an attorney, Holmes helped develop a settlement agreement between the University, the co-ops, the AS and graduate students over the course of nine months.

Today, Holmes’ practice focuses on business and real property litigation, handling landlord-tenant issues and unfair business competition. He now works at Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in their downtown San Diego branch, and continues to stay connected to the University.

“I became a life member almost immediately after graduation,” Holmes says. “After all the time and energy students put into their education and campus activities, I think most want to stay connected after graduation.”

For membership information go to:
alumni.ucsd.edu/membership.

 

—Sarah Alaoui, Sixth ’12

SUSUMU TSUCHIHASHI, ERC ’01

 

Hollywood has a yen for sweets, first it was Pinkberry and Sprinkles, and now it’s Fulfilled Japanese Pastries—a company owned, incidentally, by UCSD alumnus Susumu Tsuchihashi, ERC ’01.

Tsuchihashi, who studied management science at UCSD, worked in the consulting sector for over six years before pursuing his own first entrepreneurial venture. He has made a name for himself by selling a new take on the Japanese Imagawa-yaki, a popular waffle-like pastry traditionally filled with red-bean paste. Tsuchihashi calls his version of the treat “Ima,” and the fillings range from the basic—bananas and Nutella, to the gourmet—figs, goat cheese, honey, and walnuts. There are even three savory Ima on the menu.

“Introducing a new concept to the U.S.,” he says, “I had no idea how customers were going to react to it.”

But it seems there was nothing to worry about—Ima have proven to be an instant hit in Hollywood, and the company has already catered several star-studded parties. It typically takes on large events with 150 or more people and Tsuchihashi, along with a trained team, prepare the pastries together.

Fulfilled Japanese Pastries initially served their treats in a Beverly Hills storefront, but with the onset of the recession and the catering side of the business attracting more customers, Tsuchihashi decided to reconsider his business model. He accepted the offer of a customer who wanted to take over his lease, and has now taken his business completely mobile. He misses the personal connections he established with customers in the storefront, but those same connections have helped him expand the success of his catering business model through referrals and leads.

When the business opened its storefront, there were six employees including a full-time manager. Now, all employees are on call, depending on the size of the event. Tsuchihashi’s close friends also occasionally jump in to help fill positions for large-scale events when on-call employees are unavailable.

He’s currently working closely with high-end country clubs and party planners to cater everything from bar mitzvahs to Hollywood premiers.

“I would like Ima to one day become a mainstream dish like sushi,” Tsuchihashi says.

 

—Amanda Ripley, Muir ’09

’70s

1970

Thomas Tweed, Revelle, will have his first book Beep! Beyond the Frogpond and Back published by La Jolla micro-press, Plowshare Media, in January. It is a coming-of-age novel with a surfing theme that incorporates some early UCSD history.

1972

Gregory J. Brewer, Ph.D., professor of medical microbiology, immunology and cell biology, is the recipient of the Kenneth Stark Endowed Chair in Alzheimer’s Research at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Mass.

Jean Higgens, Muir, is currently an executive producer of the ABC hit series Lost, being filmed on location in Hawaii. She won an Emmy in 2005 as producer for Lost, and has also worked as a producer on CSI: Miami. 1976

Bruce Pourciau, Ph.D., professor of mathematics at Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis., was awarded Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship in June. A member of the Lawrence faculty for 33 years, Pourciau has earned national and international recognition for his analyses of Sir Isaac Newton’s seminal work The Principia.

1977

Michael T. O’Halloran, Muir, received the 2009 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award from the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program. O’Halloran has contributed more than 1,000 hours of service for the HIV/AIDS Legal Services Project, Veterans Stand Down, and the Women’s Resource Fair.

Raymond Feist, Muir, is a successful fantasy writer who has published 28 books over the last 27 years. He has made the New York Times Bestseller list five times. His last two books have made the London Times Bestseller list. His latest release is Rides a Dread Legion.

1978

Ann K. Levine, Warren, received her Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University on May 23.

Kenneth A. Jacobson, M.S. ’78, Ph.D., was among three chemists to be inducted on August 19, 2009, into the American Chemical Society Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame in Washington D.C.

