DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
As the U . S . Navy ’ s Oceanographer , Rear Admiral TIM GALLAUDET , M . S . ’ 91 , Ph . D . ’ 01 , leads the world ’ s most powerful military in addressing one the most critical issues of our time : climate change . With an exemplary career of science meeting service , Gallaudet applies the keen scientific understanding he developed at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego ( SIO ) to make the U . S . Navy a force for global impact .
The Navy has always been a constant in Gallaudet ’ s life . The son of a naval intelligence officer , Gallaudet studied oceanography at the U . S . Naval Academy and subsequently served as an officer in several afloat tours while earning master ’ s and Ph . D . degrees from SIO in 1991 and 2001 , respectively . Gallaudet rose through the ranks and in 2009 was named the deputy director of the Navy ’ s Task Force Climate Change , during which his leadership brought the Navy to the fore of our world ’ s climate change reality .
Gallaudet ’ s professionalism , loyalty and excellence earned him several decorations and awards , from his 2003 Commander , Naval Air Forces Leadership Award to his instrumental role in creating a strong partnership between Naval Oceanography and Naval Special Forces ( SEALs ). Currently , Gallaudet heads the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command in conjunction with his roles as the senior oceanographer and navigator of the Navy . Within these posts , Gallaudet is a key advisor to the chief of naval operations and a senior leader in an array of issues ranging from national ocean policy to meteorology and climate change .
As Gallaudet continues to apply his oceanographic experience and scientific understanding to making the Navy a force for global change , he credits Scripps as the place where he learned to think critically . “ I learned not only how to address complex problems , understand them and develop solutions , but also how to communicate the method , strategy and results effectively . That ’ s something I use on a daily basis . You have to take all your hard , complex science and communicate what you learned and why it matters . I regularly use all that I learned during my dissertation defense , just on a higher level .”
— Brandon Yu , Muir ’ 16
“ Everyone involved is so fascinated by their work ; for those who love to learn , UC San Diego is like heaven .”
San Diego City Council President SHERRI LIGHTNER , REVELLE ’ 72 , M . S . ’ 78 , a licensed mechanical engineer turned public official , believes that you sometimes need to break things to make them better . “ If you don ’ t break something , you don ’ t know if you have an optimized design ,” says Lightner . “ I ’ m an engineer . We make things work , we solve problems .”
Seamlessly combining her engineering background with public service , Lightner has also broken barriers . Representing District One , she is the first female engineer to serve on the San Diego City Council , as well as the first female Council President . A leader in civic engagement , Lightner has served on multiple community planning organizations and committees .
She was the first official to develop a comprehensive water policy in order to provide San Diego with an affordable and sustainable water supply . She led the effort to establish the Economic Development Committee in 2011 , then served as Chair for over 4 years .
Lightner hadn ’ t always imagined that her career would lead her to City Council and the opportunity to be impactful and affect such profound change . What started with a simple passion for community service — beginning with the Girl Scouts , Boy Scouts and La Jolla Shores Association — would later evolve into a much grander ambition of addressing the city ’ s most pressing concerns .
22 TRITON | SPRING 2016