RFS Briefings - October 19, 2018

October, 2018 issue of RFS Briefings has some timely and encouraging updates on women in science, particularly:

Thomas A. Steitz, 78, Dies; Illuminated a Building Block of Life
Thomas A. Steitz, PhD, Yale University Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Professor of Chemistry, died October 9 at his home in Connecticut. Described as a "towering figure of late-20th century science," he was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2009 for his discovery of the exact size, shape, and position of every atom in the ribosome. This project, which took five years during his tenure at Yale, was a fundamental discovery because of its immediate application to medicine. It led to the understanding of how to find antibiotics that can evade drug-resistant bacteria. Dr. Steitz is survived by his wife of 52 years, Joan Argetsinger Steitz, PhD, Yale, an eminent molecular biologist who received this year's Lasker special achievement award in medical science in September. She is a founding board member of the Rosalind Franklin Society.  

The Gruber Foundation Call for Nominations
The Gruber Foundation invites nominations on behalf of individuals whose achievements in Cosmology, Genetics, or Neuroscience would make them suitable candidates for recognition through the 2019 Gruber International Prize Program. Each prize, which is accompanied by a $500,000 unrestricted monetary award, is designed both to recognize groundbreaking work in each field and to inspire additional efforts that effect fundamental shifts in knowledge and culture. Recipients are selected by a committee of distinguished experts in each field. Nomination forms should be completed and submitted online. Please go to https://gruber.yale.edu/prize-nominations for complete details and access to forms. 

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