Officers and Directors

ARCS Northern California Chapter

Governance

An elected board of directors, all volunteers, oversees all aspects of the Northern California Chapter of ARCS Foundation (ARCS Foundation NCC). At monthly board meetings, the work and progress of the committees are discussed. Officers of the Northern California Board include president, immediate past president or first vice president, secretary and vice presidents. Councils include: Communications, Development, Major Events, Membership, Scholar Relations, Science Activities, and University Relations.

The fiscal year is July 1 –June 30, with the annual meeting each May. The year’s largest events are the fall Scholar Awards Celebration and the spring Symposium, featuring that year's ARCS Scholars.

Board of Directors

President Immediate Past President	Elizabeth Callander MJ Whitehouse, MD
Secretary	Debjani Sen
Vice President, Finance/Treasurer	Peggy Newton
Co-Vice Presidents, Development	Meghan DeGroot, Heidi Huchberger
Vice President, Membership	Katy Hope
Co-Vice Presidents, University Relations	Chris Simpson Brent, Leslie Van Houten
Co-Vice Presidents, Communications	Glennie Eisele, Francie Osthimer
Co-Vice Presidents, Science Activities	Deborah Mann, Judy Webster
Co-Vice Presidents, Scholar Relations	Jerry DiVecchio, Jennifer Garrison
Co-Vice Presidents, Major Events	Kris Forbes, Deborah Mann

Advisor at Large, Ad Hoc	Jane Gardner

Heather Shaddox, University of California, Santa Cruz
“I am thrilled, honored and very appreciative to be selected as a recipient of this generous ARCS Award. I am a first-generation college student without familial support to pursue higher education. I am interested in slow offshore earthquakes and in using seismology to detect and study oceanic internal gravity waves. The former is important for seismic hazard and the latter is very new research and key for climate models.”
Vera Belaia, University of California, Berkeley
“As an undergraduate, I researched climate-change-related shifts of precipitation patterns to help update the Maryland State Highway Administration’s requirements for roadway designs. This experience … opened my eyes to the kind of large scale, real world problems that environmental engineering research can solve. I am excited to continue my involvement in the field of environmental engineering, and more specifically environmental fluid mechanics and hydrology, as I work towards my PhD at Berkeley by using numerical methods to research sea level rise. Your support has made this step in my research career and my move to California possible.”
Van Le, San Francisco State University
“Please know that your financial support really made a difference in my study as it allowed me to afford the necessary upgrade to my computer system to transition to the online platform and continue my educational research in collaboration with my instructors to completion … I successfully defended my thesis and completed my Masters program on 7/27/2020. I am looking forward to continuing my research in the biomedical field and working to help in the fight against infectious diseases.”
Peter Sariano, University of California, Davis
“I just wanted to reach out during these difficult times to let you know how impactful the ARCS [award] has been for the productivity of my research. Before the lab was put on lockdown due to the shelter in place, I was able to perform one final experiment that supports my hypothesis that breast cancer may be able to prevent monocytes from killing the tumor. This experiment would not have been possible without your support, and when I am able to get back into the lab once the Covid-19 situation becomes contained, I will continue working hard to expand on these results. The outcome of this study may reveal new therapeutic targets for treating breast cancer.”
Lauren Lahey, Stanford University
“As an ARCS scholar, I have been given gifts that are precious to all scientists: financial means, intellectual flexibility, and, of course, time. These resources are what have allowed me to investigate the scientific matters that I am passionate about investigating. Without the ARCS award, I would have spent a minimum of two months preparing fellowship applications to procure my own funding. Instead, I was able to perform the experiments that were crucial to solving the many puzzling aspects of my research questions.”
Manuela Richter, University of California, San Francisco
“It is an honor to receive this ARCS recognition, to meet others equally passionate about STEM, and most of all to be able to continue contributing to science in the field I love. With this award, I am able to cover basic expenses during my time as a graduate student, allowing me to dedicate myself fully to my research. Additionally, ARCS is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other scholars and donors who share my excitement for science and education. Thank you, again, for your generosity.”