CELEBRATION SPEAKER

Dr. Andrew Hwang is a periodontist living in Irvine, California. He graduated from UC Irvine for his Bachelor of Science in Biology, went to UCLA for his Doctorate in Dental Surgery before completing his Masters in Periodontology at Columbia University. He comes from a family of dentists, as both his parents, sister and brother in law are also dentists. Dr. Hwang has always been interested in technology and after completing dental school, he founded a couple startup companies that assist doctors with their patient reminders, online scheduling, and website creation. While on his journey of being an entrepreneur, he came across blockchain and immediately became fascinated with it. Dr. Hwang spends 5-6 hours everyday researching the topic and has retired from Periodontics to focus solely on the coming blockchain revolution. He has now joined Rosten Capital, a hedge fund based in Newport Beach, leading their Blockchain Infrastructure fund.

Professor Andrea Nicholas first came to UCI in May, 2012. A year later, then Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education Michael Leon, PhD, asked Professor Nicholas to develop a specific pre-med major to cater to students pursuing careers as healthcare professionals. She conducted research to find out exactly what pre-med students were seeking from a dedicated pre-med program. The result of her work was the creation of the UCI BioSci Human Biology Major.

“When you look back at the moments that drove you, they probably didn’t happen reading a textbook,” Professor Nicholas said recently. “I put all my energy into creating snapshots where students are seen, heard, admired and rewarded for their scientific and medical passion by peers, experts and young people who emulate them. Human Bio majors graduate, move on and they come back to share their stories, advise and keep our train moving. Every train needs a conductor and I suppose that’s been me.” Her dedication to serving as faculty advisor to students in the major, and her commitment to pedagogical research are a testament to why she is our 2023 Golden Apple Award winner.