IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation announces the election of Ms. Kristen Monson as Chair of the Board of Directors, along with three newly elected at-large members. Ms. Monson brings extensive leadership experience as a retired PIMCO Executive Vice President and founder of the PIMCO Institute.
Ms. Monson joined Beckman Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2021. She previously served as a member of its Investment Committee as well as Chair of its Nominating Committee before being elected to the position of Chair of the Board of Directors.
“Kristen Monson is going to take the Foundation to new heights, that is for sure. She is a remarkable individual, and I couldn’t be happier to pass the gavel to her as my term as chair comes to an end,” said Dr. Andrew Lyon, Beckman Foundation’s outgoing Board Chair. Dr. Lyon was a 2000 Beckman Young Investigator Awardee who served on the Board of Directors from 2015-2025, first as Chair of the Science and Nominating Committee and then as Chair of the Board of Directors from 2022-2025.
Reflecting on the support she received during the transition to this new role, Ms. Monson recently remarked, “Thank you, Andrew. I appreciate your confidence and will do all I can to make sure not to disappoint. We will all miss your wisdom and contributions. You have passed the gavel literally and I will make sure to use it wisely…Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. It is an honor to have been selected by such an esteemed board to be the next Board Chair of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. The support of my fellow board members, our excellent staff, and previous board members makes taking on this new responsibility more manageable.”
In addition, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation’s Board of Directors elected three at-large members:
- Dan Bolar, CPA – Formerly with Bolar, Hirsch & Jennings, Mr. Bolar is a retired Certified Public Accountant and has served several large nonprofit organizations in Orange County with accounting and tax advice.
- Kent Hill, PhD – Dr. Hill is a Professor of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics at UCLA and a former Beckman Young Investigator Awardee.
- Jeffrey S. Moore, PhD – Dr. Moore is the Stanley O. Ikenberry Endowed Chair Emeritus at the University of Illinois and former Beckman Institute Director at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Beckman Research Institute.
About the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
Located in Irvine, California, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports researchers and nonprofit research institutions in making the next generation of breakthroughs in chemistry and the life sciences. Founded in 1977 by 20th century scientific instrumentation pioneer Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, the Foundation supports United States institutions and young scientists whose creative, high-risk, and interdisciplinary research will lead to innovations and new tools and methods for scientific discovery. For more information, visit beckman-foundation.org.
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SOURCE Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
