Patrick Soon-Shiong M.D. and Rick Stephens, both members of the USC Viterbi School’s Board of Councilors, received Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Eddy Awards® November 12.
“It was truly a special evening as two members of the Viterbi School Board of Councilors accepted two key Eddy awards!” said Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, who was present at the ceremony.
Rick Stephens, left, of Boeing, and Patrick Soon-Shiong M.D., center, share stage with LAEDC President and CEO Bill Allen at the Eddy Awards® ceremony at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
Soon-Shiong, Executive Chairman of Abraxis Bioscience and CEO of Abraxis Health, received the individual award.
“Patrick Soon-Shiong continues to push the bounds of the medical industry,” said Bill Allen, LAEDC president and CEO, who made the presentations.
“His research and companies have played a key role in the advancement of the bioscience industry in Los Angeles County in addition to creating countless jobs for Angelenos," Allen continued. We are proud to honor Dr. Soon-Shiong for his unwavering commitment to L.A. County through his philanthropic contributions, medical advances, and economic leadership.”
Boeing Corporation Senior VP for Human Resources Rick Stephens, a USC alumnus, accepted the corporate award on behalf of his employer.
“The Boeing Company’s leadership in aerospace, particularly in L.A. County, has helped to shape the economic makeup of our diverse region,” said Allen,
“Boeing’s C-17 program has created thousands of good quality jobs for L.A. County residents,” he went on, “and the LAEDC is proud to recognize and publicly celebrate their contributions to the aerospace industry, an industry that has been critical to the economic health of our region.”
Yortsos offered congratulations to both winners, noting that Viterbi research on health informatics at ISI is sponsored through the newly established health centers at St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica and supported by Dr. Soon-Shiong. "Patrick's vision is creating unprecedented new advances in health care, that promise to revolutionize the field. His support of the initiative on Health Informatics is crucial and tremendously appreciated."
Yortsos also noted the very strong ties between Boeing and the Viterbi School: “USC engineering alumni who have worked for Boeing now number in the thousands, while Boeing is a founding member and continuous sponsor of the highly successful Center for Systems and Software Engineering now in its 13th year. The Viterbi School appreciates greatly its partnership with Boeing on graduate education in a number of areas, from Aerospace to Systems Engineering.”
About the Eddy Awards ®
The Eddy Awards® were introduced by the LAEDC in 1996 to celebrate individuals and organizations that demonstrate exceptional contributions to positive economic development in the region.
About LAEDC
The LAEDC, the region’s premier business leadership organization, is a private, non-profit organization established in 1981 under section 501(C) (3). The LAEDC’s mission is to attract, retain, and grow business and jobs for the regions of Los Angeles County.
