Lisa (Tolman) von Biela ’80

genesis_code-book coverLisa (Tolman) von Biela ’80 graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2009 and is currently a civil legal aid attorney in Seattle.  She has served on the editorial board of the American Bar Association’s The SciTech Lawyer since 2009.  She is very excited to report that her debut novel, a biotech technothriller entitled The Genesis Code, will be released in May 2013 in paperback, digital, and limited edition signed hardcover.  Lisa is already working on her second novel, The Janus Legacy.

Suzanne Hendrich ’76

Suzanne Hendrich croppedSuzanne Hendrich ’76 earned her PhD in Nutrition from UC Berkeley in 1985.  She is now University Professor, Food Science & Human Nutrition, at Iowa State University where she has been on the faculty since 1987 and currently serves as faculty senate president. Her research is on gut bacteria/nutrition interactions that may prevent inflammatory bowel disease and diarrheal diseases in general, focusing on dietary fibers and caffeic acids.  Dr. Hendrich teaches mostly in the area of food toxicology, and leads a USDA higher education grant helping students and faculty develop growth mindsets and scientific thinking as they explore problems related to world hunger.  She also advises an organization that runs a food pantry for students on campus, based on student volunteer effort.

Richard R. Cicinelli ’68, MD ’72

Richard Cicinelli ’68 graduated as a Zoology major from UCLA and completed his medical studies here in 1972.  He went on to earn a specialization in psychiatry at UCSF in 1976, and is currently in private practice in Redwood City, California, where he specializes in substance abuse, concurrent disorders, and recovery.  Dr. Cicinelli fondly remembers being a student in the very first ecology class offered at UCLA.

Ivan De La Torre ’07

Ivan De La TorreIvan De La Torre ’07 recently graduated from San Francisco State University (August 2012) with a Master’s Degree in Biology (Physiology and Behavior).  He was on a Federal grant (NIH MA/PhD Bridge to the Future).  He is now returning to the medical side, taking a revolutionary position with the UCLA Health System as a “Patient Champion.”

Bilquees Akhtar ’06

Bilquees Akhtar ’06 is Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Puma Biotechnology, Inc., in the Los Angeles area.  She has received a Master’s in Public Health from CSU Northridge this spring.  After graduating from UCLA, Bilquees started working for Cougar Biotechnology, Inc.  She was working in the Regulatory Affairs department for a submission of late stage drugs for the treatment of prostate cancer.  In July 2009, J&J acquired Cougar.  She continues to manage and compile submissions of the New Drug Application for prostate cancer that was approved by the FDA in April 2010.

Marina Khubesrian ’89

From The Armenian Reporter, December 16th, 2011: Marina Khubesrian ’89 Biology, ’92 MD, took the oath of office as a new City Council member at South Pasadena’s City Council meeting on December 7th, 2011. She has served as the medical director of the Glendale Adventist Alcohol and Drug Services (GAADS) and is the associate director of the Family Medicine Residency Program. Her private practice is now in Montrose where she specializes in Family Medicine.

Paul I. Terasaki ’50

Paul I. Terasaki ’50 (Zoology), ’52 MA (Zoology), and ’56 PhD (Zoology), has been honored with the Edward A. Dickson Alumnus of the Year award and the UCLA Medal, the University’s highest honor. In 2010, he and his wife, Hisako, gave $50 million to the UCLA Division of Life Sciences for construction of the Terasaki Life Sciences Building, with 33 state-of-the-art laboratories.