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Telomeres & Aging
Mar. 30, 2018
Please join us Friday for a talk from our very own Jerry Torrance. Jerry has been dedicating the last year to studying aging and longevity, culling research from lots of talks at Stanford and some very active academic literature. With the graying of America, this is a subject of increasing attention, based on significant scientific progress, with a realistic hope for spectacular breakthroughs in our understanding and even treatment of aging. Certainly in the past aging and longevity have been associated with snake oil, a fountain of youth, health food, etc., but in the last 10 years, things have changed. For example, in 2015 Scientific American published a special edition entitled "Secrets of Staying Young, The Science of Healthy Aging". Even the FDA, for the first time ever, has recognized "Aging" as a disease that can be treated and hence can be subjected to a trial (never before) and such a trial has begun. What is a telomere, and what does it do? Like they say, it is quite complicated. In 1933, Barbara McClintock, a distinguished American cytogeneticist and the first woman to receive an unshared Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, observed that the chromosomes lacking end parts became "sticky" and hypothesized the existence of a special structure at the chromosome tip that would maintain chromosome stability. This structure at the end of chromosomes that protects the chromosome is the telomere. Elizabeth Blackburn, who studied the telomere, co-discovered telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes the telomere. For this work, she was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Telomerase increases the length of one’s telomeres. Presumably exercise, as an example, affects the body chemistry in such a way as to increase the telomerase levels. What is measured is the resulting increase in telomere length. Most of the workers in the field are trying to understand the chemical pathways behind this, but Jerry has been concentrating on the solid measurements of the length and what factors change it. It has been shown that our telomere length is a direct measure of our biological age (and not our “chronological age”) and is directly correlated with our longevity. For example, the difference in longevity between female and males is quantitatively accounted for by the corresponding difference in the length of their telomeres. They are relatively easy to measure (infinitely easier to measure than longevity) and an increasing number of studies are emerging demonstrating the quantitative relation between telomere length (and hence longevity) and stress, exercise, obesity, sleep, smoking, and various factors of our diet. Jerry will summarize these results to help us understand how to increase (or decrease) our longevity. |
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Self-driving Cars
Apr. 06, 2018
Please join us Friday to learn more about the future of self-driving cars from our speaker Sudha Jamthe. Sudha is one of the instructors Hal Louchheim works with at Stanford Continuing Studies, and she is deeply engaged in the topic of autonomous vehicles and disruption of the automotive industry. 30 self-driving car pilots from Silicon Valley technology companies, startups, and global car manufacturers are redefining the future of human mobility. We are on the cusp of a revolution in the automotive industry, which will usher in new business models, new vehicle designs, and the transformation of other related industries—energy, freight, insurance, infrastructure, and beyond. Sudha has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science Engineering from S.R.M. Engineering College and a M.B.A. from Boston University. . She is the CEO of IoTDisruptions.com and a globally recognized thought leader at the junction of IoT (Internet of Things) and Autonomous Vehicles. She brings twenty years of digital transformation experience from building organizations, shaping new technology ecosystems and mentoring leaders at eBay, PayPal, Harcourt, and GTE. She teaches the IoT Business course and "The Business of Self-Driving Cars" Course at Stanford Continuing Studies Program and enjoys mentoring industry professionals to shape emerging technology ecosystems. She advises corporate and city leaders on regional economic development using technology with a focus on innovation gaps and social equality. Sudha is the author of '2030 The Driverless World' about the junction of Autonomous cars and Cognitive IoT. She is the author of three other IoT books, 'IoT Disruptions,' 'IoT Disruptions 2020' and 'The Internet of Things Business Primer'. She is the producer of 'The IoT Show' on YouTube. Sudha is a champion for STEM programs and 'Girls Who Code,' and hosts mentor programs for kids. |
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New Member Talks
Apr. 13, 2018
You will be in luck on Friday when you join us for one of our favorite programs: New Member Talks. This time around we will hear from two wonderful additions: Darren Halford & Mia Howard. As a third culture kid, new member Mia Howard has lived in almost as many places as years she has been alive, before putting roots down in Palo Alto. With a passion for fitness, she is now the operations manager at SBM Fitness, running their corporate locations. She fell in love with Pilates and is an instructor in her free time to be able to work with clients to change their perception of movement and their relationship with their bodies. Mia studied Political Science at American University in Washington D.C. She also enjoys hiking, camping swimming, reading, baking, and board games. As you will remember, we had Darren Halford as a speaker last September when he was Hacking for Defense. Now we get to hear some more of his background, hopefully including a stint as a Cornell University Football Middle Linebacker and Defensive End on a team that won the 1988 Ivy League Football Championship. Being a guitar player for appropriately unheralded bands in college and Salt Lake City, Utah. He is a hobbyist artist who enjoys painting and drawing. A Star Wars fan from day one, and U2 music fan for 30 years before flying the U-2 aircraft. Maybe we will hear more about being a Special Operations pilot qualified to perform Fulton surface-to-air recovery balloon pickups as seen in the movies “The Green Berets” and “Thunderball”, or flying the rescue plane in the Harrison Ford movie “Air Force One.” And of course being a U-2 high-altitude spy plane pilot, and commanding worldwide U-2 operations as a Colonel. |
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Apr. 18, 2018 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
YCS with YCS staff has organized five different projects for Terman students after school, four on campus, and one nearby. There are indoor and outdoor projects, one with Canopy planting trees on the Terman campus.
