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Carlos Laguna, Monica Levin, Nandini Mukherjee, Kristina Stoyanova, Maxence Carvalho, Thayjes Srivas. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Ling Lin, Marlini Simoes, Michelle Lin, Doris Shimabukuro, Alex Torres, Juliet Ryan-Davis. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Kelsey Maxwell, Wendy Davis, Mike Noll, Peter Hung. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Laurie Leshin, Michele Judd. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Pam Burton, Clarissa Saunders- Newton, Jason Lyon, Phlunte Riddle. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Christian Ponce, Don Pinkerton, Jane Pinkerton. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Eric Ma, Emily Miaou, Albert Kyi, Peter Hung. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Laurie Leshin. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Athena Castro. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Nandini Mukherjee. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Will Hovik. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Albert Kyi. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Back Row: Brian Cameron, Eric Ma, Dan Noyes, Peter Hung, Laurie Leshin, Charles Player. Front Row: Ryoto Sekine, Kyle Virgil, Stephanie Leifer, Tim Graves, Erica Deionnio. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Back Row: Alex Wang, Will Hovik, Anchal Jain, Laurie Leshin, Zak Fitzgerald, Justin Lawrence, Maya Rosental Saporito. Front Row: Helen Xu, Helen Wang, Josefine Graebener, Josh Anadu. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Back Row: Zach Kaufman, Nandini Mukherjee, Laurie Leshin, Thayjes Srivas, Maxence Carvalho, Carlos Laguna. Front Row: Sergio Parra, Jim Keravala, Monica Levin, Jimmy Ragan. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Back Row: Katelyn Horstman, Robert Grayson, Sorina Lupu, James Keane, Helen Wexler, Laurie Leshin, Michael Stramenga, Howard Hui; Front Row: Chi Nguyen, Yashwanth Nakka, Niyati Desai, Kevin Yu [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Back Row: Anthony Jones, Lisa Clark, Laurie Leshin, Lisa Koontz, Sorina Lupu, Leslie Maxfield. Front Row: Michele Judd, Alma Derricks, Rosaly Lopes, Helen Wexler, Max Coleman. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
Laurie Leshin. [Bob Paz for the Caltech Y, bobpaz.com]
At its largest event in seven years, the Caltech Y welcomed JPL director and Caltech alumna Laurie Leshin to its Friends Dinner on February 28 at the Athenaeum. The quarterly event offers an opportunity for Caltech Y donors to meet student members and learn from some of the top minds in science and engineering.
At the dinner, Leshin shared some of JPL’s upcoming missions, which seek to reveal new knowledge about our planet, our galaxy, and the universe. Within the next few years, JPL will work with the European Space Agency to retrieve samples from Mars and bring them to Earth. The lab will also launch a new satellite to observe extreme natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides, among many other programs and missions.
“It is exciting to hear the great work JPL is planning as part of its study of the universe,” said David Martinez, senior relationship manager, TIAA. “Dr. Leshin’s passion and dedication for her work and space exploration is electrifying.”
As the first woman appointed to lead JPL, Leshin also discussed her career and acknowledged the mentors who supported her. Leshin’s ability to be a trailblazer in the lab and in the executive office serves as an example for Caltech students and complements the mission of the Caltech Y.
“For many of Caltech students, it is not a question of whether they will take on the mantle of leadership, but in what ways and what type of leader will they be,” said Athena Castro, Caltech Y executive director. “The Caltech Y at its core is about providing opportunities for students to develop and practice those leadership skills, to gain perspective that will allow them to be the very best leader they can be, to develop a moral and ethical compass, to influence change, and to make a positive difference in the world.”
Over the years, Albert Kyi, a Caltech senior and president of the Caltech Y student executive committee, has seen his fellow students take the lead to organize trips, book speakers, and find new ways to give back to their community.
“While our amazing staff play an important role in helping us get events done, it is the students who ultimately shape and drive the Caltech Y,” Kyi said. “As a result, the events and programs we put on help target needs that we the students see in our community.”
Several organizations generously supported the event through table sponsorships, including The Aerospace Corporation, Honeybee Robotics, Keck Institute for Space Studies, Mandala Space Ventures, and Off World. Valet parking was underwritten by Enterprise Financial Holdings.
Established in 1916, the Caltech Y is an independent nonprofit affiliated with Caltech that empowers students to become responsible citizens of the world. Gifts of all sizes support one of our five pillars—leadership, service, civic engagement, adventure, and perspective. For instance, Caltech Y students tutor local middle and high school students through the Rise program and travel to Washington D.C., to dialogue with elected officials and policymakers. With its Advocating Change Together award, the Caltech Y provides funds to select students who want to take a deep dive into a local, national, or global issue that is important to them.
To learn more about the Caltech Y, please visit caltechy.org.
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