Bill Rastetter
Rastetter is a San Diego based artist and photographer who often works in the intersection of photography and painting. His intent is to produce a photographic print that appears to have been created with both paintbrush and color palette. His painterly depictions of ocean and sky were created after sunset with long exposures. He holds the camera shutter typically open for 2 to 10 minutes with an “all manual” (no electronics) view camera, as you see depicted in the photo above of the artist and his camera.
Rastetter is also a Scientist, Entrepreneur and Biotech Industry legend. He earned a BS Degree in Chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MA and Ph.D in Chemistry from Harvard University. He has played significant roles as CEO, President, CFO and Director along with founding board member in the operations, governance and founding of a variety of companies from IDEC Pharmaceuticals, Biogen, Biogen IDEC, Receptos Inc., Fate Therapeutics, Neurocrine Biosciences, Dare Bioscience, Grail, Regulus Therapeutics, Venrock, Caltech and Illumina and Illumina Venture.
When not photographing, he continues to help fund and grow biotechnology companies.
Education:
1971
S.B. (Chemistry) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1972
M.A. (Chemistry) Harvard University
1975
Ph.D. (Chemistry) Harvard University, Thesis advisor, R.B. Woodward
Current Positions:
2023-present
Member, Board of Directors, Iambic, Inc (Private)
2020-present
Chairman, San Diego Squared
2017-present
Chairman, Board of Directors, Daré, Inc. (DARE, NASDAQ) since July 2019, and member board of directors
2016-present
Advisor to Illumina Ventures
2013-present
Member, Board of Directors, Regulus Therapeutics, Inc. (RGLS, NASDAQ)
2011-present
Chairman, Board of Directors, Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (FATE, NASDAQ)
Chairman, Board of Directors, Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NBIX, NASDAQ) and member board of directors since February 2010
Previous Positions:
Member, Board of Directors Grail 2016-2021; Interim CEO August 2017 -January 2018; Chairman, Board of Directors 2017-2018
Member, Leerink Partners Advisory Council 2014-2019
Member, Board of Trustees, Caltech 2015-2018
Chairman, Board of Directors, Cerulean Pharma Inc. (CERU, NASDAQ) 2016-2017 and board member 2014-2017
Chairman, Board of Directors, Illumina, Inc. (ILMN, NASDAQ), 2005-2016, and a member of the board of directors, 1998-2016
Chairman and co-founder, Receptos, Inc. (RCPT, NASDAQ), 2009-2015, and interim CEO 2009-2010; company sold to Celgene in 2015
Partner at Venrock, a venture capital firm, 2006-2013
Interim CEO, Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (FATE, NASDAQ), February-October 2012
Executive Chairman of Biogen Idec (BIIB, NASDAQ), 2003-2005; President and Chief Executive Officer of IDEC Pharmaceuticals (IDPH, NASDAQ) from its founding in 1986 through 2003, and Chief Financial Officer, 1988-1993; member board of directors IDEC, 1986-2003, and Chairman, Board of Directors IDEC, 1996-2003.
Member of the board of directors Argonaut Technologies, Inc. (AGNT, NASDAQ), 1995-2003
Member of the board of directors of Spiros Development Corporation (SDCO, NASDAQ), 1998-2000.
Director, Corporate Ventures, Genentech, Inc. (DNA, NYSE) 1984-1986. In this capacity WHR served on the boards of directors or management committees of Genentech’s joint venture companies, Genencor (a founder with Corning Glass), HP Genenchem (with Hewlett Packard), GLC Associates (a founder with Lubrizol), and Travenol- Genentech Diagnostics (with Travenol Laboratories).
Director, Biocatalysis, Genentech, Inc., 1983-1984
Director, Chemical Sciences, Genentech, Inc., 1982-1983.
Various faculty positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology:
Associate Professor of Chemistry, 1981-1982
Firmenich Assistant Professor of Natural Products Chemistry (an endowed chair), 1979-1981
Awards, Honors:
Phi Beta Kappa (M.I.T.)
Phi Lambda Upsilon (M.I.T.)
1973
Award for “Excellence in the Teaching of Chemistry” Harvard University
1980-1982
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow
1998
Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Biotechnology, San Diego
2002
Jacob Heskel Gabbay Award in Biotechnology and Medicine
2003
The Irvington Institute for Immunological Research Corporate Leadership in Science Award
2004-2006
Visiting Committee for the Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2007
Connect Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Honoree
2004
Chair of the Committee to Visit the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University; Member 2008
2015
Corporate Directors Forum Lifetime Achievement Award
Pantheon Life Sciences Leadership Award, California Life Sciences Association
2016
Visiting Committee for the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech
Peer-Elected Awards from The Biotech Meeting at Laguna Niguel:
1998
Best of Biotech, New Therapeutic Product, Rituxan®
2001
Biotech Hall of Fame, Leading Company, IDEC Pharmaceuticals
2002
Biotech Hall of Fame, Special Recognition for an Individual
Best of Biotech, Best New Approved Product, Zevalin®
2003
Biotech Hall of Fame, Scientific Achievement, shared with Drs. Anderson, Hanna and Grillo-Lopez
2018
Biotechnology Heritage Award, co-sponsored by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization and the Chemical Heritage Foundation presented at the BIO International Convention, Boston
2024
Rell Sunn Award, UCSD Health
Publications, IP:
William H. Rastetter is the author of numerous scientific papers and patents in the fields of organic and bioorganic chemistry, protein and enzyme engineering, and biotechnology (publication list available upon request). He is a co-inventor of Rituxan® and Zevalin®.
Selected Gallery Shows:
2006
Velvia Flowers, Roche Bobois, La Jolla, California
2010
Nighttime Seascapes, Joseph Bellows Gallery, Rancho Santa Fe, California
2011
Sea and Sky, Photographs by Bill Rastetter, Joseph Bellows Gallery, La Jolla, California
2015
Urban Landscapes, The Madison Gallery, La Jolla, California
2016
Bill Rastetter: Street Art Reinterpreted, The Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, California
2017
Equatorial Sea: Water and Light. A Study of Color, UCSD Faculty Club, La Jolla, California; January 24-April 25, 2017
Summer Selections at Joseph Bellows Gallery, La Jolla, California includes pieces from several artists including “Tetiaroa December 14, 2015” by WHR in 42×56 inch format
2018
Edibles: Food Sketches, Photographs on Watercolor Paper, UCSD Faculty Club, La Jolla, California
2020
The Pervasive Veil of Atmosphere, Selected Works, at Joseph Bellows Gallery, La Jolla, California; pinhole photographs of sea and sky at dawn and at dusk
2022
La Jolla Horizons at L&G Projects, La Jolla, California; 3×6 ft Seascapes captured at sunset or after, at Marine Street Beach