Adult volunteers are YCS staff, parents, teachers, and hopefully, YOU.
Please let me know if you are able to assist. Students are 11 to 14 years.
PARTICIPATION REQUIRES AT LEAST COMPLETION OF THE ROTARY ONLINE YOUTH TRAININGS
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Tres Amigos en El Salvador
Apr. 20, 2018
Palo Alto University Rotary Club has been working in El Salvador for over thirteen years. PAUR developed a plan to work in El Salvador, a country underserved by the international community that would be easy to access on a regular basis. Projects in El Salvador are focused in the areas of health, education and economic development. Over the years PAUR has found that by having a mission where we stay the course in one community we can have develop good relationships which leads to material impact on the people we serve, raising their standard of living from the bottom of the economic scale. Along the way, PAUR has developed key relationships with the in-country partners. One key relationship is with El Salvador North America Village Network, Inc. (ESNA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit based out of Iowa. Together with other Rotary clubs, we have been working on village development in Caluco/Las Trincheras. Projects range from building a maternal health clinic, to providing mobile medical and dental clinics, to rehabilitating the local school, to sending kids to high school, to providing adequate water supply. Ultimately, this is a story of hope and transformation which we believe we can replicate one community at a time. As the sense of hope has nurtured over the years, we have watched community leaders emerge and the residents engage in long range planning. By educating the next generation at the same time, we aim to break the cycle of poverty. Our three speakers will include: Alvaro Carias, the ESNA El Salvador Director. Alvaro was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador. During the civil war, he worked with refugees in the outskirts of his city, helping them build their houses and developing literacy programs for children and adults. After earning his degree in English, Alvaro joined the Center for Exchange and Solidarity (CIS) in El Salvador where he taught Spanish to US, Canadian, and English students for twelve years using Popular Education techniques with a participatory method. In addition to teaching Spanish, Alvaro has led groups from the US and Canada, facilitating cross-cultural experiences for those interested in developing an understanding of the social, cultural, political, and economic realities of El Salvador. His work has helped participants from the First World explore Third World culture and issues. He has accompanied and translated for doctors, dentists, nurses and volunteers from the US who come to provide free medical and dental consultation to small rural villages. Guillermo Fernando Sensente, ESNA Project Director. Born and raised in Sonsonate City, El Salvador, Guillermo traveled with his family to Santa Cruz, California, where he lived for 10 years. After quickly learning English and standing out in soccer, he graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 2003. Not being able to attend his dream School – Santa Clara University – Guillermo followed his family as they returned back to El Salvador in 2005. Guillermo’s family quickly got involved in various community projects and his father, Guillermo Sr. was elected Mayor for his home town, Santo Domingo de Guzman. Guillermo has been doing non-profit work since 2010 and is also part of another successful non-profit by the name of Tools for Opportunity – which provides training, support and tools to low income woodworkers. Guillermo shows great dedication and passion for his people and is a valuable asset at ESNA Village Network. Guillermo graduated from Law School in 2013, from University of Sonsonate, El Salvador. He has taken tourism courses by Ministry of Tourisms and is bilingual in English and Spanish. Currently, Guillermo is learning to speak Nahuat, a Mayan descendant language. Patrick O'Regan is our PAUR International Committee Chair 2016 – 18. In his spare time Patrick is an attorney, educator and entrepreneur. Patrick has a B.S. from Brown University, a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University, School of Law, an MBA from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and an LLM in Innovation, Technology and the Law, from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland). Patrick is an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco, in the School of Management. Patrick has taught courses in Entrepreneurial Management, Entrepreneurial Finance, and Entrepreneurial Leadership, and a published author on intellectual property law. Patrick also coaches a team of USF MBA students for the Venture Capital Investment Competition. Patrick has also taught modules and mentored entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley Immersion Program. |
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Apr. 23, 2018 7:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Student leaders are members of the YCS-Interact Club that our club sponsors. YCS staff has organized 15 different locations throughout our community. Adult volunteers are YCS staff, parents, teachers and YOU. You are there to support and assist, not to lead the students or the project. Students 14 to 18 years.
7:30 to 9:15A M Help with Registration
9:00 to 12:00 noon Help with on-campus service project booths
8:00 AM to 2:00P M Two adults accompany student leaders at one of 15 service sites - ranger or volunteer coordinator provides orientation and direction for volunteers
Sites needing chaperones (8:00AM - 2:00PM)
Gamble Gardens, Grassroots Ecology at Cooley Landing, Half Moon Bay beach, Creative Montessori, Blossom Birth, Baylands Open Space.
