Dear Colleagues, 

I am pleased to include another issue of RFS Briefings with some timely and encouraging updates on women in science.

Please continue to share important news and opportunities with us so that we may share it with you and others who are committed to supporting the careers of exceptional women in science.

Stay safe and sound,

Karla Shepard Rubinger
Executive Director
Rosalind Franklin Society
www.rosalindfranklinsociety.org 



Pardis Sabeti appointed to Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation board of trustees.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced the election of a new trustee, Pardis Sabeti, M.D., DPhil (an RFS board member). A distinguished geneticist and professor, Dr. Sabeti is known for her innovative research in infectious disease genomics and her pioneering role in developing rapid diagnostic tools for epidemic outbreaks. Read more. Image via Broad Institute.

SpaceX president says 'there is plenty of room for competition,' as Starlink nears 5 million customers.
SpaceX's president and COO Gwynne Shotwell, speaking at the 2024 Baron Investment Conference in New York: "I hope others can catch up, right? Competition is good for industries. … It keeps us tight; it keeps us very focused.” Read more.

Science Diversity Leadership Award.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative invites applications for a five-year funding grant (2025–2030) that supports excellent biomedical researchers with a record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their scientific field. Read more.

52 Johns Hopkins-affiliated scholars among world's most cited researchers.

Sabra Klein, Professor at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is honored to be one of 52 The Johns Hopkins University professors named to the list of the world's most cited researchers. This is her third year on this list and highlights that sex differences and women's health research is gaining traction. She is proud to co-direct the Johns Hopkins Center for Women's Health, Sex, and Gender Research, which also works on these issues and supports junior investigators new to this field of study. Read more. Image via Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Deals for female-founded companies lag as NYC's VC environment grows stronger.
New York City has firmly established itself as the second-most-active venture capital hub in the U.S. but deals for female-founded companies are lagging behind and even trending downward, according to a new report. Read more.

Applications are now open for the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize.
The Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize acknowledges exceptional researchers who are making significant contributions in any scholarly discipline related to learning and development, or aimed at improving the living conditions of children and youth. Read more.

Frontline Communities Hold the Answers to the Climate Crisis. The Solutions Project Helps Bring Them To Life.

“We can create the future we want. The people are calling for it. The planet is calling for it. It’s time for us to level up, and rise to the occasion.” — Gloria Walton, President & CEO, The Solutions Project. Read more. Image via McNulty Foundation.

Inaugural Institute for Translational Neuroscience Colloquium.
This first colloquium in a quarterly series aims to define and support new directions in translational neuroscience research across the NYU Langone Health research and clinical care ecosystem. Speakers include Heidi Schambra, Alice Mosberger, and Jennifer Frontera. Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 4 – 5pm. Read more.

West Virginia native Emily Calandrelli becomes 100th woman in space.
Blue Origin’s New Shepherd vehicle launched into space Friday morning with Morgantown native Emily Calandrelli on board. Calandrelli was the biggest name on board, known for her science programs “Emily’s Wonder Lab” on Netflix and “Emily’s Science Lab” on YouTube. Read more.

University of Rhode Island receives $65 million gift—the largest in its history—to support scholarships.

The philanthropic gift—the largest in the University of Rhode Island’s history—is the result of an estate gift from the late Helen Izzi Schilling, a 1954 graduate of the University. Based on a commitment made with her late husband to include the University in their will, the gift establishes the Helen Izzi Schilling ’54 and Francis Schilling Scholars Program. Read more. Image: Helen Izzi Schilling in her college yearbook. The Grist 1954, The University of Rhode Island.

UAE’s Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation launches women in artificial intelligence initiative.
UAE-based Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation has launched a new initiative aimed at bringing in more women into the growing AI sector. There is an increasing trend in equipping all professionals and youth in particular in AI skills as part of the mandate of many NGOs and philanthropic foundations. Read more.

Uncovering the Stories of Scripps Women Oceanographers.
A recent event opened “Three Lives,” an exhibit at Gallery QI that is part of the larger EMBODIED PACIFIC exhibition across UC San Diego and beyond. “Three Lives” focuses on Easter Ellen Cupp, June Grace Pattullo and Anita Smith Hall, who contributed to oceanography before women were accepted in the field. Read more.

The CDF appoints three new members to its Board of Directors.

The Board of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands announced the appointment of Lúcia G. Lohmann, Mary C. Pearl and Andrew Balfour to its Board of Directors. Each new member brings unique expertise and a deep commitment to CDF’s mission of safeguarding the Galapagos Islands through science and conservation. The CDF Board is chaired by Yolanda Kakabadse. Read more. Image: Lúcia G. Lohmann (left) and Mary C. Pearl (right) via the Charles Darwin Foundation.

USD Receives Record-Breaking Pledge During Founders Gala.
The University of San Diego (USD) received a record-breaking financial pledge totaling $75 million from Darlene Marcos Shiley, philanthropist and Chair Emerita of USD’s Board of Trustees. Read more.

Three Women Selected for Endowed Professorships in STEM Disciplines.
The women appointed to endowed chairs are Yashi Ahmed at Dartmouth College, Jalene LaMontagne at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Beverly Magda at Cedar Crest College. Read more.

Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement.

The Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement is the American Academy of Sciences & Letters’s premier recognition of excellence in scholarship. A special congratulations to the winners of the Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement: Marianne Bertrand, Jeannie Suk Gersen, Karin I. Öberg and Megan Sykes. Read more. Image: The 2024 Barry Prize winners pose with Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer and other friends.

 

We are pleased to welcome the first members of our new Council of Corporate Leadership!


            

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