Meet the Speakers!
Take a look at our wonderful panel of distinguished speakers for the Spark 2021 Conference!
STEM SPEAKERS
DR. LIHINI ALUWIHARE
Professor of Marine Chemistry, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD
Lihini Aluwihare serves as a Professor of Marine Chemistry and the current Head of the Earth Section at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), UCSD. She majored in Chemistry and Philosophy at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, and completed her PhD in the Joint Program in Oceanography at MIT (Boston, MA) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Woods Hole, MA). She studies the chemical structure of geochemically altered biomolecules in the ocean and the stories of inter microorganism interactions, chemical element cycling, and ocean transport that are written into those structures. Her world view is influenced by her lived experiences in Sri Lanka, Zambia, the UK, and the US. Over the last 10 years she has also been working to counter the structural barriers within academia that oppose equity in higher education. She has been running a lab and teaching at SIO since 2000, and she lives in La Jolla, with her husband, 11 year old son, and three dogs.
DR. TRACEY KISER
Assistant Professor of Mathematics at San Diego City College
Dr. Tracey Kiser is a first-generation high school graduate and the only person in her family to graduate from college. Education was her way out of her neighborhood, which was infested with drugs, gangs, and hopelessness. For this reason, she has focused on education and academic success. Education is extremely important to her. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics, a Single-Subject Teaching Credential in Mathematics, a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction, a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics Education, and a Doctor of Education degree to address, what she perceives to be, a lack of support for low income and minority students who are struggling academically. She is a Mathematics Professor at San Diego City College as well as the Math Center Director. She wants to gain a deeper understanding of teaching and learning, expand her knowledge of mathematics education, and help close the academic achievement gap in mathematics by deepening mathematical understanding of students at-promise.
DR. MALHAR PATEL
Cardiologist at Scripps
Malhar Patel, MD, is a cardiologist specializing in coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, geriatric cardiology and the use of pacemakers and defibrillators. Dr. Patel serves as the Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program director in charge of training cardiologists.
He believes care should be customized to each patient, crafting a plan based on their needs, values and personal choices. Dr. Patel believes his job as a physician is to educate patients so they are empowered to make the most educated decisions possible.
DR. HENRIK CHRISTENSEN
Chair of Robot Systems at Qualcomm, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, UCSD
Dr. Henrik I. Christensen is the Qualcomm Chancellor's Chair of Robot Systems and a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at UCSD. He is also the director of the Contextual Robotics Institute. He does research on robotics and artificial intelligence - research that has been adopted by companies such as Boeing and General Motors.
Dr. Christensen has also co-founded a number of companies including ROBO Global and Robust.AI. He serves as an advisor to numerous companies and agencies across four continents.
A fellow of the IEEE and AAAS, he was awarded the “Joseph Engelberger Award,” the highest honor awarded by the industry, and named “Boeing Supplier of the Year” in 2011. His work and research have been featured in CNN, BBC, The New York Times, Financial Times, and Bloomberg.
DR. BRANDON PIERCE
Private Practice Dentist
With both his parents as dentists, Dr. Brandon Pierce has been around dentistry all of his life. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Science from Brigham Young University, Dr. Pierce was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry and earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery . He was awarded the Academy of Operative Dentistry Award for Excellence in Operative Dentistry upon graduation.
DR. DENNIS ANDRADE
Family Medicine Physician, Medical Missions Leader
Dr. Dennis Andrade is a family medicine specialist at Kaiser Permanente and provides care for younger families. He believes in not only treating but also preventing health problems. He’s an administrative faculty member for the family medicine residency program, and holds a faculty appointment at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Dr. Andrade is also co-director of the Global Health Program at Kaiser Permanente.
Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Global Health Program was founded in 2014 to promote interest and active participation in the global health care arena.
The Global Health Program strives to enhance the awareness of medical issues and needs throughout the world, especially among underserved populations, and to facilitate the direct involvement of Kaiser Permanente resident physicians in addressing those concerns.
The Global Health Program seeks to help Kaiser Permanente resident physicians gain a perspective on the special challenges of providing good medical care across cultural boundaries, both at home and abroad.
The Global Health Program aims to bring an increased familiarity and appreciation of the human condition around the world to the Kaiser Permanente community and its future physicians.