1979

Arthur F. McEvoy, Ph.D., is the 2009-2010 Paul E. Treusch Professor of Law. Widely awarded for his book, The Fisher – man’s Problem: Ecology and Law in the California Fisheries, 1895-1980, McEvoy’s writing on environmental law issues has been translated into Spanish and Russian. He is currently at work on a book on the development of modern U.S. environmental law.

Shirley K. Watkins, Muir, was selected as one of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in Southern California by Los Angeles Magazine’s “Southern California Superlawyers” for the second year in a row. She has been a lawyer since 1982 and is a partner of the Los Angeles firm, Michels & Watkins, an office that represents brain-damaged children in medical malpractice cases.

’80s

1980

Rodney S. Badger M.D., changed his career and left private practice to take a full-time faculty position as an associate professor of cardiology at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

1984

Mark Rosenbaum. Revelle, was recently hired as the new CFO of News Corp.’s MySpace. With 22 years of experience including senior financial roles at companies such as MGM, Twentieth Century Fox, and Walt Disney, just to name a few, his challenge is to help MySpace during its next steps of financial growth.

1986

Gilbert W. Lee, M.D., a plastic surgeon with 15 years of experience is owner of Changes Plastic Surgery and Spa in San Diego, and stars in the reality TV show, Addicted to Beauty, on Oxygen Network.

Stefano M. Bertozzi M.D., joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as Director of HIV on August 31, 2009. He worked with the foundation in his previous roles at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

1988

Caridad Svich M.F.A., was featured in the July/August 2009 American Theatre Magazine cover story. Not only is she a playwright and songwriter, but Svich is also a translator and editor.

Tim A. Ash Ph.D., is the president and CEO of SiteTuners and its parent company, Epic Sky. He is the author of Amazon.com e-commerce bestseller Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions. He has worked with many companies during his involvement with the Internet, including Sony Music and American Express.

’90s

1990

James S. Freeman, Third/Marshall, received five Emmy nominations for Best Sports Tease, Best Short Promo and Best Non-News Editor. He is a producer at KNBC in Los Angeles.

Linda Lee, Revelle, a broker associate with Prudential California Realty, has been named the new president of the San Diego chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors. She also volunteers at the San Diego Association of Realtors and the California Association of Realtors.

Paul Lanning, Marshall, is the president and CEO of the Foundation for California Community Colleges. He is a certified fundraising executive, a qualification that demonstrates a mastery of the field, and is held by fewer than 5,500 fundraising professionals in the world.

1991

Brooke A. Partridge, IR/PS, is the 2009 recipient of the IR/PS Outstanding Alumni Award. She is the CEO and founder of Vital Wave Consulting and works with global foundations on sustainable business models in the developing world. She has lived and worked in several developing economies including Peru, Chile and Mexico.

Gary A. Bremermann, IR/PS, developed a fundraising concept called Beer for Books (B4B) with Room to Read—an organization that helps increase childhood literacy in developing countries by donating about one dollar from every drink sold at participating venues to the cause. B4B was originally launched in Tokyo.

John C. Neustadt, Warren, along with partner Steve Pieczenik, published Foundations and Applications of Medical Biochemistry in Clinical Practice, a textbook that focuses on a revolutionary way of approaching diseases—by learning and treating the underlying biochemical causes.

Martha Fenix Diaz, Warren, is going to school at Butte College to be a respiratory therapist.

1992

Joshua D. Odintz, Revelle, recently left the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and joined the Department of the Treasury where he is the acting tax legislative counsel.

1994

Janelle J. Wang, Warren, was a guest host on Live with Regis and Kelly on August 18, 2009. She had won an online contest when viewers voted for her. Each weekday, she co-hosts the daytime talk show View from the Bay on San Francisco’s ABC 7.

1995

Emelyn Dela Pena, Revelle, is currently the director of the Women’s Center at UCSD, where she oversees the professional staff and the group of interns, as well as handling the finances and budgets for the center.

1998

Scott W. Barrow, Marshall, and Ki-Min Sung, Marshall ’99, were married on August 14, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. They met at UCSD in April 1998. Barrow is the founder and CEO of Media Hog, a file-sharing startup. Sung is the economy project editor for Public Interactive, a division of National Public Radio.

