• Klaus Ley, a doctor at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, has been awarded the prestigious Malpighi Medal at the World Congress for Microcirculation in France. He is the 17th recipient of the biennial award worldwide. The European Society for Microcirculation, the governing body for the award recipients, said it “honors researchers who are active in the field and stand out through their publications and scientific contribution, service to the entire field of microcirculatory and vascular biology research.” Ley’s discoveries over the years related to heart disease and inflammation, and focused on three specific areas: molecular mechanisms, biomechanics and methods development. • Elizabeth Brunton, a registered nurse at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, was honored Oct. 31 with the 2010 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Nurse Excellence Award for her ability to go above and beyond the normal standards of nursing practice. At Scripps, Brunton is a passionate advocate for patient education and also works cross-functionally to help educate her colleagues. • Jennifer Levitt of La Jolla has been hired as the Jewish Women’s Foundation’s (JWF) fifth chair. A graduate student at UCSD, Levitt is focusing her sociology thesis on the way gender, race, class and sexuality shape the role of motherhood. She previously served on the organization’s single-parent and grants committees. She is leading a new Teen Leadership Initiative. “I joined JWF because it was starting to support Jewish single family parents, and this fit with my interest in motherhood and gender equality,” she said in a recent statement. • Scripps Institute of Oceanography recently selected Dr. James E. Eckman as its new director for the California Sea Grant program. A biological oceanographer and longtime senior science administrator, Eckman comes to Sea Grant having led the Office of Naval Research’s flagship program, Marine Mammals and Biological Oceanography, for 13 years. With Sea Grant he will provide research related to the understanding of the effects of sound on marine mammals, among other things. Eckman’s official first day on the job is Jan. 3, 2011. • Opera star Stephanie Weissis a 1992 graduate of Country Day and will be returning to her alma mater on Mar. 11 for a special recital at the Four Flowers Theater. Her appearance will coincide with a series of performances with San Diego Opera where she will star as Marianne in Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier” at the San Diego Civic Center. Tickets for this free performance at Country Day will be distributed by San Diego Opera and Country Day by calling (858) 453-3440.