Our Team
Loren Thompson
Dr. Loren Thompson is the PI for the festival's National Science Foundation grant and Director of Informal Science Education at UC San Diego. A former high school teacher from Phoenix, he has served as a faculty member/ administrator at the University of Houston, Miami University of Ohio, Washington State University, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Since coming to UC San Diego in 1999, Dr. Thompson has been the principal investigator, author, or co-author on over $60 million in grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and U.S. Department of Education. Over $45 million of these grants are currently active, including the recently awarded National Science Festival Alliance that is helping to fund the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering as well as both support the start-up of science festivals nationwide and generate festival associated year-round educational programming to provide early entry into science careers for K-12 students.
Steve Briggs, Chief Scientist
Steven P. Briggs is a Distinguished Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology at the University of California San Diego. He conducts research on immunity and immunity and development in plants and animals. Before moving to UC San Diego, Briggs spent several years in industry. He was Director of Genomics and Agronomic Traits at Pioneer/Dupont; President and CEO of the Torrey Mesa Research Institute; Head of Genomics at Syngenta; and Senior Vice President at Diversa. In response to the need for non-polluting, domestic sources of fuel Briggs co-founded the algal biofuel company, Sapphire Energy; he serves as Co-Chair fo the DOE/USDA Biomass R&D Board Technical Advisory Committee; and he serves as Chair of the BP Energy Biosciences Institute Advisory Board. Briggs is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Mary Jo Ball, Festival Managing Director
Mary Jo brings over 20 years experience managing academic programs, organizing successful fundraising campaigns, implementing signature events, and building donor and business relationships. She has developed industry-specific programs which resulted in endowed programs, working with the School of Business at Portland State University, the School of Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University, and the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. She holds an MPA.
Mary Jo will be the primary liaison for the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering, focusing this year on developing a strong infrastructure for the Festival and expanding relationships with the San Diego community.
Mariana Celestino, K12 Coordinator
Mariana is a recent UC San Diego graduate holding a B.S in International Studies-Economics. She has outreach, financial, and administrative experience working in UC San Diego’s TRIO Outreach Program while an undergraduate. Such outreach programs provide academic, career, and financial counseling to economically disadvantaged and/or educationally underserved students, encouraging them to enter college, graduate, then go on either to graduate school or enter a meaningful profession.
Mariana provides strong financial and administrative support for the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering team. Her bilingual abilities in English and Spanish are being used to better communicate Festival goals and activities with the Latino population of San Diego County, including work with schools, parents, and families.
OPERATIONS
Allison Rynne, Festival Events and EXPO Day Director
Allison Rynne is co-owner of Audacity Events, a boutique event firm specializing in the orchestration of large-scale events including tactical planning, sponsorship coordination, event permitting, and event management. Allison is the Event Manager for Balboa Park December Nights and has worked for the past two years as a member of the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering team to expand and refine event planning. Allison is responsible for logistics, event scheduling, permitting, and liaisons with local governmental agencies and sponsors. Her main focus is the logistics behind EXPO DAY at PETCO Park and the staging of events during Festival Week. Allison holds a BS in biological anthropology, is a member of the LEAD Impact Class of 2010, and a board member for Balboa Park Central.
