Rob Knight, a professor of pediatrics, bioengineering, computer science and engineering at UC San Diego in La Jolla, was honored April 13 as Scientist of the Year by the San Diego chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation, or ARCS.
The event at La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center recognized Knight’s many achievements, including being the Wolfe Family Endowed Chair in microbiome research at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, principal investigator at the Knight Lab and director of the Center for Microbiome Innovation at UCSD. He is a leader in studying microbiomes — the collection of good and bad microbes living in people’s skin, mouths and guts.
ARCS is a national organization led entirely by women aiming to provide financial to college students in science, technology, engineering and math. The San Diego chapter is one of 15 across the country.
Since the local chapter was formed in 1985, ARCS has donated $12.8 million through 1,680 scholarship awards for students at UCSD, San Diego State University, University of San Diego and La Jolla’s Scripps Research.
The April 13 event also recognized this year’s group of 50 ARCS scholars while serving as a fundraiser for the foundation. ♦
