Integrity Awardees, 2011-2020

Elizabeth Bell

Research Coordinator (Former), Biomedical Informatics

“Elizabeth, along with another former employee, had the courage to bring forward a potential integrity violation. She gently pushed for immediate attention to the issue and was strong and determined to do the right thing on behalf of UC San Diego and the involved parties. Elizabeth's courage in bringing the matter forward had numerous positive impacts to the division and involved research participants."(Nominator)

Dr. Sara Gianella Weibel

Assistant Professor, School of Medicine

“Sara has been a beacon of integrity and a tireless champion of increased integrity in the practice of research, treatment of patients and research subjects, and in her teaching. She chairs an IRB committee and strives to improve the ethical practice of every proposal that comes to her. She also champions her patients, advocates for their fair treatment, and spreads this message of integrity to the wider research community. She shares this same fervor for the ethical practice of research with medical students in her case-based learning seminars. She models the sort of dedication to integrity in research and life that we should all strive for.” (Nominator)

Dr. Atul Malhorta

Professor, School of Medicine

“Dr. Malhotra promotes academic integrity, professional ethics, research ethics, and responsible conduct of research. Dr. Malhotra not only ensures that his own work is beyond reproach, but he teaches faculty, trainees and volunteers about the importance and necessity of integrity in all arenas - research, hiring, education, etc. Because he also serves on National and International committees and societies, he has been able to promote integrity and ethics in spheres beyond UCSD. In summary, Dr. Malhotra inspires mentees to strive to be the most up-standing, highly-principled people they possibly can be.” (Nominator)

Dr. Emily Trask

Executive Director, Center for Student Involvement

“Emily exemplifies UC San Diego integrity core principles through her devotion to promoting integrity and ethics in student programming, mentoring and role modeling professional integrity, volunteering time to the UC San Diego community and exhibiting courage in defending integrity. Emily’s devotion to instilling integrity has a deep “ripple” effect within the entire UC San Diego community through her own actions, her leadership through her staff, training and development of student leaders. The student leaders pass their devotion to upholding principles of integrity to their student organizations and in their interactions with their peers.” (Nominator)

Kristen Tregar

Ph.D. Candidate, Theatre & Dance

“Kristen is a model of integrity. In the classroom, she leads by example and consistently promotes integrity and ethics. And in her directing work, she challenges actors to think and practice through critical ethical frameworks and she presents work that stimulates audiences to think about their own decisions, their roles in their communities, and the changes they can make to create more positive communities.” (Nominator)

Dr. César Figueroa

Assistant Director, Residence Life, Warren College

“Cesar Figueroa has been and continues to be an exceptional ally, mentor, and leader. He continues to teach me the importance of integrity in the work place as well as in the pursuit to my professional career. I am better equipped to handle any injustice in the work place because of Cesar” (endorser of nomination)

Sheryl Gerbracht

Director, Business Office, Information Technology Services

“Sheryl is deeply respected and her work is trustworthy and trusted. As a role model, she inspires others (including myself) to strive for her same high level of moral and ethical compass. Over the years I have worked with her, I can say that she has made me a better person and one more dedicated to these values.” (nominator)

Dr. Robert Heaton

Professor, Psychiatry, School of Medicine

“This nominee promotes integrity and ethics in all spheres of his responsibility: as the Department of Psychiatry's Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, he is sought for his consistent, even-handed, highly principled advice to assist faculty with academic advancement through a rigorous peer-review process that he directs and that  features the preparation and presentation of academic review files that adhere to the highest standards of University policy and academia” (Nominator)

Lisa Kellogg

Director, Alumni Relations/Academic Divisions and Graduate/Professional Schools, Alumni

“Lisa has shown great courage and professionalism during my time at UC San Diego and specifically over the past two years that I've worked with her. She navigates difficult situations as professionally [and] Her thought process [is] always focused [on] what was in the best interest to maintain our strong and positive reputation at UC San Diego.” (Nominator)

Cecilia Bonaduce Leggett

Medical Student, Class of 2019

“Integrity is a vital life source for any University or academic community. The students and faculty of UCSD have a clear and sincere commitment to great education which is what makes our school a safe space for people to explore ideas, push boundaries, and make discoveries not only within their fields but within themselves as well.  I am approaching my fourth and final year as a UCSD medical student and can say with confidence that throughout my time at this institution, the School of Medicine has shown unwavering commitment to its mission of creating innovative and compassionate future physicians.” (Awardee)

Naomi Lin

Undergraduate, Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience and Music Major, Roosevelt College

“Integrity matters because it is the basis of respect and worth. Integrity creates good moral character and furthers professional development in individuals, organizations, research, classes, and more. By this domino effect of individuals upholding morals and integrity in turn improves the UCSD community as a whole. Since integrity promotes respect and good morals, these qualities also can better the overall mental health of the UCSD community. To me, integrity is the larger umbrella that encompasses other important aspects such as hard work and dedication. All of these characteristics foster the growth of leaders and innovators at UCSD, sequentially propelling UCSD into a future of success and prominence." (Awardee)

Luke Lindgren

Undergraduate, NanoEngineering, Revelle College

“one may think of Luke like a person who got a vaccine: those who get a vaccine help stop the spread of viruses to people who did not get the vaccine. By not sharing his work, Luke protects others from being able to cheat, and prevents the creation of an assignment-sharing culture. However, Luke is more than a vaccinated patient: he provides alternative methods of help and tutoring to guide his peers to understanding and learning class topics.” (Nominator)

Eric Mah

Assistant Dean for Clinical & Translational Research, Health Sciences

“Eric actively promotes integrity locally and internationally, through institutional efforts, mentoring, and social justice. Internationally he has engaged with the global research ethics community and in the process, promoted UC San Diego as an institution that cares about ethics and integrity.” (Nominator)

Professor Lisa Porter

Professor, Theatre & Dance

“Her principles of integrity are active in her heartfelt devotion to her students in our undergraduate and graduate programs. Professor Porter transcends intellectual applications of Academic Integrity as she gives comprehensive access to our community in her inner view about dimensions of integrity in theatre spaces, in classrooms, and outside of campus. In a word, integrity for Lisa Porter means absolute honesty about human endeavor and transparency so that the public trust is always maintained.” (Supervisor)

Dr. James Posakony

Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences

“Jim Posakony is a scientist that is interesting in discovering truths - and not necessarily in striving to receive accolades for his achievements. He serves as a mentor and role model to several young faculty members. In these difficult times of excessive competition and limited research funding opportunities, Jim embodies the principals that hard work and truthfulness will be self-rewarding in pushing forward the boundaries of knowledge. His efforts have had both micro- and macro-impacts on the UCSD and national scientific communities.” (Nominator)

Faculty Recipients

Dr. Lauren Brookman-Frazee

Psychiatry

Dr. Shuang Wang

Biomedical Informatics

Staff Recipients

Deyna Roberson

Student Affairs

Veronica Rubio

Ophthalmology

Graduate Student Recipients

Abigail Vaughn

Political Science

Vladimir Jovanovic

Neurosciences

Sophia Pan

Visiting Ph.D. Student

Undergraduate Student Recipients

Arthur De Jesus

Sixth College/Engineering

Brian Dinh

Revelle College/Biological Sciences

Dan Volkovich

Warren College/Engineering

Sierra Lee

Warren College/Social Sciences

Department Recipients

Computer Science & Engineering