Rebecca K. Delker, Chemistry & Biochemistry Student
Receives 2007 Selma and Robert Silagi Award

June 5 , 2007
Carolyn Ebrahimi

Rebecca K. Delker, Chemistry & Biochemistry
2007 Selma & Robert Silagi Award recipient.

Rebecca K. Delker, a senior majoring in Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCSD, has been named recipient of the 2007 Selma and Robert Silagi Award for undergraduate excellence in science by the Division of Physical Sciences at UCSD.

An award luncheon held on May 30, 2007 at the UCSD Faculty Club honored Ms. Delker where she was presented with a $5,000 award by Dean Mark H. Thiemens on behalf of Laura J. Silagi from Venice, California. Laura Silagi, one of the surviving children of Selma and Robert Silagi, attended the luncheon.

Rebecca K. Delker awarded the 2007 Selma and Robert Silagi Award
by Dean Mark Thiemens at a luncheon in her honor.

The Selma and Robert Silagi Award for Undergraduate Excellence is presented annually to an outstanding senior in the natural sciences. The award, based solely on merit, was originally established to honor the memory of Dr. Selma Silagi by her husband Robert Silagi, children, Daniel J. Silagi and Laura R. Silagi, and grandson, Simeon S. Weinraub. After the death of Robert, the family changed the name to include Robert and honor his memory.

Ms. Delker was also recipient of the 2006 Deans Undergraduate Award for Excellence. Rebecca plans to further her graduate study in biochemistry at the prestigious Rockefeller University and eventually become a professor running her own research laboratory.

Rebecca was attracted to UCSD because of the opportunities offered to undergraduates to conduct top-level research. Her first experience in research was in industry at Attenuon, a San Diego biopharmaceutical company, working under the direction of Dr. Bob Ternansky. Her research work was in the field of organic synthesis; optimizing the yield of the first reaction in a multi-step synthesis of a cancer therapeutic. During the past year Rebecca has done experiments in Dr. Alex Hoffmann’s (UCSD) laboratory that examine signal processing in mammalian cells that determine whether the cell will undergo apoptosis. “I find the whole research process very rewarding. To work so hard and discover even the smallest aspect of some grander project is very exciting. Also, just to be part of a team that works together to accomplish incredible things is amazing,” Rebecca states.

“I find the whole research process very rewarding. To work so hard and discover even the smallest aspect of some grander project is very exciting. Also, just to be part of a team that works together to accomplish incredible things is amazing,” Rebecca Delker states.

“Besides being courageous and skillful, qualities which have allowed Rebecca to develop new experimental assays that provide new insight, she is quick to draw conclusions from a complex set of data and develop hypotheses. Her enthusiasm and high level of functioning has also inspired others in the lab and set the bar up a notch,” states Professor Alex Hoffman.

“Besides being courageous and skillful, qualities which have allowed Rebecca to develop new experimental assays that provide new insight, she is quick to draw conclusions from a complex set of data and develop hypotheses. Her enthusiasm and high level of functioning has also inspired others in the lab and set the bar up a notch,” states Professor Alex Hoffman (Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry).

Originally from Danville, California, Rebecca was asked what characteristics and qualities about herself that are exceptional. “I am stubborn, which works out well when it comes to school work and research. It makes me incredibly dedicated and passionate about my work, and also very hardworking. My inspiration comes from my hard working parents,” she explains.

Rebecca basically loves water sports; anything that has to do with the beach, scuba diving, sailing and swimming. She is also an active member of the American Chemical Society.

Selma Silagi, born Selma Epstein, was an outstanding student at every level. She received her bachelor’s degree from Hunter College with honors in 1936 and master’s degree at Columbia University in 1938. After 22 years of service as a biology teacher in New York City high schools, she returned to Columbia where she earned a doctoral degree in genetics in 1961. She accepted a research associate appointment with Nobel Laureate Edward Tatum at Rockefeller University and subsequently accepted a faculty position at Cornell University Medical College in New York City. During her tenure at Cornell, Dr. Silagi made many important discoveries on the molecular basis of melanoma tumor formation. She retired from Cornell in 1986.

Robert Silagi graduated from the City College of New York in 1936 and received his juris doctorate from St. John’s University in 1940. He served his country during World War II as an officer in the United States Coast Guard and had a long and distinguished career in New York City until he retired in 1989. Among other organizations, he represented the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Carpenters’ Union, The Catholic Lay Teachers’ Union and Local 1212 of the Radio and Television Engineers Union. In 1960, he successfully argued a landmark labor relations case involving jurisdictional disputes between different bargaining units before the United States Supreme Court.

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Past Award Recipients:

Kevin A. McCarthy, Physics (2006)
Alan J. Anders, Mathematics (2005)
Marika Orlov, Biological Sciences (2004)
Elad Harel, Chemistry/Biochemistry (2003)
Deva O’Neil, Physics (2002)
Aaron Straus, Mathematics (2001)
Leena Shankar, Biological Sciences (2000)