Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 20, 2021

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 20, 2021 

CITY OF HOPE RENAMES WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH 

CENTER THE “ARTHUR RIGGS DIABETES & METABOLISM 

RESEARCH INSTITUTE”

At City of Hope, Arthur Riggs, 
Ph.D., and colleagues first developed 
the technology to create synthetic 
human insulin, used today 
by hundreds of millions of people 
worldwide for diabetes.

Riggs also developed recombinant 
DNA technology capable of producing 
humanized monoclonal 
antibodies that are the foundation 
of modern treatments for diabetes, 
cancer, autoimmune diseases, 
blindness and a host of other 
diseases.

A scientific giant who has made it his life goal to create a world without diabetes and 
cancer, Dr. Riggs has quietly donated more than $310 million to advance City of Hope 
biomedical research. Dr. Riggs has insisted that his gifts remain anonymous so that any 
attention would not detract from his work. He hopes that by making his gifts public, he 
can inspire others, both in California and across the world, to give at a time when new 
therapeutic discoveries are needed more than ever.

The Riggs Institute is one of the world’s foremost scientific organizations dedicated to 
investigating the biology of diabetes and its treatment.

Including his most recent $100 million gift, Riggs’ philanthropy totals more than $310 
million to City of Hope over 30 years

Above: Arthur Riggs, Ph.D., Director Emeritus of the Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute 
at City of Hope. Photo Credit: City of Hope


THE NEW WORKFORCE REALITY: UPSKILLING AND 
RESKILLING POST-COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed our society and our world in many ways. The nature of the 21st Century 
workplace is a prime example.

The pandemic has forced businesses in almost every sector to adopt new tools and techniques. 
New ways of doing things have permanently changed the nature and future of work. 

Pre-pandemic, telecommuting was on a slow but steady march toward greater acceptability. 
It has now been shown to be an effective business model for many businesses. Decreased 
employer costs and greater employee satisfaction are just two benefits that have made 
telecommuting the new norm for many businesses.

Upskilling—refining current skills or acquiring new ones—help workers stay relevant in their 
current occupation. Reskilling—learning entirely new skills—prepares workers do a different 
job, often within the same company. This type of training is now seen by many experts as an 
absolute necessity for workers and businesses who wish to be successful and competitive. 
Amazon and MasterCard have already invested heavily in upskilling and reskilling for their 
current employees.

But what if you don’t work for a corporate giant? How can workers across the employment 
spectrum adapt to the new workplace and at minimum personal cost?

Noncredit courses offered at local community colleges, such as Citrus College, serving the 
greater San Gabriel Valley, offer training intended for students who want to gain general 
knowledge, learn a new skill or upgrade existing ones. And many are tuition free. 

Citrus College offers noncredit classes in Short Term Vocational Programs with High 
Employment Potential, Workforce Preparation, and English as a Second Language, to 
name just a few. While not 
applicable toward a degree, upon 
completion of required classes, 
students can earn a noncredit 
certificate of competency or 
completion. Courses include 
Microsoft Office Applications, 
Computer Keyboarding and 
Document Processing, Heating 
and Air Conditioning and a great 
many others. There’s even an 
introductory course in online 
learning that prepares students to 
become successful online learners.

Is it possible to future-proof your 
career? Maybe not entirely, but 
the key to staying competitive will 
certainly mean broadening your 
skills base, layering on new skills 
and keeping them fresh. The new workforce reality is already here—noncredit courses will 
give you the skills to thrive. 


PLEASE STAY SAFE!

SOCIALLY DISTANCE!

WEAR A MASK! 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com