Victor Rabinowitch Memorial Symposium
We take great pride in announcing the three distinguished winners of the Victor Rabinowitch Memorial Symposium’s Award for Young Leaders in International Scientific Cooperation: Dr. Rafiou Agoro, Dr. Jane von Gaudecker, and Dr. Andy Tay. The aim of this highly competitive award is to encourage young scientists to implement novel and promising approaches to international scientific cooperation, thus following the path of the late Dr. Victor Rabinowitch, a visionary and innovative leader in international scientific cooperation. The award recognizes the accomplishments and future promise of these three outstanding young scientists.
Winners of the Victor Rabinowitch Memorial Award for Young Leaders in International Scientific Cooperation
Dr. Rafiou Agoro
Dr. Rafiou Agoro, a native of Togo, is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Medical and Molecular Genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. His project, “African Diaspora Scientists as Drivers of International Science Collaboration in Africa,” uses mobile and web-based technology to connect the expertise of African diaspora scientists to the resident African scientific community. It aims to create mentoring relationships, establish new partnerships, and disseminate scientific ideas among young African scientists in order to strengthen the indigenous capacity for developing scientific solutions to problems facing Africa today.
Dr. Jane von Gaudecker
Dr. Jane von Gaudecker, a native of India, is Assistant Professor of the Science of Nursing Care at the Indiana University School of Nursing. Her project, “Improving Epilepsy Care in Western Kenya,” focuses on advancing epilepsy treatment initiation and adherence in resource-poor settings. Under the auspices of AMPATH, a collaboration of U.S. universities with Moi University in Kenya, Dr. von Gaudecker is collaborating with a nursing team, researchers, and community groups in western Kenya to improve access to care, decrease health disparities, and improve quality of life for people in the region.
Dr. Andy Tay
Dr. Andy Tay, a native of Singapore, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the National University of Singapore. His project, “Reverse Engineering of Cancer Tissues,” combines the expertise of a team of scientists from the Asia-Pacific to integrate cutting-edge technologies in nanofabrication and bioengineering approaches to study metastatic cancer. The project will facilitate the understanding and reverse engineering of the tumor micro-environment to identify biomarkers for anti-cancer therapeutics.
About Dr. Victor Rabinowitch
On July 1, 2019, former CRDF Global board member Dr. Victor Rabinowitch passed away at the age of 84. Dr. Rabinowitch had a long and illustrious career, throughout which he was devoted to the cause of promoting science and diplomacy. He spent 25 years at the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council (NAS/NRC), including serving as executive director of the Office of International Affairs of the NRC. He subsequently served as senior vice president of the MacArthur Foundation and was instrumental in opening MacArthur’s field office in Moscow.
Born in London of Russian émigré parents in 1934, Dr. Rabinowitch graduated from the University of Illinois and received a PhD in zoology and international relations from the University of Wisconsin. He was a member of the advisory board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which his father, Eugene Rabinowitch, co-founded, and a longtime participant in the Pugwash Scientific Conferences on Science and World Affairs.
Dr. Rabinowitch was known for his great warmth, compassion, unfailing good humor, and rock-solid integrity. He dedicated his life to improving the human condition by advocating for science and technology, for human rights, for arms control and international security, and for mobilizing the world’s resources for the betterment of humanity.
SYMPOSIUM 1
“US-Russia Scientific Cooperation”
SYMPOSIUM 2
“Science and Technology for Development: Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go”
SYMPOSIUM 3
“Rethinking U.S.-Russian Nuclear Arms Control”
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The Victor Rabinowitch Memorial Symposium was made possible by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, CRDF Global, and private donors.
