Large group of people in auditorium listening to speaker

Seaver Spotlight

Seaver Spotlight is LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineer’s signature speaker series featuring distinguished leaders in STEM who share their experiences and insights as they seek to live lives of meaning and purpose. 

Three people in picture - man, woman, man - who are industry practice leaders.
Friday, Oct. 27 | Featherston Life Sciences Building | 4-5 p.m. Panel Presentation | 5-6:30 p.m. Networking Reception

“Great Minds of STEM”

The Seaver Spotlight Fall 2023 event features three distinguished industry leaders who will share their insights into the fields of environmental engineering, technology, and health care. Moderated by Seaver College’s Dean Tina Choe, panelists will address some of the exciting opportunities on the horizon, important skill sets, and advice for students

This panel discussion features three of Seaver’s six Industry Practice Leaders, industry practitioners appointed by the college to be resources to Seaver students by sharing their experiences and professional expertise:

  • Traci Minamide, M.S. '87, is the chief operating officer for City of Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment, a department of over 3,500 employees with an annual revenue of over $1 billion. Minamide currently serves on the Board of SoCal Water. Read more.
  • Josh Mosqueira is the game director at Bad Robot Games, a full-scale game development and publishing house created by Bad Robot Productions, a film and television production company.  Mosqueira is a co-founder of Bonfire Studios and was the game director on Diablo III. Read more.
  • Kirk Tamaddon, M.D., is the area medical director and chief of staff at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center, responsible for the care delivered by 535 physicians (and 1900 employees) to more than 245,000 Kaiser Permanente member patients. Read more.
Read about the event

Past Speakers

Headshot of Wanda Austin

Wanda Austin, Ph.D.

Former President & CEO, Aerospace Corporation

Former Interim President, USC

"Leadership in a Complex World"

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Deepak Srivastava

Deepak Srivastava, M.D.

President, Gladstone Institutes

Director, Roddenberry Stem Cell Center, Gladstone Institutes

Attending Pediatric Cardiologist, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital

"Hacking the Genetic Code to Treat Human Disease"

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Guy Consolmagno

Guy Consolmagno, S.J.

Director, Vatican Observatory

President, Vatican Observatory Foundation

"Your God is Too Small"

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Stephen Speicher

Stephen Speicher, M.D.

Associate Medical Director of Patient Safety Programs, Flatiron Health

"Innovation in the Time of COVID-19"

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Steve Isakowitz

Steve Isakowitz

Aerospace Corporation President

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Ellen Pawlikowski

Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski

Retired Four-Star General

"The Only Woman in the Room"

Friday, October 4, 2019

Featured panel of executives from San Diego Health Connect, Salesforce and UCLA Health standing with Dean Tina Choe.

"Electronic Health Records: Past, Present and Future Trends"

Panel Discussion

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Gwynne Dragon

Gwynne Shotwell

President and COO, SpaceX

Friday, September 21, 2018

Paul Viviano

Paul Viviano

President and CEO, Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Chair, LMU Board of Trustees

"Do You Want to Hear God Laugh?"

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Robert Sclabassi

Robert Sclabassi, M.D. '62

CEO, Computational Diagnostics, Inc.

Managing Partner, Clinical Neurophysiological Services, LLC

Director of Intraoperative Monitoring Services, Allegheny Health Network

"Life is Not Linear: How LMU Prepares You for the Curves"

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Annette Walker

Annette Walker '79

President of Strategy, Providence St. Joseph Health

Chief Executive, St. Joseph Health

"From Scientist to Strategist: A Mother's Journey"

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Dwayne Wilson

Dwayne Wilson '80

Vice President, FLOUR Corporation

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Thomas Mueller

Thomas Mueller '92

Propulsion Chief Technology Officer, SpaceX

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Shira Shafir

Shira Shafir, Ph.D. '99

Director of Social Innovation & Impact, TOMS

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Dorota Shortell

Dorota Shortell '98

President, Simplexity Product Development

"Success on Your Own Terms: Seizing Opportunity While Focusing on Your Priorities"

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Christian DeVirgillio

Christian DeVirgilio, M.D. '82

Surgeon and Professor of Surgery

"From the Classroom to the Operating Room"

Thursday, November 6, 2014