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Honors & Other
Things
Benjamin
Franklin Medal: Dr. Hochstrasser
and
Dr.
Davis
Two
Penn researchers have been selected
as 2003 recipients of the Benjamin
Franklin Medal, one of the world's
oldest science and technology awards.
The laureates will be honored April
24 at an award ceremony at the Franklin
Institute.
Dr.
Robin M. Hochstrasser, professor
of chemistry, and Dr. Raymond
Davis Jr., research professor
of physics, are among 10 American
scientists recognized with Benjamin
Franklin Medals this year for
their distinguished achievements
in aviation, chemistry, civil
engineering, computers and cognitive
science, earth sciences, electrical
engineering, life sciences and
physics.
"These
exceptional scientists are taking up
the torch of a 178-year-old legacy
of extraordinary achievement in science
and technology," said Dennis M.
Wint, president and CEO of the Franklin
Institute. "Each of our laureates
has made a far-reaching contribution
to our understanding of the universe
and to improving the quality of our
lives."
The
2003 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry
goes to Dr. Hochstrasser for his pioneering
development of ultrafast and multi-dimensional
spectroscopies. These technologies
have advanced researchers' molecular-level
understanding of complex systems, including
such fundamental processes as energy
transfer in solids, reaction mechanisms
in liquid solutions, the binding of
small molecules on hemoglobin and the
observation of structural changes in
proteins.
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Dr.
Davis, who shares the 2003 Benjamin
Franklin Medal in Physics with Masatoshi
Koshiba of the University of Tokyo
and John Bahcall of the Institute for
Advanced Studies in Princeton, N.J.,
was a recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize
in Physics (Almanac,
October 15, 2002). Both honors
recognized Dr. Davis' groundbreaking
research into the emission of neutrinos
produced by nuclear fusion reactions
in the center of the sun. The observation
of these neutrinos demonstrated conclusively
that the sun is powered by the fusion
of hydrogen nuclei into helium nuclei.
Dr.
Davis has been affiliated with Penn
as a research professor since 1985
and as an adjunct professor of astronomy
from 1973 to 1983.
Dr.
Hochstrasser, a faculty member since 1962,
also serves as director of the Regional
Laser and Biotechnology Laboratories at
Penn, a position he has held since 1978.
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Wolf
Prize in Medicine: Dr. Brinster
Dr.
Ralph L. Brinster,
Richard King Mellon Professor
of Reproductive Physiology at
the School of Veterinary Medicine,
has been selected as a recipient
of the 2002-2003 Wolf Prize in
Medicine. The Wolf Prize Jury
cited him "for the development
of procedures to manipulate mouse
ova and embryos, which has enabled
transgenesis and its applications
in mice." Dr. Brinster shares
the prize with two other scientists, Dr.
Oliver Smithies of the University
of North Carolina, and Dr.
Mario R. Capecchi, of the
University of Utah. The three
researchers were honored for developing
techniques "for introducing
and modifying individual genes
withinmouse eggs and embryos."
Dr.
Brinster, V '60, a veterinarian, developed
a culture system to maintain mouse
and other mammalian eggs in vitro and
he identified many fundamental characteristics
of egg culture. This was essential
for the generation of transgenic animals.
Dr. Brinster first showed that it was
possible to colonize a mouse blastocyst
with stem cells from older embryos.
He was the first scientist to microinject
fertilized eggs with RNA and was a
pioneer in the field in applying these
microinjection methods to generate
transgenic mice.
The
Wolf Foundation was established in Israel
by the late Dr. Ricardo Wolf who served
as Cuba's ambassador to Israel. The Wolf
Prize in Medicine has been awarded since
1978 "for achievements in the interest
of mankind and friendly relations among
peoples." The 2002-2003 Wolf Prizes
will be conferred by the Israeli President
at a ceremony in Jerusalem on May 11.
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SEAS
Research Award: Dr. Luzzi
Dr.
David E. Luzzi,
professor of materials science
and engineering, is the 2002-2003
recipient of the George H. Heilmeier
Faculty Award for Excellence in
Research. The award is given to
encourage and recognize excellence
in scholarly activities among
the faculty.
Dr.
Luzzi has been engaged in scientific
exploration of atomic level structure
and processes at Penn for 15 years.
As the Director of the Nanotechnology
Institute (NTI) he oversees the Institute's
discovery and implementation activities
in nano-biotechnology, which has been
seeded by a $10.5 million grant from
the Commonwealth. Dr. Luzzi received
his B.E. in engineering physics from
Stevens Institute of Technology and
his Ph.D. in materials science from
Northwestern University. His research
program has included scientific investigations
in nanoscale phenomena and materials
for NSF, NASA, the DOE, and the DOD.