PARTICIPATION REQUIRES AT LEAST COMPLETION OF THE ROTARY ONLINE YOUTH TRAININGS |
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North Korea and the Nuclear Question
Apr. 27, 2018
Palo Alto University Rotary Club will be privileged to hear from Dr. Siegfried Hecker this Friday. Dr. Hecker is a professor emeritus (research) in the Department of Management Science and Engineering and a senior fellow emeritus at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford. He first came to Stanford as a visiting professor in 2005. In 2007 he became co-director of the Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) in the FSI and held this post until 2012. From 1986 to 1997, Dr. Hecker served as the fifth Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Hecker is an internationally recognized expert in plutonium science, global threat reduction, and nuclear security. Having taken multiple trips to North Korea, Dr. Hecker feels that since his first visit to North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex in 2004, he has witnessed the country’s nuclear weapons program grow from a handful of primitive bombs to a formidable nuclear arsenal that represents one of America’s greatest security threats. After decades of broken policies toward Pyongyang, talking to the North Koreans is the best option for the Trump administration at this late date to limit the growing threat. Dr. Hecker’s current research interests include plutonium science, nuclear weapons policy, nuclear security, and the safe and secure expansion of nuclear energy. Over the past 25 years, he has fostered cooperation with the Russian nuclear laboratories to secure and safeguard the vast stockpile of ex-Soviet fissile materials. Dr. Hecker’s research projects at CISAC focus on reducing the risks of nuclear terrorism worldwide and the challenges of nuclear India, North Korea, Pakistan, and the nuclear aspirations of Iran. In June 2016, the Los Alamos Historical Society published two volumes edited by Dr. Hecker. The works, titled Doomed to Cooperate, document the history of Russian-U.S. laboratory-to-laboratory cooperation since 1992. Dr. Hecker joined Los Alamos National Laboratory as graduate research assistant and postdoctoral fellow before returning as technical staff member following a tenure at General Motors Research. He led the laboratory's Materials Science and Technology Division and Center for Materials Science before serving as laboratory director from 1986 through 1997, and senior fellow until July 2005. Among his professional distinctions, Dr. Hecker is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. His achievements have been recognized with the Presidential Enrico Fermi Award and the 2018 National Engineering Award from the American Association of Engineering Societies. Dr. Hecker's parents came from Sarajevo, Bosnia and were moved during World War II to Tomasow, Poland, where Dr. Hecker was born. When his father had not returned from the war at the Eastern Front, his mother remarried and settled in Rottenmann, Austria. The family immigrated from Styria to the US in 1956. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Metallurgy in 1965, his Master of Science in Metallurgy in 1967, and his PhD in Metallurgical Engineering in 1968, all from Case Western Reserve University. He then spent two years as a postdoctoral appointee at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. |
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Apr. 28, 2018 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
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The League of Women Voters
May 04, 2018
Join us on Friday when we will be pleased to have national LWVUS Board member Kim Lauth and Chief Development Officer Kate Kennedy tell us firsthand of National League’s current campaign to Make Democracy Work. Over the years we have had meetings and salons about the various propositions on the ballot presented by representatives of the League of Women Voters. This time we will find out more about the League, who they are, and what they do. The LWV is a tireless advocate for voters across the U.S. In their 98th year, the League is the strongest on-the-ground voter advocacy group in the country –– registering, educating, protecting, and mobilizing voters in all 50 states, and in over 700 local communities. The League encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League does not support or oppose political parties or candidates. When Kim Lauth was young she knew that making a difference felt right to her - but she had no idea it was a career. In 1992 she found herself married, a young mother who worked in marketing. After learning of the care a beloved family member received from a hospice program, she decided to give back to her community by becoming a hospice volunteer. That decision changed her life. She was asked to join the program as a staff member. Then she worked as the volunteer coordinator and began to explore ways to raise money for the program. This led to an opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of the OSF Saint James Hospital Foundation Council. Today, Kim has worked with a variety of organizations including those in healthcare, human services and the arts. She has held the positions of director of development and marketing, executive director, vice president, chief operating officer, trainer and consultant. Kim has over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management and fundraising. She is currently the CEO of Kim Lauth Consulting, LLC. She has held the CFFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) certification since 2002 and has served on numerous nonprofit boards. As a self-professed "student of life", Kim is always trying new things - both personally and professionally, including her first half marathon. In her free time she also enjoys road trips in her 2007 Mustang GT with Kent, her husband of almost 28 years. Kate Kennedy, MBA, CFRE began as the Chief Development Officer of the League of Women Voters of the United States in January of 2017. Kate brings more than 14 years of experience as a nonprofit executive in fundraising, community organizing, volunteer development, and membership recruitment. Prior to joining the League, she served as the Director of Development for the Washington School for Girls, a tuition-free private school serving girls from Anacostia, DC. Previously she served as Major Gifts Officer at Women for Women International. Kate also spent eight years at The Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital where she worked in membership, annual giving, and major gifts and was on the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting team. Kate is a certified fundraising executive (CFRE) and holds an MBA from Georgetown University. Her bachelor's degree is in English and Women’s Studies from Keene State College in New Hampshire. She serves on the College Park Community Foundation’s board and as vice-chair for her town’s Advisory Planning Commission. She lives with her husband Bill and their rescue pitbull Seneca. |
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June Ballot Measures Pro/Con
May 11, 2018
