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 The Pasadena Star-News  

'Texas Wonderland’ barbecue raises $5,000 for scholarships

By Patt Diroll, Columnist

Posted: 08/28/16, 8:46 PM PDT | Updated: 5 hrs ago

Kicking off her third and final year as president of the Los Angeles Founder Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation Inc., Cheryl Mae Craft staged a “rootin, tootin ragtime-cowboy” barbecue and mini-fundraiser in the backyard of her Pasadena home, on Aug. 20, which raised $5,000 for scholarships.

Longtime Pasadena residents Craft and her partner, David Lain, spent nearly a month transforming their garden into a “Texas Wonderland,” complete with illuminated trees, strobe lighting, a faux fire pit, hay-bale seating, yards of blue & white gingham, a country-western band, a lariat champion and cowboy hats for everyone.

A tenured professor in ophthalmology, cell and neurobiology and founding director and past chair of the University of Southern California Postdoctoral Scholar Program, Craft said she is partial to down-home cooking.

A Kentucky native — her kinfolk settled in Appalachia with Daniel Boone — she spent 20 years in research, with the University of Texas, where she also honed her chuck-wagon culinary skills. For this party, she whipped up gallons of Texas chili, 100 deviled eggs and dozens of brownies and strawberry-oatmeal bars. The delicious smoked ribs and chicken were imported from Compton, she admitted.

Since it was founded in 1958, at the behest of then Caltech President Lee DuBridge, ARCS has evolved into a countrywide organization, with 17 chapters each allocating funds to ARCS-approved colleges and universities in their geographic areas. This year, ARCS surpassed the $100 million mark nationally, and of that amount the L.A. Founder Chapter has provided over $23 million, which includes $7 million to USC.

Craft recruited her Keck/USC vision lab team for assistance with this bash — lending a hand were Andrew Vargas who tended the saloon, Gloria Arcienega and Drs. Eun-Jin Lee and Hwasun Kim.

In the crowd, along with ARCS National President Lynne Brickner and her husband, Jerry Gallard, of Brentwood, were local ARCS members, friends and neighbors: Jessica and Jay Niblo, Monica and Sebastian Zacharia, Judi and Richard Kiel, Jack Hall, Jeanne and Bob Jenkins, Diana Palmer, Nancy and Lani Lain, Carlotta Glackin, Leigh Torgerson and Sonia and Fulton Haight.

pattdiroll@charter.net

  • From left: Jerry Gallard, Lynne Brickner, Cheryl Craft and David Lain at a Texas barbecue to benefit ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) at the Pasadena home of Craft, president of ARCS. (Photo by James Carbone)

    From left: Jerry Gallard, Lynne Brickner, Cheryl Craft and David Lain at a Texas barbecue to benefit ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) at the Pasadena home of Craft, president of ARCS. (Photo by James Carbone)

  • Kimberly Lain, Lani Lain and Nancy Lain at the Texas barbecue. (Photo by James Carbone)
  • Kimberly Lain, Lani Lain and Nancy Lain at the Texas barbecue. (Photo by James Carbone)
  • From left: Jay and Jessica Niblo and Monica and Sebastian Zacharia, all from Pasadena, at the Texas barbecue. (Photo by James Carbone)
  • From left: Jack Hall, Judi and Rick Kiel and Jeanne and Bob Jenkins at the Texas barbecue. (Photo by James Carbone)
  • Fulton Haight “lassos” Olivia Liu, 3, during the Texas barbecue. (Photo by James Carbone)
  • Guests wear cowboy hats at the Texas barbecue. (Photo by James Carbone)
  • Amy and Tyler Cormney at the Texas barbecue. (Photo by James Carbone)

Thanks from Clayton Bingham, Graduate Student at University of Southern California

"I am writing to express my sincere gratitude at having been selected for the ARCS Foundation Scholarship.  I am currently in the middle of my second year of pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at University of Southern California.  My own work is centered on modeling the response of brain tissue to electrical stimulation, which is an increasingly important type of intervention in brain pathologies such as epilepsy, Parkinson's, dystonia, and depression.  It is my career ambition to further develop novel interfaces between computers and brains, both as a means to mitigate cognitive impairment and to enhance natural function.  I will not be quick to forget the significance of this award in helping to ensure my progress along the path to becoming a respected expert in engineered neural systems."

Thanks from Erick Moen, Graduate Student at University of Southern California

"Becoming an ARCS Scholar truly changed my graduate career.  It gave me the opportunity to connect with my current advisor, Dr. Andrea Armani, and the freedom to focus on expanding my research.  My work is very multi-dimensional, spanning topics ranging from nonlinear optics to biology to virtual reality.  These types of investigations require collaborations across disparate departments and are very difficult to complete without external support.  Recently, because of this research, I was named one of the top five PhD students in the Electrical Engineering department at USC, the only American this tear to receive the honor.  As a result of this award, I will have a leadership role within the department, encourage students and be a resource for expanding innovation.  It is a powerful illustration of the influence the ARCS Foundation has on its scholars."

Thanks from Scholar Cassandra Meyer, Graduate Student at University of California, Los Angeles

"Thank you for your generous support.  I was incredibly excited to learn that I was selected as the recipient of your award.  With your donation you have given me the opportunity to explore my questions further and develop my research in new ways.  Your generosity is inspirational and I hope that in the future I will be able to help students reach their goals as you have."