ARCS San Diego 2025 Scientist of the Year Celebration

Each year the ARCS Foundation, San Diego Chapter, a non-profit organization led entirely by women, hosts a Scientist of the Year fundraiser to honor a preeminent local scientist. This year’s honoree, Dr. Rob Knight, has dedicated his career to the study of microbiomes–the microorganisms that live in the environment and the human body. His research is relevant for a wide range of practical applications, and his affiliations on campus reflect the deep interdisciplinary nature of his work.

Knight is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the UC San Diego School of Medicine; and a professor in the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, where he is also the founding director of the UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation. Also at UC San Diego, Knight is affiliated with the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI) and the Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM).

ARCS San Diego invites you to join them for a celebration of science and scientists that is set for Sunday, April 13 (4-8 p.m.) at The Conrad Performing Arts Center in La Jolla.

In addition to honoring Dr. Knight, the program will pay tribute to this year’s ARCS Scholars – all 50 of them – along with distinguished ARCS Scholar alumna, Dr. Kathryn Patras, Assistant Professor of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

All funds raised at this event will support future ARCS Scholars. Through their research, these talented Scholars make outstanding contributions to advance science and keep America competitive on the global stage, which is the ARCS mission. ARCS San Diego has put together an exciting program for its signature event.

For program details and to register, go to: https://san-diego.arcsfoundation.org/

About ARCS: The ARCS Foundation (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists), a national organization with 15 chapters across the country, provides financial awards to promising graduate students who are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and medical research. Since its inception in 1985, the San Diego Chapter of ARCS has given more than $12.8 million to support graduate students at four local institutions: UCSD, SDSU, USD, and Scripps Research.