Last week we got a glimpse into the history and mission of the League of Women Voters. This week please join us on Friday when they do that thing they do. Over the years we have had meetings and salons about the various propositions on the ballot presented by representatives of the League. Just as our vote-by-mail ballots are arriving, we will have two representatives from our local league giving us some of the pros and cons for the five ballot measures and the one regional measure. For each proposition we will discuss the title and type, the way it is now, what the prop will do, the effect on the budget, the pros from the supporters, and the cons from the opponents. The LWV is a tireless advocate for voters across the U.S. The League encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League does not support or oppose political parties or candidates. Veronica Tincher: Veronica has been a member of the League of Women Voters in 3 communities over more than 50 years. Along with presenting Pros and Cons at election time, she spends most of her time with New Voices for Youth, a League (and Rotary funded) project. Veronica worked as an administrator at the University of Southern California for 21 years. She enjoyed positions in research and later became Executive Director of University Budget and Planning. Upon retirement, she continued to work as a consultant in California, other states and in Puerto Rico. Margaret Rosenbloom: Margaret retired 5 years ago from a career as a research manager and writer with a brain imaging Lab affiliated with Stanford Psychiatry Department. She has lived in Palo Alto since the early 1970s. A member of the LWV for about 10 years, this is her second year of presenting the Pros and Cons. |
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May 12, 2018 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Potsdam Revisited
May 18, 2018
Please join us Friday when our special guests will be documentary Director Sam Ball and our own Abe Sofaer who was the Producer for the film The Rifleman’s Violin. The film, and the multimedia Potsdam Revisited: Overture to the Cold War, are the products of a collaboration between Citizen Film and the Hoover Institution Library and Archives, made possible by the William and Flora Hewlett Fund, the Koret Foundation, and Music at Stanford. We'll discuss the film, the multimedia archive, and how the decisions made at Potsdam continue to echo in our world today. The Rifleman’s Violin is part of a multimedia experience Abe and Sam and Virtuoso Violinist Stuart Canin created for the Hoover Institution Library and Archive, including a series of events presented at Stanford Live and Lincoln Center. The multimedia archive Potsdam Revisited: Overture to the Cold War provides a record of these events exploring an extraordinary intersection of history and music that took place at the Potsdam Conference which determined the post-WWII fate of the world. A production of Citizen Film, The Rifleman’s Violin recounts the remarkable story of Stuart Canin, who set out to fight the Germans in WWII and wound up spending a week in Potsdam playing violin at President Truman’s request to break the ice of negotiations with Joseph Stalin. Sam Ball has directed documentary films and multimedia projects for Citizen Film since 2002. His work has been exhibited at many of America’s most prestigious venues, from Sundance to MoMA-NY. A central concern of Sam’s work is how to frame conversations about important intersections of history and culture. His projects range from independent documentaries for public television to sculptural multimedia installations in public space—all designed to promote civic awareness and participation. The latest project he directed for PBS, American Creed with Condoleezza Rice and David M. Kennedy, profiles unlikely activists who are striving to bring communities together based on a shared vision of American ideals. A co-production of Citizen Film and WTTW-Chicago American Creed premiered nationally on February 27, 2018 with 764,000 viewers tuning in. Abe (LLB, New York University’s School of Law, 1965) is a former US district judge, state department legal adviser, and the first George P. Shultz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. His work focuses on the power over war under international law and within the US government and on issues related to diplomacy and national security. His most recent books are Taking on Iran: Strength, Diplomacy, and the Iranian Threat (Hoover Institution Press 2013) and The Best Defense? Legitimacy and Preventive Force (Hoover Institution Press 2010). He received the Distinguished Service Award in 1989, the highest state department award given to a noncivil servant. |
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May 28, 2018 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Stanford - Home of Champions
Jun. 01, 2018
The next meeting is our first off-site breakfast of the year. We will visit Stanford Athletics Home of Champions which exhibits lots of historical and current photos and commentary on the achievements of Stanford sports.
We will follow the usual format: starting at 7:30 we will have an excellent breakfast and cover club announcements, etc. When the program commences, we will move into the exhibit space and learn about it and its purposes from Bob Wilmot, Manager of the Home of Champions.
Below you will find a map showing the location and the parking options. These are pay lots which should be quite empty at 7:20am when you arrive.
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Jun. 07, 2018 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania - a Walk on the Wild Side
Jun. 08, 2018
This week our own indefatigable traveler and amateur photojournalist Vincent Yip will treat us to a look at a tropical rainforest, ancient religious sites, pristine beaches, The Great Barrier Reef and other outdoor wonders in these parts of the world. The all-important Trump-Kim summit is scheduled to be held in Singapore, the South East Asian city-state where our speaker Vincent Yip spent his first 17 years of his life before coming to the US for college. At age 10, Vincent had inherited a classic Rolleiflex twin-lens camera from his older brother who left by ship for study in the US, and ever since he has combined his love for photography together with his love for travel and come up with troves of photographs of the highest amateur quality and appeal. Vincent has shared many of his best shots taken around the world at his many lectures/talks delivered at our Club in the past 9 years. This time his travelogue will cover a big geographical swath starting from Sri Lanka in South Asia, to Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia in South East Asia, down under to Australia, and ending among the beautiful islands of Fiji. We will be awed by many beautiful pictures and entertained by his travelers’ tales of visits to Buddhist pagodas/temples in Myanmar/Cambodia and Portuguese forts in Malacca, brushes with wild and dangerous animals in Borneo, and encounters with reefs and sharks in Australia and Fiji. Vincent is too humble to allow us a recounting of his amazing life’s journey. Suffice to say that one can gather from his obvious international background and previous travelogue oratory, as well as his well-known photographic capabilities, that his talk will once again be captivating and informative. |
