E.W. Scripps Associates Toast 20th Anniversary

A breezy fall evening set against a picturesque sunset view from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego’s newest building set the stage for the 20th anniversary of a pioneering support group.

The E.W. Scripps Associates, an organization of Scripps donors who support the institution’s global research and education initiatives, toasted two decades on Oct. 10 during an evening reception at the Marine Ecosystem Sensing, Observation, and Modeling Laboratory (MESOM), a cutting edge facility where Scripps scientists are developing new ideas to address the planet’s pressing environmental challenges.

The event also served as an introduction to new Scripps Director Margaret Leinen, who assumed her new post 10 days prior to the event.

“I’m now into my second week as director of this wonderful institution and I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening than with Scripps’s generous and enthusiastic supporters, especially at this brand-new laboratory building, where new innovations and exciting discoveries are already happening,” said Leinen.

Leinen acknowledged the groundbreaking research now housed in MESOM, from marine ecosystem observations off the California coast to cutting edge climate change research and key air-sea interactions.

Prior to touring the new laboratory building and learning about its research first-hand from Scripps scientists, EWSA Steering Committee Chair Megan Bailiff thanked members for their longtime support, which has generated more than $2.5 million for E.W. Scripps Associates. Collectively, E.W. Scripps Associates members have cummulatively given over $20 million to support Scripps. Scripps Executive Director of Development Stu Krantz highlighted member support over the past 20 years.

“Scripps plays an important role in helping solve some of the most important and challenging environmental problems facing our planet,” said Krantz. “Plus, we train the next generation of environmental leaders and we have been doing this for over 110 years. Private support such as yours has been a mainstay for Scripps since its founding. Private support can, and does, make a significant impact on our efforts.”

The MESOM building tour included:

•     Grant Deane and the Innovative Marine Technology Lab, where guests learned about instrumentation to study underwater acoustics, small-scale physical oceanography, and biological oceanography.
•     David Checkley and his colleagues, who gave an overview of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI), one of the world’s premier ocean observation programs.
•     Lisa Levin and the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, a trailblazing program that provides research and undergraduate training that unites natural and social scientists with government, industry, and conservation collaborators to find solutions to complex environmental issues.

Related Image Gallery: E.W. Scripps Associates 20th Anniversary Celebration