The Franklin Institute Announces the 2010 Franklin Institute Laureates
More News related to Press Releases
- Joseph G. Blute Appointed to Faculty of Prestigious Trial Academy
- VELCADE(R) (Bortezomib) for Injection to be Featured in Plenary Session at American Society of Hematology
- Apella Resources Inc.: Promising Drill Results at Lac Dore North Vanadium-Iron Titanium Project
- Apella Resources Inc.: Promising Drill Results at Lac Dore North Vanadium-Iron Titanium Project
- Toronto Rally December 2nd in Support of Migrant Workers
Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft, Receives Bower Award for Business Leadership
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Franklin Institute today named eleven preeminent trailblazers in science, technology, and business as the 2010 Franklin Institute Laureates. Among them, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was chosen to receive the Bower Award for Business Leadership for his visionary leadership and philanthropic work. The $250,000 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science will be awarded to W. Richard Peltier. The extraordinary contributions of all eleven individuals will be celebrated at The Franklin Institute Awards black-tie ceremony and dinner on Thursday, April 29, 2010. The awards event, considered one of the preeminent social events in Philadelphia, crowns a week-long series of activities aimed at education and outreach, utilizing the individual laureates, to bring science to the community.
Dating back to 1824, The Franklin Institute Awards have been awarded to Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Marie and Pierre Curie, Orville Wright and Jane Goodall, among many others. In fact, many Franklin Institute Award winners have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize, including four just this year. The contributions of this year's medalists range from significant advances in cancer treatment, to the creation and considerable improvement of software technology.
THE 2010 FRANKLIN INSTITUTE LAUREATES
William H. Gates, III, Microsoft Corporation
Bower Award for Business Leadership
For co-founding Microsoft Corporation and providing the visionary leadership that enabled it to become a global innovator in business and personal computing. Through his philanthropic work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Gates has made major contributions toward improving access to healthcare and education for those in need throughout the world.
W. Richard Peltier, FRSC, University of Toronto
Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science - Earth Systems
For fundamental advances in the understanding of Earth Systems, by demonstrating profound interconnections between surface climate variability, as evidenced in the hydrosphere and cryosphere, and the internal properties and dynamics of the solid Earth.
Joanne Stubbe, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry
For uncovering the intricate processes by which cells safely use free radicals, for developing new cancer treatments, and for improving the production of environmentally-friendly biodegradable polymers.
Shafrira Goldwasser, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Weizmann Institute of Science
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science
For her fundamental contributions to the theoretical foundation of modern cryptography, which led to techniques that can guarantee secure access to the Internet.
Gerhard M. Sessler, Dr. rer. nat., Darmstadt University of Technology
James E. West, Johns Hopkins University
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering
For the invention and development of the first practical electret microphone which can inexpensively be made small enough to fit into cellular phones, digital cameras, and other portable devices.
Peter C. Nowell, M.D., University of Pennsylvania
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science
For the discovery that alterations to chromosomes can cause cancer, and further research leading to the development of a therapy that now cures 95% of individuals with chronic myelogenous leukemia.
D. Brian Spalding, FRS, FREng, Concentration, Heat & Momentum Limited (CHAM)
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Mechanical Engineering
For his seminal contributions to the computer modeling of fluid flow, creating the practice of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in industry, and paving the path for the widespread application of CFD to the design of objects from airplanes to heart valves.
J. Ignacio Cirac, Ph.D., Max-Planck Institute for Quantum Optics
David J. Wineland, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology
Peter Zoller, Ph.D., University of Innsbruck, Austrian Academy of Sciences
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics
For their theoretical proposal and experimental realization of the first device that performs elementary computer-logic operations using the quantum properties of individual atoms.
Beginning Tuesday, April 27, Franklin Institute Award medalists will participate in a series of events and activities at The Franklin Institute that are open to middle school, high school and college students, as well as to the general public. Laureates will take part in a seminar or lecture focusing on their area of expertise at various universities throughout the city. Related educational programming will take place throughout the week at The Franklin Institute. These events, most of which are free, provide a rare opportunity to meet, mingle with and "pick the brains" of some of the most exceptional minds in the world.
The culmination of this exciting week is the Franklin Awards Ceremony and Dinner. The highlight of this elegant event is the presentation of the medals to the Laureates. Programs like The Franklin Institute Awards, that inspire a passion for learning about science and technology, are made possible by its generous partners. Bank of America continues its leadership support since 2003 as the Presenting Sponsor of the Awards Ceremony and Dinner, and Cephalon, Inc. is the Awards Week Sponsor and Associate Sponsor of the Awards Ceremony and Dinner.
For more information including photos, visit http://www2.fi.edu/press/awards/.
About The Franklin Institute
Founded in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of America's oldest and premier centers of science education and development in the country. Today, the Institute continues its dedication to public education and creating a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology in ways that would dazzle and delight its namesake. Recognizing outstanding achievements in science throughout the world is one important way that the Institute honors its commitment to Benjamin Franklin's legacy. For more information, please go to www.fi.edu/awards.
SOURCE Franklin Institute
Stocks Mentioned
Related Entities
Sign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!