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Olympic Gold Medalist
Jun. 15, 2018
This week it will be our distinct pleasure to welcome two-time Olympic champion Ashton Eaton as our speaker. Many athletes dream about winning a gold medal in the Olympics, but very few have realized a medal, let alone one in a discipline as grueling and diverse as the decathlon. Ashton has won two. Ashton James Eaton is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon and the world record holder at 9045 points. He also holds the world record for the indoor heptathlon. He is the second decathlete (after Roman Sebrle) to break the 9,000-point barrier and the first to break it twice. After setting his first world record, Eaton won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, then successfully defended his Olympic title in Rio 2016 while tying the Olympic decathlon record. Born and raised in Oregon, Ashton received a B.A. in psychology from the University of Oregon in 2010. He is the third Olympian (after Bob Mathias of the US and Daley Thompson of Great Britain) to achieve back-to-back gold medals in the decathlon. In early 2017 he retired from professional athletics at 28 years old. A few days after, for fun he helped launch a video game and technology conference in Portland Oregon. He is on the Board of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Oregon and is now interested in having an impact through science and technology. |
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State of the Schools
Jun. 22, 2018
This week it should be interesting to hear from our speaker, Don Shalvey, about the state of our schools. California has a massive and diverse public school system, which is responsible for the education of more than six million children and young adults in more than 10,000 schools with 295,000 teachers. It also perennially ranks 39th or lower in the nation. How come? Don Shalvey is the Deputy Director for the College Ready team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and is responsible for State, District & Networks. Prior to joining the foundation, Don was the Founder and CEO of Aspire Public Schools and has spent the past 40 years in public education where he is widely recognized as a leader in public school reform and the charter school movement. In 1992, Don served as the Superintendent of San Carlos School District, where he sponsored the first charter school in California. The San Carlos Charter Learning Center became a California Distinguished School and has since served as a model for many other charter schools. In 1998, Don and entrepreneur Reed Hastings co-founded Californians for Public School Excellence, a grass-roots organization that led to the passage of the Charter Schools Act of 1998, which lifted the cap on the number of charter schools in the state. He is a frequent advisor to policy makers, practitioners and authorizers of charter schools across the nation. In 2002, the prestigious Ashoka Foundation recognized Don as a Fellow for his outstanding work as a social entrepreneur. More recently, he was given the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award for advancing the quality of life for Californians, and in June 2009, he was elected to the Charter School Hall of Fame. Don earned a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership/Administration from the University of Southern California, a Masters of Education in Counseling and Guidance from Gonzaga University, and a B.A. from LaSalle College. |
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La Comida
Jun. 29, 2018
Join us Friday morning as we welcome the Co-President of La Comida, Michael Patrick. La Comida de California is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing appetizing, nutritious, and affordable lunch to seniors who live locally, and to enriching their lives by creating a cheerful, socially stimulating atmosphere while they dine. It was started by the Rotary Club of Palo Alto and was incorporated in 1972 as the first lunch program for older adults in the county. Two years later federal funding for this program became available through the Older Americans Act. La Comida applied to the federal government for funding to continue its operations and was accepted. Thus, La Comida became the first congregate senior nutrition site in Santa Clara County to manage its program under the auspices of the Council on Aging. Meals were first served in the Parish Hall at the Episcopal Church at the corner of Hamilton and Waverly Avenues. Later, the kitchen at the Senior Center (Avenidas) was outfitted with the help of federal funds, as well as funds from The Rotary Club of Palo Alto to construct and furnish a dining room as an addition to the Senior Center. As of September 2017, La Comida moved from its long-time home at Avenidas and began serving weekday lunches at its new home at Stevenson House. Michael Patrick has a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Wesleyan University where he played lacrosse, and he got his J.D. from UCLA. He has been a litigation and corporate attorney representing high tech companies and VCs at Fenwick & West since 1986. Along with being Co-President and a Board member with La Comida, he is a member of the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury, a volunteer mentor with Friends for Youth in Redwood City, a volunteer social worker with On Lok senior citizens services in the Bay Area, and a volunteer mentor with the ATLAS program at Sequoia High School. In his spare time Michael likes running, wooden ship model making, studying history, motorcycle riding, and travel. |
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Jul. 04, 2018
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Our Club Assembly
Jul. 13, 2018
Happy New (Rotary) Year! Willkommen zurück! from our Fourth of July hiatus to the first meeting of the Uwe Bergmann era of our Club. This Friday morning the 13th we “wünschen alles Gute und viel Erfolg!” to our new President as we hold one of our biannual Club Assemblies. Meet your new leadership team for 2018-2019 and learn about the new Rotary theme: "Be the Inspiration." Each of the four service committees (Community, International, Vocational, and Youth), the Social committee and the Membership committee will give a 3-5 minute outlook/vision statement. Hmmm, maybe there will be something there where you would like to lend a hand? It will be a very full Club-centric agenda, begin thinking about our club and your place in it. Start your resolution of perfect attendance off right by making this first meeting of our jubilant 2018-19 New Year.
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Redefining Professional Success and Fulfillment
Jul. 20, 2018
Join us Friday morning as we welcome Elatia Abate as our speaker. Elatia is an entrepreneur who left the corporate world to revolutionize the way the world thinks about careers and making money. She uses her extensive experience combining people, innovation and marketing strategies to teach individuals how to create careers that bring personal and professional fulfillment, and to teach companies how to build vibrant cultures and recruit the talent needed to ensure growth and success.