He is a member of a NSF Materials Research,
Science and Engineering Center and
a DOD Defense University Research Initiative
in Nanotechnology. Over 100 peer-reviewed
scientific publications and patents
on nanoscale phenomena, instrumentation,
and the synthesis, structure, properties
and application of materials have been
produced. The SEAS research award recognizes
his work on carbon nanotubes and "peapods," a
supramolecular hybrid assembly in which
single-walled nanotubes are filled
with a one-dimensional chain of molecules.
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Best
Show Prize: ICA
The Institute
of Contemporary Art has received
the Best Show award from AICA
for the exhibition Charles
LeDray, Sculpture 1989-2002.
The International Association
of Art Critics/USA Awards are
given in reco gnition of exceptional
and important work in the visual
arts by artists, curators, critics,
scholars, and cultural institution.
The award is the art-world equivalent
of the New York Film Critics Circle
or Drama Desk Awards.
Charles
LeDray, Sculpture 1989-2002, organized
by the ICA and curated by ICA
director, Claudia Gould, is the
first museum survey of his work.
The comprehensive exhibition of
recent works features approximately
30 pieces created by LeDray since
1989. The exhibit is currently
on display at the Yerba Buena
Center for the Arts until April
6, when it moves to the Seattle
Art Museum from April 26-July
27.
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Leadership
Award: Dr. Tomazinis
Dr.
Anthony Tomazinis,
professor of city and regional
planning and director of TRANS-LAB,
has received the Distinguished
Leadership Award for a Professional
Planner from the Pennsylvania
Planning Association (PPA). He
received the award for his sustained
contribution to the profession
through distinguished practice,
teaching, or writing. Dr. Tomazinis
was a pioneer in transportation
modeling and made major contributions
in methods of productivity, efficiency,
and quality in urban transportation
systems. His latest project led
him to Greece to help plan an
entire city, known as Technopolis,
aimed to incubate high-tech industries.
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Planners
at Ground Zero
Dr.
Eugénie Birch,
professor and chair of city and
regional planning, was named to
the six- person advisory committee
which helped rebuilding officials
select new planning teams for
Ground Zero. The Lower Manhattan
Development Corporation eventually
selected six teams to submit plans
for the area. Of the teams selected
two have Penn professors associated
with them. Dr. Gary Hack,
dean of GSFA, and Paley Professor,
and Dr. Daniel Libeskind,
Paul Philippe Cret Professor of
Architecture, serve at Studio
Daniel Libeskind, which is one
of two finalists recently chosen
for the Ground Zero plan.
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Dedalus
Senior Fellow: Dr. Poggi
Dr.
Christine Poggi,
associate professor of art history,
has been awarded the Dedalus Foundation's
2003 Senior Fellowship. Her fellowship
project, Modernity as Trauma:
The Cultural Politics of Italian
Futurism, will look at the
cultural program of Italian futurism
in light of its changing political
aspirations, from the inception
of the movement in 1909 to its
demise in 1944.
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Awards
for Student Nurses
Student
Nurses At Penn (SNAP) received several
awards at the Student Nurses Association
of Pennsylvania's 50th annual convention.
SNAP received the Chapter Excellence
Award, the Most Outstanding Website
Award, and the Gold Achievement Membership
Award. In addition, nursing junior Laura
Breyfogle was elected president
of the association.
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Marshall
Scholar: Mr. Zimbler
Adam
Zimbler,
a senior in the Huntsman Program
in International Studies and Business
and a Joseph Wharton Scholar,
has received a Marshall Scholarship,
one of only 40 awarded annually.
Mr. Zimbler is the fifth Penn
student to win a Marshall scholarship
since the program began in 1953.
He will study in the United Kingdom.
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Composer
Fellow: Mr. Carrillo-Cotto
Carlos
Carrillo-Cotto,
Ph.D. candidate, had been selected
as American Composers Orchestra's
Van Lier Composer Fellow for 2002.
Mr. Carrillo-Cotto received his
training at the Eastman School
of Music and Yale University.
The fellowship is designed as
a season-long professional development
program to enhance the careers
of promising emerging composers.
Through the Fellowship, Mr. Carrillo-Cotto
will participate in a wide variety
of performance, education and
outreach activities, while receiving
mentoring from ACO's artistic
and administrative staffs and
musicians. The Fellowship is funded
by the Edward and Sally Van Lier
Fund for the New York Community
Trust.
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Five
Siebel Scholars
The
following Wharton graduate students
have been named Siebel Scholars Class
of 2003: Nicholas Benedict, Laura
Bennett, Angela Crossman, Douglas Fisher, and Alexander
Moskovitz.
Students
were chosen based upon academic merit
and leadership in the first year of
their graduate studies.
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