Presidential Endorsement

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Dr. Mark Humayun, professor of ophthalmology, biomedical engineering, and cell and neurobiology at USC, received an unexpected surprise from President Barack Obama when he was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation last year.

“These sorts of awards, I’ve never really kept as something to look to or get,” he said. “I do (the work) for completely different reasons, (but) when it happens it’s a great thing.”

Humayun, who declined to give his age, co-invented a series of retina implants called Argus that help restore sight to the blind – technology he has worked on for 30 years.

He said meeting Obama was much easier than he expected, especially since he was told a list of things not to do for security reasons, such as touching the president.

“He’s so friendly, the first thing he does is give you a big handshake,” Humayun said. “He’s just very cordial and warm, but the Secret Service was obviously very much alert.”

Checklist

Turning 50 is a major milestone for anyone, but for Ann Marie Mortimer, managing partner at the L.A. office of law firm Hunton & Williams, her birthday this year has been tinged with solemn reflection. Mortimer’s mother died in January, and it encouraged the downtown attorney to refocus on things she’s always wanted to do.

“What do I want to do to mark with intentionality this important benchmark year in my life?” she recalled. “Are the lives we’re living the lives we want?”

So Mortimer assembled a “50 for 50” list, detailing the 50 feats she wanted to accomplish by the end of her 50th year. Some of the items are relatively minor, such as eating at Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles for the first time or finding the best chili-cheese fries in Los Angeles, which Mortimer concluded were at the Hat in Pasadena or Tomboy’s in Manhattan Beach.

“You will find many of my endeavors are food related,” she said, laughing.

Others items on Mortimer’s to-do list require a little planning, such as visiting Dubai (check), staying at an ice hotel (check), and attending the Kentucky Derby (check, plus wearing “the biggest hat” she could find).

She’s been keeping track of all her adventures with photos and in a journal, and said she’s still seeking suggestions for the best doughnut in Los Angeles.

Staff reporters Subrina Hudson and Hayley Fox contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Jonathan Diamond. He can be reached at [email protected].

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