The Franklin Institute Honors The 'Best of the Best'

THE 2010 FRANKLIN INSTITUTE AWARDS

Bill Gates in Philadelphia to receive Franklin Award, Charles Osgood to host sold-out ceremony

PHILADELPHIA, April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Franklin Institute has announced that CBS Sunday Morning anchor, Charles Osgood will serve as host of the 2010 Franklin Institute Awards on Thursday, April 29.  The now sold-out black-tie event in Philadelphia recognizes the extraordinary work of eleven individuals in the fields of science, business and technology.   Among the Laureates, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will 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 Franklin Institute Awards, often a precursor to the Nobel Prize, are awarded for outstanding achievements that have directly and positively impacted and enhanced the quality of human life and deepened our understanding of the universe.   Dating back to 1824, previous laureates have included Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Marie and Pierre Curie, Orville Wright and Jane Goodall, among many others.  The awards event crowns a week-long series of activities aimed at education and outreach, utilizing the individual laureates, to bring science to the community.

The extraordinary work of the 2010 Laureates ranges from calculating interactions which define the world around us to revolutionizing human interaction through the use of technology; from using mathematical proofs to keep us secure online to unlocking the mysteries of, as well as providing cures for cancer; from exploring the deep history and complexity of the earth's composition to ensuring a future for both our planet and its neediest inhabitants.  

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 provide a rare opportunity to meet, mingle with and "pick the brains" of some of the most exceptional minds in the world.  For a calendar of events, please visit http://www.fi.edu/franklinawards/10/schedule.html.

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