Printer Friendly Format
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2002
PR-148-02
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AWARDS

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg this evening announced the winners of the annual Mayor's Awards for Excellence in Science and Technology at a reception held at the New York Hall of Science. The awards recognize the important role that members of the science and engineering communities play in the success of New York City. Joining the Mayor for the presentation were Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris, Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, Director of the New York Hall of Science Dr. Alan J. Friedman, New York Academy of Sciences Board of Governors Member Dr. Praveen Chandhari, and President of Rudin Management Company William C. Rudin.

"It is my pleasure to present these prestigious awards to men and women who represent some of the finest scientific minds our City and our society have to offer," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The scientific and technological research applications that are discovered and perfected in New York City constitute not only some of our greatest commercial exports but some of our greatest contributions to humanity. Our goal in New York City is to nurture our world class researchers, and focus our efforts to promote and expand their presence."

Each year, nominations are received through a comprehensive process that includes outreach to all sectors in the City's scientific communities. Individuals are nominated for either a special achievement or a lifetime body of work in the five awards categories: Technology, Biological/Medical Sciences and Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Public Under-standing of Science and Technology, and Young Investigator. The candidates must live or work in New York City. The Mayor selects winners from a list of finalists submitted by the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS). This year's award recipients were:

Technology (2 awardees):
Mr. Eugene J. Fasullo
As Chief Structural Engineer and then Director of Engineering for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Mr. Fasullo had a distinguished 37 year career in the public sector, managing an $800 million budget and 1,200 engineers when he retired in 1995. Among many other projects, Mr. Fasullo was responsible for the replacement of the upper deck of the George Washington Bridge, the construction of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and the repair of the World Trade Center following the terror bombing in 1993. Since 1995, he has worked with engineering students as a Professor of Civil Engineering at Polytechnic University.

Dr. Kenneth Perlin
Dr. Perlin's technical achievements in computer visualization have brought him to the attention of three distinct communities. His computer science research at the Courant Institute is recognized throughout the academic world, while his patented inventions have brought him to the attention of the computer technology and multimedia business communities. And his unique grasp of computer visual aesthetics in the entertainment world, earned him an Oscar in 1997 for his technical invention, "Perlin Noise." The Perlin visualization technology now appears in commercials, animations, and almost all special effects movies including, most recently, The Perfect Storm.

Biological and Medical Sciences:
Dr. Thomas M. Jessell
A research leader at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Columbia's Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Dr. Jessell is an internationally regarded investigator of the developing vertebrate brain. He has taken this science from mere description to an understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the nervous system development. Dr. Jessell's work on the spinal cord has provided insight into a variety of congenital birth defects and provides a foundation for future medical applications.

Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences:
Dr. Joel E. Cohen
Professor of Populations at The Rockefeller University, Dr. Cohen also holds senior posts at Columbia University in earth and environmental sciences, environmental research and conservation and applied probability. His pivotal applied mathematics research focuses on demography, ecology, epidemiology, and the social organization of human and non-human populations. This research enhances our understanding of population growth, disease transmission and control, and the nature and progress of ecological systems.

Public Understanding of Science and Technology (2 awardees):
Dr. Brian R. Greene
Dr. Greene of Columbia University is considered among the very best string theory physicists in the world and has published extensively in this field that seeks a fundamental "theory of everything," an understanding of the nature of all matter and energy in the universe. Despite the complexity of the field, Dr. Greene believes that the public should be aware of what is involved in fundamental science and undertook explaining string theory to the public. He accomplished the task through his universally acclaimed book, The Elegant Universe, a Pulitzer Prize finalist with over 600,000 copies in print and the subject of a NOVA special on PBS.

Dr. Martin Weiss
Dr. Weiss was a research scientist in biochemical cytology at The Rockefeller University when in 1989 he entered the world of the public understanding of science. He joined the New York Hall of Science and is now its Science Director. His innovative, award-winning exhibitions have communicated important biological concepts to millions in New York, throughout the United States, and abroad, with special attention paid to serving minorities and the disabled. His exhibit What About AIDS?, organized by an eight-institution consortium under his leadership and now replicated across the country, provided an educational experience that simultaneously focused on health, fundamental biology, and sensitive social issues associated with AIDS.

Young Investigator (3 awardees):
Dr. Ramzi Khuri
Dr. Khuri of Baruch College is considered a "rising star" in fundamental physics research in superstring and M-Theory. His accomplishments include the discovery of exact soliton, instanton, monopole, and black hole string theory solutions; the discovery of four-dimensional string/string duality; and a unique derivation of Beckenstein-Hawking black-hole radiation. These discoveries helped launch what is now called the "second superstring revolution" of 1995.

Dr. Anna Marie Pyle
Dr. Pyle of Columbia University has made major contributions to the field of nucleic acid chemistry and our understanding of the structure and function of the various forms of DNA and RNA, in particular ribozymes, a catalytic form of RNA. Her work with ribozymes has earned her an article in Science magazine and major support from the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Dr. Rafael Yuste
Using his innovative research in neurobiology, Dr. Yuste of Columbia University has discovered a new functional architecture for the developing brain and was the first to measure calcium dynamics in dendritic spines using photon microscopy. He has three patents pending for hardware and software inventions aimed at probing the organization of neurons in the depths of the brain. Neurobiology and its application to medical challenges are benefiting from Dr. Yuste's important research contributions.

Under the leadership of acting President Dr. Thorsten Wiesel, NYAC administered the nomination, evaluation and review process for the awards, in partnership with Commissioner Kate D. Levin and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Dr. Dominick Purpura, Dr. Ronald Breslow, Dr. George Schillinger and Doron Weber directed the NYAC's review panels.

This year's awards ceremony was underwritten by the New York Information Technology and by the Rudin Family.

www.nyc.gov

Contact: Ed Skyler/Megan Sheekey
(212) 788-2958
Catherine Behrend (Cultural Affairs)
(212) 643-7791