Committee on Science and the Arts
Profile and Members
Profile
The Franklin Institute's Committee on Science and the Arts was established in 1824 as the Committee on Inventions. It was reorganized into its present form in 1834. Its mission is to sustain the scientific character of The Franklin Institute, through its investigation of worldwide scientific and technological achievements and its recommendation for the awarding of the Benjamin Franklin Medals in the fields of: Chemistry, Computer and Cognitive Science, Earth and Environmental Science, Engineering, Life Science, and Physics. The Committee maintains a very high standard for awarding the medals and uses the following selection criteria:
- The Committee carefully selects candidates using a thorough case investigation process to recognize those scientists and engineers who lead their fields, expand knowledge, challenge standards, and serve humanity.
- The subject of nominated individuals must be an invention, discovery, technological development, or a body of such work reflecting uncommon insight, skill, or creativity on the part of the candidate.
- The work must have significant scientific value and/or proven utility. It must have provided significant direction for future research, solved an important technological problem, or provided great benefit to the public.
- Candidates for the award must be living persons.
- The Committee considers individuals from all over the world.
Committee members who become case sponsors prosecute their nomination cases for Benjamin Franklin Medals before the full Committee for review and action. Following two successful case readings to the Committee (including a review of letters of evaluation solicited from the preeminent experts in the field of the case), the nomination is forwarded to the Institute's Board of Trustees for final review and approval. During the following April, medallists are brought together at The Franklin Institute for the annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner.
The all-volunteer Committee is composed of scientists and engineers from academia, government, and business. Meeting regularly throughout the year, the Committee has a reputation of diligence and integrity. Their work is at the heart of the mission of The Franklin Institute to promote science and technology and provides a valuable service to the public and the scientific community.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Active Members:
- Kenneth Abend, Ph.D.
- Beth Adelson, Ph.D.
- R. Barnett Adler, Ph.D.
- Aline Akselrad, Ph.D.
- Moeness G. Amin, Ph.D.
- D. James Baker, Ph.D.
- William E. Bonini, Ph.D.
- E. Fred Brecher, P.E.
- Melvin Brecher, FAIA
- Elias Burstein, Ph.D.
- Jane Clifford, Ph.D.
- Peter J. Collings, Ph.D., Chairman
- Charles F. Cooper, Ph.D.
- William W. Dickhart III
- Lawrence W. Dobbins
- James R. Empfield, Ph.D.
- David J. Farber, Ph.D.
- Bakhtier Farouk, Ph.D.
- Frank A. Ferrone, Ph.D.
- Dieter Forster, Ph.D.
- Thomas K. Gaisser, Ph.D.
- Larry Gladney, Ph.D.
- Janice Taylor Gordon, Ph.D.
- Pamela Green, Ph.D.
- Roger A. Grey, Ph.D.
- Henry M. Halpern
- Thomas T. Hewett, Ph.D.
- Bradford A. Jameson, Ph.D., Immediate Past Chairman
- Jeremy R. Johnson, Ph.D.
- Gerard F. Jones, Ph.D.
- Madeleline M. Joullie, Ph.D.
- Charles A. Kapps, Ph.D.
- Kenneth P. Kodama, Ph.D.
- Peter A. Lewin, Ph.D.
- Syukuro Manabe, Ph.D.
- Mitchell Marcus, Ph.D., Membership
- Carl O. Moses, Ph.D.
- Fernando Pereira, Ph.D.
- Richard J. Piccolini, Ph.D.
- Stuart Pittel, Ph.D., Planning
- George Preti, Ph.D.
- Roy F. Privett
- Richard Roberts, Ph.D.
- Arye Rosen, Ph.D.
- Leonard M. Rosenfeld, Ph.D.
- Frederick Scatena, Ph.D.
- Gino C. Segre, Ph.D.
- Donald H. Silberberg, M.D.
- Edward M. Sion, Ph.D.
- Amos B. Smith, III, Ph.D.
- James A. Smith, Ph.D.
- Brian J. Sullivan, Ph.D.
- Krzysztof Szalewicz, Ph.D., D.Sc.
- Klaus H. Theopold, Ph.D.
- Judith A. Todd, Ph.D
- Gene C. Ulmer, Ph.D.
- Robert D. Varrin, Ph.D.
- John Wehmiller, Ph.D.
Emeritus Members:
- James J. Eberl, Ph.D.
- Edmund Thelen
- David E. Weiss, Ph.D.
Consulting Members:
- Gerard A. Alphonse, Ph.D.
- Wendell G. Anderson
- D. Thomas Bolger
- Hai-Lung Dai, Ph.D.
- George A. Miller, Ph.D.
- James J. Moskowitz
- Charles Penniman
- John H. Rumbarger