1999

Kathleen H. Rubins, Revelle, was one of nine men and women out of 3,500 applicants selected by NASA for the 2009 astronaut candidate class. She is a principal investigator and fellow at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT and conducts research trips to the Congo.

Robert G. Knaier, Muir, is an associate in the San Diego office of Latham & Watkins where he focuses primarily on mass tort litigation, business litigation and appellate practice. He has also taken on pro bono work for the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Lee Martin, Roosevelt ’99, has just produced his first CD of re-mixed children’s lullabies as a fundraiser for a non-profit foundation called the Agapetos Foundation. He hopes to raise $10,000 dollars to increase awareness of children with special needs and autism research.

’00s

2000

Kelly Kovacic, Marshall, department chair of social studies at the Preuss School in La Jolla, was awarded “Teacher of the Year” in the San Diego Unified School District in November.

P. Daniel Knott, M.D., recently won the Ira Tresley Research Award from the American Academy of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery. He is associate staff in the Department of Head and Neck Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

Stephen Cope, Ph.D., is now a member of the poetics faculty at University of Buffalo, a part-time lecturer at Ithaca College, and a member of the faculty at Bard College’s Language and Thinking program. He also has a weekly podcast of innovative, explorative, and experimental cross- cultural music.

2001

Michael Mark Azgour, Muir, a San Francisco-based artist, opened his first solo show at William Merrill Gallery in Laguna Beach on August 6. The show featured his recent abstract-figurative paintings from 2008 and 2009.

Michael J. Selgelid, Ph.D., is a senior research fellow at the Australian National University Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, which has been chosen by the World Health Organization to work on key
bioethical issues.

2002

Benjamin Lee Blanton, Marshall, was recently selected to join the 2010 Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron. He will be serving as a Blue Angel’s C-130 pilot.

Elizabeth Victoreen Coffey, ERC, married Sean Coffey on May 2, 2009. The wedding was attended by 12 of her closest UCSD friends: Kim Michaud, ’02, Kimberly Carey, ’01, Melisa Bittancourt, ’04, Meredith Haase, ’02, Meredith Abby, ’03, Erica Chan, ’02, Sara Pak, ’02, Abe Coffman, ’02, Michelle Prather, ’01, Laurent Butzbach, ’02, Caitlin Halferty, ’02, and Shannon Tracy, ’00. EMILY MORGAN Marshall, was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Costume Design for her work on Angel Eaters, a theatrical trilogy.

2003

Bjorn Barre, Muir, graduated from veterinary school at UC Davis in 2009, and is currently working in the San Diego area.

Brad Fleischer, M.F.A., starred in the play Gruesome Playground Injuries alongside actress Selma Blair. The production opened Friday, October 16, and ran through Sunday, November 15, at the Neuhaus in Houston, Texas.

2004

Ben Winkler-Mccue Roosevelt, works for Wildcoast, a conservation group that recently sponsored a bill that allows California to fund recycling and reuse programs for tires, discarded in Mexico.

Colin Philip Parent, Muir, a lawyer with DLA Piper LLP, was selected by San Diego Metropolitan Magazine for a 2009 “40 Under 40” Award. He was also recently appointed to the boards of the San Diego County Young Democrats and the San Diego League of Conservation Voters.

Erin E. Chamberlain, Warren, received a Juris Doctor degree from New England Law at its centennial year commencement, held at the Citi Performing Arts Center in Boston last May. She passed the Texas bar exam in July.

2005

Sarah Greenfield. ERC, M.Ed. ’06, and John Peterson, ERC, who met their freshman year at UCSD, were married in Monterey, Calif. on October 3, 2009.

Adam Toren, Marshall, was chosen by Cosmopolitan magazine to represent Illinois in their annual Cosmo Bachelors feature. He is a podiatry surgical resident.

Albert H. Fong. ERC, acts as the chief project engineer for Albiasa Corporation. He helps manage new development of utility-scale solar projects in the U.S. and oversees the billion dollar Albiasa Kingman 200 MW solar power plant project that will operate in Arizona in 2013.

Jacob Searing, M.A., IR/PS, recently started a new company, Eigo Pro, that connects Japanese people in Tokyo, who wish to learn English, to fun activities that San Diego and UCSD have to offer. He lives in Tokyo and is the current president of the Alumni Association’s Japan Chapter.

