Two MacArthur Foundation genius grants will go to New Jersey residents in 2017—Damon Rich of Newark, a designer and urban planner, and Betsy Levy Paluck of Princeton, a research psychologist at Princeton University.
Two New Jersey Residents Among 2017 MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius Grants” The MacArthur Foundation Oct. 11 announced the 2017 recipients of its fellowship program, a prestigious award that promotes creativity and innovation with $625,000 awards. Two of the 2017 class of MacArthur’s “genius grants” will go to two New Jersey residents, Jess Mazzola reported in The Star-Ledger/NJ.com. The foundation describes the awards as “no-strings-attached” funding that goes to “extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential.”
The College of New Jersey Cuts Ribbon on $76 Million, State-of-the-Art STEM Complex
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New Jersey Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann, and The College of New Jersey President R. Barbara Gitenstein took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 12 to officially open the college’s new, state-of-the-art STEM building, Chemistry addition, and Forum. The cost of the project, which broke ground in July 2015, was $76,211,000, including $40 million provided through the Building Our Future Bond.
U.S. Senators Introduce “Startup Act to Reauthorize Regional Innovation Strategies, Implement Commercialization Grants” The State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI) reported that U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) along with Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced the Startup Act on Sept. 28. The legislation would help regions throughout the country address critical gaps between R&D and economic prosperity.
Stevens Institute of Technology Team Named Finalist in 2017 Collegiate Inventors Competition A Stevens Institute of Technology Senior Design team has been named one of only six undergraduate finalists for the 2017 Collegiate Inventors Competition, which honors the nation’s top collegiate inventors. The students devised CerebroSense, a device that can monitor and measure exposed brain tissue from a distance, which reduces complications during and after open-brain surgery.
National Science Foundation Awards $13 Million to Create Princeton University and CUNY Program Aimed to Bring Together Physicists and Biologists The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $13 million to create the Center for the Physics of Biological Function, a joint endeavor between Princeton University and the City University of New York that will be headed up by Princeton biophysicists William Bialek and Joshua Shaevitz. The new center will tackle a deceptively simple question: What does modern physics reveal about life itself?
PhRMA Announces 2017 Research & Hope Award Honorees; Releases ‘Medicines in Development for Mental Illnesses Report’ Mental health disorders are a heavy human and economic burden in the United States. More than 40 million people across the country are impacted by mental illness, and it’s estimated that in any given year there are more than $300 billion in direct and indirect costs to the U.S. economy related to mental illness. As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) on Oct. 10 announced it is recognizing and honoring five individuals who are working tirelessly to advocate for patients, fight stigma surrounding mental illnesses and advance research at our 2017 Research & Hope Awards.
JerseyCAN’s New Report Explores STEM Innovations in NJ and Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Jobs JerseyCAN has just released a new report, Preparing the Children of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow: A Window into STEM Education in New Jersey, highlighting STEM innovations across New Jersey. JerseyCAN met with over 70 individuals and organizations leading pioneering work in STEM education including: superintendents, principals, teachers, students, think tanks, foundations, corporate leaders, scientific institutions, the military, state leaders and academics.
HINJ Hosts Life Sciences Celebration 2017; Honors Six in Public Affairs, Research, STEM Education and Patient Advocacy Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) on Oct. 12 honored four individuals, a nonprofit patient advocacy organization and a public high school for their meritorious contributions in public service, medical innovation/human health, patient access/advocacy and STEM education.
Upcoming Events
NJ Tech Council’s Women in Tech
When: Oct. 18, 8 am – 1 pm
Where: New Brunswick
NJEN Presents Fundable Opportunities in the Legal Marijuana Business: A Panel of Experts
When: Oct. 18, 12 pm – 3 pm
Where: Princeton Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal, 100 College Road East, Princeton
New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities’ ‘Paul Shelly Legacy Symposium on Higher Education: The Lifelong Value of a Bachelor’s Degree’ – Newark, NJ.
When: Oct. 19, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Dr, Trenton
Rutgers Biomedical Engineering Medical Device Development Center and HINJ’s Forum Series: ‘Cybersecurity for Medical Devices’
When: Oct. 19, 5 pm – 7 pm
Where: Rutgers University Easton Auditorium (Busch Campus), 101 Bevier Road, Piscataway