She speaks around the world on topics that include life design, professional fulfillment, and how to create stability in the uncertainty of the freelance economy. Her work has been featured in publications like The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company. Elatia served as Vice President, Human Resources for Dow Jones & Company, and as Global Director Talent Acquisition at Anheuser-Busch InBev. She received both her BA and MBA from The University of Chicago. She will be teaching a two-day workshop for Stanford Continuing Studies this weekend. Here are her thoughts from her web page: The workforce landscape is changing rapidly. Technology is replacing more jobs faster than ever before, completely disrupting or disappearing industries and giving birth to never-before-seen opportunities. Many traditional, salaried jobs are being substituted with freelance and contract work. Baby boomers are retiring and being replaced by millennials who are seeking flexibility of schedule and life experiences more than traditional bonus structures. In the face of all of this, individuals are redefining what professional success and fulfillment mean, as well as how to plan for them. Universities are seeking ways to create curricula and innovate career services to better prepare students for the uncertainty of the future. Companies are questioning old recruitment and retention strategies and seeking novel ways to find and keep top talent. Understanding the intersection of these three groups is the sweet spot where I partner with you to make sense out of the confusion and create valuable answers that propel your objectives forward. I have developed curricula, taught classes and delivered lectures that prepare students and alumni for professional success and fulfillment, working with University of Chicago, Stanford University, University of Toronto, Ross School of Business at University of Michigan, among others. I have blazed the trail to my own professional success and fulfillment, leaving the corporate world to revolutionize the way the world thinks about careers and making money. I’ve been teaching others to chart their own courses ever since. I am an entrepreneur fascinated by the infinite ways we can empower success in the uncertainty of our rapidly evolving global economy. This is what keeps me up at night. This is why I jump out of bed in the morning. |
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THE “H” IN HOSPICE IS NOT SILENT
Jul. 27, 2018
Mary Chigos RN NP is now in her 50th year of nursing with a few years out to care for her 5 children. Nursing from conception to death as an OB-GYN nurse to hospice today. After 15 years on the Mission Hospice and Home Care Board and 6 years of an Outreach Nurse she can affirm a passion for hospice. The “H” in Hospice does not have to be whispered! With the aid of Hospice 101 power point she will present new information and review the hospice benefit. There are many myths and misinformation about hospice in our communities. Are all hospices the same, can I choose my hospice, how do I get on hospice, can I continue to see my primary care physician, can I go into the hospital after signing the consents on hospice? What is a Hospice house and how does my loved one get admitted? These questions and more will be addressed. Hospice is a benefit for the patient and the family. It is a team-oriented, holistic approach that includes expert medical care, pain, and symptom management, along with emotional and spiritual support for individuals and families. Hospice care is directed toward comfort, rather than cure. Hospice care does not cure diseases, and while extending life usually doesn’t happen, we find that increasing your quality of life many indeed extend your life. Hospice focuses on quality of life.
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Hawaii in Eruption, 2018
Aug. 03, 2018
Please join us on Friday morning when our speaker will be Bob Christiansen describing the force of nature that is the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Bob is a Research Geologist Emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park. He graduated from Stanford in 1956 and received his Stanford Ph.D. in 1961. He retired in 2003 but still actively continues research as a Scientist Emeritus. His career has centered on volcanism and tectonics, including studies that showed the region of Yellowstone National Park to be one of Earth’s largest volcanic systems. In addition to Hawaii and Yellowstone, Bob’s has carried out research at the Nevada Test Site, Mount St. Helens, Lassen Peak, and Mount Shasta. Bob has been a Visiting Lecturer at Harvard and is a fellow of the Geological Society of America, the Mineralogical Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Located along the southern shore of the island, the Kilauea volcano is between 300,000 and 600,000 years old and emerged above sea level about 100,000 years ago. Kilauea has been erupting nearly continuously since 1983. On May 17, 2018 at 4:17 AM, the volcano explosively erupted at the summit in Halemaumau Crater, throwing ash 30,000 feet into the air. Lava entered the ocean in three places, destroying Hawaii's largest freshwater lake, lava also filled Kapoho Bay and extended new land nearly a mile into the sea. This current eruption of Kilauea, now causing major destruction and hazards to people, has garnered much media and public attention. Kilauea is one of five volcanoes that, together, have built the island of Hawaii. Each of the active volcanoes is part of a magmatic system that originates at depth in Earth’s mantle and connects to the surface through a complex “plumbing” network. It is through these connections that lava and gases erupt. What causes Hawaiian eruptions? What different kinds of eruptions can occur on Hawaii? What further might happen if present activity near sea level should continue for an extended time? Get the answers Friday. |
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Able Works
Aug. 10, 2018
Please join us Friday when we welcome Sue Johnson the Director of Programs at Able Works. Able Works strives to break cycles of poverty by providing life skills and financial education to under-resourced youth and young moms so that they are able to chart their own path to financial stability. FutureProfits currently serves 500 students a week in nine local high schools in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. They leverage marketplace volunteers, supported by Able Works staff, to equip youth with the financial knowledge, skills and assets needed to reach their full potential. LiveAble serves about 60 families each year in Redwood City and East Palo Alto. With a strong belief in the power of young mothers to drive positive economic outcomes, they make personal change relevant, accessible and enduring by building community, fostering stability and cultivating ability. Their yearlong cohort program is a holistic, culturally sensitive, strengths-based approach to economic mobility. Sue Johnson worked in the high tech industry for over 10 years, first as a management consultant with Accenture, then in Latin America business development for Apple. After becoming a mother, Sue devoted her time to raising her two children and volunteering in their schools and church. With a deep desire to make a positive impact in her local community, Sue relaunched her career in 2010 with a focus on social justice. She is passionate about helping others reach their full potential. Sue holds a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Baylor University and an M.I.M. from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