Jonathan Josephson, Marshall, had his plays performed this year at A.T.L., The Chance Theater, Wicked Lit, and The Remmy Bumpo Theater. He also recently joined Allied Live, a live entertainment marketing agency, as the Senior Account Executive.

Luke A. Oberjuerge, ERC ’05, received his M.S. in International Commerce from Valparaiso University in May 2008, and earned a commission as a United States Marine Corps officer in August 2008.

Maria Ting Ho, Marshall, was a contestant on Season 15 of CBS’s The Amazing Race. She is currently ranked 33rd in the Top 100 Women’s All Time Money list among poker players and finished 38th out of 6,358 people in the 2007 World Series of Poker Championship Event.

2006

Ben H. Rothman, Revelle, is ranked number two in the United States and 29th in the world for his croquet playing. He competed against 80 of the world’s best at the World Croquet Championship in May in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Katie Nicole Lovewell, M.Ed. and Cliff McEnery, Marshall ’04, married on September 6, in Oakland, Calif.

Todd R. Crescenzo, IR/PS, raised $4,600 during the 33-mile Holcomb Valley race in honor of IR/PS staff member, Stu Motter, who was diagnosed with two inoperable brain tumors.

2007

Caleb D. Levengood M.F.A., was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Set Design for his work on Angel Eaters, a theatrical trilogy.

THOMAS MORRIS, MARSHALL ’99

 

When corporate life begins to grind down the soul, some people turn to another kind of sole—shoes.

Although Thomas Morris, Marshall ’99, had a position at HP that allowed him to travel the world, he was craving human interaction—something more personal and fulfilling than giving Powerpoint presentations for businesses in India. His solution? He left his job to start myCATS, an eco-friendly shoe company that uses the proceeds from each purchase to plant 10 trees in rural, needy communities.

“Planting just a few trees can make a huge positive impact—from attracting bees to controlling soil erosion and improving its fertility,” Morris says. “More importantly, it allows the people in those areas to create self-sustaining communities.”

The shoes have chic European styling and are handmade in Spain, from natural materials. With jute or natural rubber soles and blended cotton and linen uppers, they are casually comfortable. The styles reflect the trendy Catalan heritage of Barcelona, Spain—hence the name, myCAT or my Catalonia shoes. The company was launched in mid 2009, with $75,000, two co-founders, one designer, and three sales people in the United States and in Europe. They estimate that sales for 2010 will be approximately $250,000.

The product and cause caught the eye of British designer Simon Spurr, who approached Morris when he was looking for men’s espadrilles for his Spring 2010 line. On the runway, during September 2009’s New York Fashion Week, the shoes were praised for their versatility as well as comfort and durability.

Jessica Kiuhan, Muir ’99, had also had her fair share of corporate life having worked for 14 years in sales. When Morris sent out a mass Facebook message announcing his new business, she tried them, was amazed at how comfortable they are, and is now the national sales director of myCAT shoes.

“I feel very fortunate to have been able to develop a business model that includes tree planting,” Morris says. “It not only helps clean the air we all breathe, but directly helps the rural communities who do the planting by raising their standard of living.”

 

—Sarah Alaoui, Sixth, ‘12

Those Who Studied Before . . .

Celebrate the extraordinary achievements of fellow alumni.

Take a stroll through campus and view the UCSD Alumni Association’s “Walk the Walk” banner campaign. The blue and gold banners are on view in a number of areas, including Library Walk (Gilman Drive to Geisel Library) and “Town Square” the terminus of Myers Drive adjacent to Price Center East and the Chancellor’s admin – istrative complex.

such as Gary Jacobs, ’79, founder of San Diego’s High Tech High, Rusty Preisendorfer, ’78, of Rusty Surfboards, J. Craig Venter, ’72, Ph.D. ’75, recipient of the 2009 National Medal of Science and first to map the human genome, and Marcia McNutt, Ph.D ’78, recently appointed director of the U.S. Geological Survey.

“Walk the Walk” celebrates over 30 alumni and continues to grow, so come on back to campus and learn more about our growing community of prominent alumni.

For a complete list of alumni featured in Walk the Walk, visit alumni.ucsd.edu/walkthewalk