LAUREATES

2012 BOWER AWARD AND PRIZE FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE - NANOCHEMISTRY

Louis E. Brus, Ph.D. (bio)
Columbia University
New York, New York

Citation: For his seminal discoveries and scientific leadership, which have made semiconductor nanocrystals, their synthesis, characterization, and theory a cornerstone of modern chemistry.



2012 BOWER AWARD FOR BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

John Chambers (bio)
Cisco Systems, Inc.
San Jose, California

Citation: For shaping Cisco Systems, Inc. into one of the world.s most widely respected and successful technology companies, providing business and consumer technologies that allow millions of people to connect to each other through computer networking and the Internet, and for his leadership by example in corporate responsibility and personal philanthropy.



2012 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN COMPUTER AND COGNITIVE SCIENCE

Vladimir Vapnik, Ph.D. (bio)
NEC Laboratories
Princeton, New Jersey
Royal Holloway, University of London
London, United Kingdom
Columbia University
New York, New York

Citation: For his fundamental contributions to our understanding of machine learning, which allows computers to classify new data based on statistical models derived from earlier examples, and for his invention of widely used machine learning techniques.




2012 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Lonnie G. Thompson, Ph.D., and Ellen Stone Mosley-Thompson, Ph.D. (bio)
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

Citation: For their collective studies of ice cores from around the world which have improved the understanding of Earth's climate history, including the role of the tropics in global climate change.




2012 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Jerry Nelson, Ph.D. (bio)
UC Observatories/Lick Observatory
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California

Citation: For his pioneering contributions to the development of segmented-mirror telescopes.




2012 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN LIFE SCIENCE

Sean B. Carroll, Ph.D. (bio)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, Wisconsin

Citation: For proposing and demonstrating that the diversity and multiplicity of animal life is largely due to the different ways that the same genes are regulated rather than to mutation of the genes themselves.




2012 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Zvi Hashin, Ph.D. (bio)
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv, Israel

Citation: For groundbreaking contributions to the accurate analysis of composite materials, which have enabled practical engineering designs of lightweight composite structures, commonly used today in aerospace, marine, automotive, and civil infrastructure.




2012 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN PHYSICS

Rashid Sunyaev, D.Sc. (bio)
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
Garching, Germany
Russian Academy of Sciences
Moscow, Russia

Citation: For his monumental contributions to understanding the early universe and the properties of black holes.

OVERVIEW

History

Founded in 1824, along with the The Franklin Institute, The Franklin Institute's Awards Program has long been recognized as the oldest, and most comprehensive science and technology honor bestowed in the country and around the world. At the time, Philadelphia was the nation's largest city and a noted center of innovation and manufacturing. While The Franklin Institute was initially established to train artisans and mechanics in the fundamentals of science, it soon began arranging a series of regular exhibitions of manufactured goods, along with the presentation of awards to recognize excellence in those areas.

In 1874 the all-volunteer Franklin Institute Committee on Science and the Arts began selecting Franklin Institute Award recipients. The Committee continues its work to this day, recognizing the fields of chemistry, computer and cognitive sciences, earth and environmental science, engineering, life science and physics through the Benjamin Franklin Medals. The Franklin Institute Awards are among the oldest and most prestigious science awards in the world, with winners recognized for their formidable and ground-breaking contributions to science.

Supplementing the Benjamin Franklin Medals are the two newest Franklin Institute Awards: the Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science and the Bower Award for Business Leadership. Begun in 1990, the Bower Awards were made possible by a $7.5 million bequest from the noted Philadelphia chemical engineer Henry Bower. One of the most robust science prizes in the country, the Bower Award for Achievement in Science carries a cash prize of $250,000.

Laureates of The Franklin Institute are brought to Philadelphia each April for a weeklong series of events and activities aimed at connecting and celebrating the Laureates' remarkable accomplishments with area students and the community. The unique series of events culminates with a grand awards ceremony and elegant dinner, befitting the honor and distinction of this historic awards program.

The list of Franklin Institute Awards Laureates is a roster of science and technology's most important and influential names over the last two centuries, men and women who have deepened human knowledge at both the basic and the applied levels. This list includes Albert Einstein, Rudolph Diesel, Marie and Pierre Curie, Thomas Edison, Jane Goodall, Orville Wright, Stephen Hawking, and Jacques Cousteau, just to name a few.

Mission

The Franklin Institute's mission is to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning. Encouraging excellence and recognizing the far reaching impact of the laureates' achievements is one important way to preserve the legacy of Benjamin Franklin.

Through the Franklin Institute Awards, The Franklin Institute seeks to broaden public awareness and encourage an understanding of the world of science and technology. The celebrated work is evaluated on the basis of uncommon insight, skill and creativity, as well as its ability to impact the future or have some public benefit. In addition to celebrating the 'Franklins' of today, The Franklin Institute hopes to also inspire and influence the innovation of the 'Franklins' of tomorrow.

DOCUMENTS

The Franklin Institute announces 2012 Award Laureates. (pdf)

Overview of The Franklin Institute Awards (pdf)

EVENTS

The Franklin Institute Awards Week 2012 is scheduled for April 23-27, 2012.

The Franklin Institute Awards Ceremony and Dinner will be on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

CLICK HERE for the Awards Week Schedule of Events.

Contact: Stefanie Santo 215.448.1152