The Commonwealth Club dedicates its Annual Distinguished Citizen Award Gala to honor the leadership of women in science and medicine. The Distinguished Citizen Award Gala celebrates the achievements of citizens who made an indelible impact on our society and who embody the values of The Commonwealth Club.
MEDIA ADVISORY
The Commonwealth Club of California, 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105. Media Contact: John Zipperer, VP of media & editorial, jzipperer@commonwealthclub.org, 415.597.6715
- Digital press kit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dCwgTeZ9uqYsqkaH1CFPzjDOfn9UPBM3
For Immediate Release
The Commonwealth Club of California’s 33rd Annual Distinguished Citizen Award Gala: “We Raise Our Glass to Good Health”
Virtual Gala: www.commonwealthclub.org/2021gala
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2021; 6–7 P.M. PST
SAN FRANCISCO (November 3, 2021) —The Commonwealth Club dedicates its Annual Distinguished Citizen Award Gala to the leadership of women in science and medicine. The Distinguished Citizen Award Gala celebrates the achievements of citizens who have made an indelible impact on our society and who embody the values of The Commonwealth Club.
This year, “we raise our glass to good health” by recognizing eight incredible women in science and medicine who have tirelessly dedicated their lives to protecting and ensuring the good health of our community, particularly as we’ve grappled with the devastating effects of a global pandemic. Our honorees:
- Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., Nobel Laureate – For her pioneering work in gene editing and CRISPR technology, as well as her contributions to the development of COVID-19 vaccines and the dedication of the Doudna Lab to quickly process tests in the early months of the pandemic.
- 7 UCSF Physicians – For their heroic efforts on the frontline of the pandemic, strategizing and implementing a plan of community care that has kept the Bay Area one of the safest regions in the country, and protecting the most vulnerable populations of the Bay Area. · Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Ph.D., MD, MAS · Alicia Fernandez, MD · Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH · Diane Havlir, MD · Margot Kushel, MD · Carina Marquez, MD · Kim Rhoads, MD, MPH
- The event will be live steamed and emceed by Diane Dwyer, award-winning broadcast journalist and University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business faculty member.
- Special Remarks by Dr. Anthony Fauci
- Music Performance by Dr. Charles Limb, neuroscientist and musician from UCSF who researches the way musical creativity works in the brain.
The Commonwealth Club of California’s Distinguished Citizen Award Gala is the most significant annual fundraising event to support The Commonwealth Club, an organization that uplifts the good health of public discourse and good information. It has raised more than $1 million each year for the past several years. Martha Ryan (incoming chair of the Club’s Board of Governors) and Peter Hill (Bailard executive chairman) are co-chairs of this year’s Gala Committee.
33rd Annual Distinguished Citizen Award Virtual Gala:
- When: Friday, November 19, 2021
- Time: 6–7 p.m. PST
- For more information, contact: plinares@commonwealthclub.org or (415) 597-6737
Donors & Sponsors: Marquee Level: Devon & Pete Briger, David Spencer / SenSpa. Hero level: Pitch & Cathie Johnson, Arthur Rock & Toni Rembe Rock. Leader level: Bailard Foundation, Adobe Systems, Anonymous (3). Champion Level: Mary G.F. Bitterman, Blue Shield of California, Dorian Daley & Michael Krautkramer, Evelyn & John Dilsaver, John & Tawnie Farmer, Lata Krishnan Shah & Ajay Shah, Nancy Mueller, PwC, Skip Rhodes, Martha & Greg Ryan, Mark and Jessica Zitter. Media Partner: San Francisco Magazine. Special thanks to the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of California, Berkeley
About The Commonwealth Club of California: Founded in 1903, The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation’s largest and most active public affairs forum, with about 22,000 members. Based in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the Club hosts about 500 conversations, town hall meetings, lectures, performances and discussions each year on issues of regional, national and international significance. At least 1 million people hear The Commonwealth Club’s weekly radio broadcasts on 230 stations across the country.
The Club in the New Normal: The Club has provided crucial connections and public dialogues within our community during the pandemic. During this time, the Club has produced more than 650 online programs for millions of viewers and participants, discussing important issues such as health and medicine, democracy, racial justice, climate change; considering possible solutions to all of these; offering arts and cultural programming; and much more. In June 2021, the Club restarted in-person programming. Now, the Club offers both in-person and online programming.
For more information, visit: www.commonwealthclub.org/2021gala
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