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Beijing's Leping Foundation
Aug. 17, 2018
Please join us Friday when we welcome Yun Liu as our speaker. China has a population of over 1.4 billion, with over 40 million kids aged between 3 to 6 year-old. As researches have shown that the early years of students' education quality has a significant impact on one's learning habit and subsequently on future academic and life success, the Chinese government has picked up the challenge to provide preschool education to more children, especially to fill the gap in rural areas where preschools were previously not available. Ever since 2010, initiatives have been taken, new preschools were built or renovated, and kids are put into school. However, the education quality is far from qualified. Teachers are badly in need and those who are teaching in the classroom often do not have professional background. How to deal with education equity issue and support teachers in a scalable and sustainable way? Yun Liu is the project manager at Beijing Leping Foundation. She is responsible for teacher development and online teacher training program, and is also a member of the backbone team for Rural Early Childhood Education Collective Impact Initiative (co-founded by Leping Foundation and Macao Tongchai Charity). She has been at Leping for 2 years, investigating problems in different counties, piloting online teacher training programs, designing and implementing workshops to help advance rural teachers' professional development. Prior to joining Leping, she has 4 years’ experience in teaching English (TOEFL & SAT) and students' academic advising on study abroad. From that experience, she saw education inequity issue and began to recognize the importance of teacher development and family education. Yun earned a Master's of Arts in International Education from the George Washington University, where she received a Nakyuin Shin International Education Award for excellent graduate student. She is also a member of the Graduate Fellow Program at United Nations Association of the National Capital Area. She has interned with the Fulbright Scholar Program and Americans for UNESCO. |
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The Journey Toward Denuclearization and Permanent Peace on the Korean Peninsula
Aug. 24, 2018
Please join us Friday when it will be our honor to welcome Jimin Kim, the Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco. South and North Korea have undergone a series of conflicts throughout the years of national division but have persistently striven to heal the wounds left behind by the tragedy through talks and exchanges. The South and North first began to work on opening the channel of dialogue and building mutual trust in the 1970s. The inter-Korean summits of 2000 and 2007 are the achievements of their unyielding effort to overcome predicaments and remain open to dialogue. In April 2018 there was another Inter-Korean Summit held at Peace House, Panmunjeom. The focus was placed on laying the foundation for denuclearization and the settlement of peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as for progress in inter-Korean relations, rather than on reaching an agreement on numerous fronts. Given the fact that inter-Korean relations have remained severed for a long time, thus deteriorating, it will be of great significance for both country’s two leaders to build mutual trust through candid and heart-to-heart discussions. After a long day of ceremonious pleasantries which included planting a symbolic peace tree and a multicourse dinner — President Moon and Chairman Kim stood side-by-side and announced the “Panmunjom Declaration.” In sum, the declaration says that North and South Korea will end the war this year, that Moon Jae-in will visit Pyongyang this fall and that both nations have a “common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.” Against this background, Deputy Consul General Kim will talk about the latest developments towards a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula. Jimin Kim has been the Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco since August 2016. Most recently, he served as Director of Protocol from February 2015 to August 2016 and Director of National Community External Cooperation in charge of North Korean refugee issues abroad from August 2013 to February 2015 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. He has been a career diplomat for 20 years. His prior foreign mission posts include First Secretary at the Korean Embassy in Tokyo, Japan from 2008 to 2011 and Counselor at the Korean Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from 2011 to 2013. He received Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. He was awarded the Citation of the Foreign Minister in 2011. He is married with one son and one daughter.
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Economics
Sep. 07, 2018
Please join us Friday when we will hear from Economist Roman Weil. Roman is an emeritus faculty member at the Chicago Booth School of Business, who is teaching in academic year 2017-18 at the University of California San Diego School of Management. Additionally, Roman studies financial literacy and corporate governance, an issue that arose from the accounting scandals. Roman was co-director of the Chicago/Stanford Directors' Consortium, which he cofounded. The Consortium [now a five-day program] has met twice a year since 2002. In brief, the Consortium aims to teach corporate directors how to do their jobs better. He has also designed and implemented continuing education programs for partners at the accounting firms of Andersen and Price-Waterhouse-Coopers as well as for employees at Goldman Sachs, Montgomery Wards, Merck, and William Blair and for business executives in Great Britain, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Within the past couple of years, he has been visiting professor at Johns Hopkins Carey School, Stanford Law School, Harvard Law School, Princeton Economics Department, NYU Stern School, and Georgetown University. He finds it difficult to keep a job. Roman has been a CPA in Illinois since 1973 and a CMA from 1974 until his retirement from Chicago Booth in 2008. In 2010 he received certification as a Certified Forensic Accountant. The coauthor of more than 12 textbooks, he is the senior editor of, and contributor to, the Litigation Services Handbook, now in its sixth edition. He has published more than 100 articles in academic and professional journals and has served as the principal investigator on various research projects of the National Science Foundation. He has served as editor or associate editor of the Accounting