BUSINESS SPEAKERS
ERIK TAPPIN
Institutional Consulting Director, Corporate Retirement Director at Morgan Stanley
Erik K. Tappin is a Corporate Retirement Director and part of Morgan Stanley’s elite Graystone Consulting division in the Carlsbad, California office. He has spent over 24 years with Morgan Stanley in the Carlsbad office and previously served as the Co-Chair of the firm’s Retirement Plans Advisory Board. Mr. Tappin spends most of his time providing fiduciary consulting to Mid-Large market organizations.
Mr. Tappin has been named “Top 401 Advisors” by Financial Times for the past 5 years and “Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisors” by Plan Advisor Magazine multiple times in the last few years. In 2009, he was named one of the top 300 most influential 401k advisors in the US by 401k Wire and again in 2010 making the elite Top 60 group in the nation.
ROB JAFEK
Professor of Finance USD & UC Berkeley, Manager of multiple investment firms
Robert Jafek is currently a Principal at Boomerang Capital Partners and has been involved in all phases of Boomerang’s development since its inception. He started his career as an investment banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley and went on to hold various principal investing roles including Head of International Trading for Nicholas Applegate Capital Management and Analyst and Portfolio Manager at Tiger Management. Eventually he has founded and managed two highly successful alternative investment firms: Plumeria Advisors and Torrey Pines Capital Management and now Boomerang Capital Partners. He received a BA in Finance from The University of Utah and a Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from HEC Paris. He also teaches business and finance at the university level, with his current position being an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley Law.
JULIE CAMPAGNA
Senior Human Resource Manager Southern CA & the Heartland at FedEx Office
I am a driven Human Resource professional who is also passionate about food, nutrition, Yoga and Pilates. I care about people's wellness and how they can live a balanced and engaged life. My strengths lie in strategic planning, relationship building and communication.I wake up thinking about my next meal and I love to eat.
LAW & SOCIAL JUSTICE SPEAKERS
WILLIAM COLE
Trial attorney & former federal prosecutor
William P. Cole is an experienced trial attorney and former federal prosecutor, Mr. Cole focuses his practice on complex business litigation, class action defense, and unfair competition claims, intellectual property litigation, employment-related disputes, white collar criminal matters and investigations, false advertising claims, and all aspects of trial advocacy
For 13 years, Mr. Cole was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, where he served as Chief of the National Security and Cybercrimes Section, Chief of the Criminal Division, and then First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Recognized for his trial advocacy, Mr. Cole handled some of the nation’s most significant cases and received the FBI Director’s Award. The Department of Justice also twice awarded him one of its highest honors: the Director’s Award – once for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney; and once for Superior Performance by a Litigation Team.
COLIN CORNFORTH
U.S. History Teacher
Hello, my name is Colin Cornforth and I am currently a teacher at Torrey Pines High School. I was born and raised in Oceanside, CA and have lived here most of my life. While at Oceanside High, I took almost every AP class available and also competed as a member of the Cross country, Track, Tennis, and Basketball teams. I enrolled at UC Berkeley as a Molecular Cell Biology Major but finished with a B.A. in History with a minor in Italian Studies. I taught math and history, and coached cross country and track in the Anaheim Unified School District and have taught history and AVID in the San Dieguito District. I also work at REI, an outdoor/camping/action sports store. The common thread for all those things is my desire to pursue and thrive doing things I love and find joy in. My classroom, whether digital or in person, is designed to be a place where students can interact in a safe and supportive environment. I thoroughly enjoy using interactive and engaging activities to help make history relevant and enjoyable for all my students.
I feel honored to be able to participate in the Spark Conference and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to speak and hear from the other amazing speakers.
MAGISTRATE JUDGE ALLISON GODDARD
Federal judge for the Southern District of California
Allison Goddard is a federal magistrate judge for the Southern District of California. Magistrate judges are appointed by the district court and run much of the day-to-day operations of federal court, including presiding over arraignments, detention hearings and change of pleas in criminal cases. Magistrates also help keep civil cases on track, managing the progress and helping mediate disputes.
Previous to this, she was a civil litigator who represented employees and consumers in class action lawsuits, as well as patent holders in intellectual property disputes. For example, she helped obtain a $5 million settlement against San Diego State University and was also the lead attorney representing more than 80 women in a lawsuit against Sharp Grossmont Hospital.
Goddard has been active in the legal community, including serving as president of the San Diego chapter of the Federal Bar Association in 2009 and as a lawyer representative for the Southern District of California from 2011 to 2013.