Review, Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery, Management Science, the Journal of Accounting and Economics, and the Financial Analysts Journal. Roman has consulted to governmental agencies, including the U.S. Treasury Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In private industry, he has served as a consultant to Amazon, Bethlehem Steel, British Petroleum, Chevron, Cisco Systems, Ford Motor Company, Genentech, General Dynamics, General Foods, IBM, McDonnell Douglas, Pepsico, Pillsbury, Polaroid, Price-Waterhouse-Coopers, and VISA USA. In addition, he has served on several boards. Roman has served on the Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Replacement Cost Accounting. At the Financial Accounting Standards Board, he has served on two task forces - one on consolidations and the other on interest methods - and on the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council. He served on the Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and on a Consultative Group of the IFRS Foundation. He received a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics from Yale University in 1962, master's degree in industrial administration in 1965, and a PhD in economics in 1966 from GSIA/Tepper of Carnegie Mellon University. He joined the Chicago Booth faculty in 1965. Outside of academia, Roman is a grandfather whose interests include sabermetrics [particularly as applied in the NFL], oenometrics, and oenonomy. He has recently become interested in catering to the cravings of eclipsomaniacs. He served with the 2017 Solar Eclipse Action Committee of the City of Madras OR. |
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Models for Delivering Care to the Poor
Sep. 14, 2018
Please join us Friday when we will hear from our own medical industry expert Ken Graham. Ken is a Charter member of the PAUR. He has served a 46 year career in Hospital Administration. He holds Professional certifications in Hospital Administration and Medical Records. He has served as CEO at sophisticated hospitals and as a board member or advisor to dozens of healthcare organizations. From 2006 to 2011 Ken served as CEO of El Camino Hospital. In 2010, he was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to serve on the California Healthcare Policy and Data Commission. Recently Ken served as Health System Integration Advisor to The Queen's Health Systems, the largest healthcare provider in Hawaii. Currently he is serving as Interim CEO at MayView Community Health Center, which was formed in 1972 to serve the underserved as a Federally Qualified Health Center look-alike provider serving three sites in Silicon Valley: Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale. Ken joined his first Rotary Club 43 years ago, and has served in five different clubs on the West Coast. Ken is a volunteer board member for RotaCare Free Clinics (26 years) - a not for profit organization operated in association with Rotary club members. RotaCare now operates 18 free clinics in 4 states. Ken earned a BS, and Masters in Public Health, from UCLA. |
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District Governor Annual Visit
Sep. 21, 2018
It will be our pleasure give a warm PAUR welcome to our speaker on Friday: District Governor Tim Lundell. Tim's visit is an opportunity for PAU Rotarians to better introduce Tim to all that our Club has to offer, as we hear his perspective on Rotary helping to make the world a better place. He would like us all do our best to “Be the Inspiration” for each other, and to spread that enthusiasm throughout our communities. Tim was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and got a B.S. in Philosophy and Mathematics from Portland State University. He came to California to attend law school at Santa Clara University. He started his law practice in San Jose in 1975, later being joined by his law school best friend, Nev Spadafore, and his law practice continues today. Community service, through schools, sports, local government, and now Rotary, have always been a part of life for Tim and his wife, Penelope O’Neill. Tim joined the newly-chartered Los Gatos Morning Rotary in 2004, and was its President in 2007-08. His service at the District level has continued as Asst. Governor, Lt. Governor, District Conference Chair, Annual Giving Chair and District Trainer. Tim is a past recipient of the District’s Rotarian of the Year Award, the Richard D. King Award, and the Carolyn Schuetz Award. The support of youth has been a passion for Tim, and Rotary’s Youth Service programs will continue to be a focus of his efforts. The growth (the survival!) of service organizations depends critically on nurturing the commitment of tomorrow’s adults in community service. |
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The High Cost of Good Intentions: Entitlements
Sep. 28, 2018
This Friday we will hear from John Cogan, a Hoover Fellow and a well-known authority on entitlements. John is the Leonard and Shirley Ely Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a faculty member in the public policy program at Stanford University. John’s research is focused on U.S. budget and fiscal policy, federal entitlement programs, and health care. He has published widely in professional journals in both economics and political science. His latest book, The High Cost of Good Intentions (2017) is the recipient of the 2018 Hayek Prize. The book traces the history of U.S. federal entitlement programs from the Revolutionary War to modern times. His previous books include Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: Five Steps to a Better Health Care System, coauthored with Glenn Hubbard and Daniel Kessler, and The Budget Puzzle, (with Timothy Muris and Allen Schick). John has devoted a considerable part of his career to public service. He served under President Ronald Reagan as assistant secretary for policy in the U.S. Department of Labor from 1981 to 1983, as associate director in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 1983 to 1985, and as Deputy (OMB) Director in 1988-89. His responsibilities included developing and reviewing Reagan Administration policies in the areas of health care, Social Security, disability, welfare, and employment training. John has served on numerous congressional, presidential, and California state advisory commissions. At the federal level, he has served on President George W. Bush's Commission to Strengthen Social Security, the U.S. Bipartisan Commission on Health Care (the Pepper Commission), the Social Security Notch Commission, and the National Academy of Sciences' Panel on Poverty and Family Assistance. He has also served on the California State Commission on the 21st Century Economy and the California Public Employee Post-Employment Benefits Commission. John received his A.B. in 1969 and his Ph.D. in 1976 from the University of California at Los Angeles, both in economics. He received his M.A. in Economics from California State University at Long Beach in 1970. He was an associate economist at the RAND Corporation from 1975 to 1980. He has been a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution since 1984. |