Since 2004, the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research has honored scientists who have made a transformational contribution toward the improvement of human health. This prestigious award honors the legacy of Dr. Paul Janssen, an exceptionally gifted and passionate scientist who revolutionized modern medicine and inspired a new generation of researchers.
We are proud to offer this free half-day program, beginning at 8:30 am, to anyone interested in celebrating scientific innovation. Registration is required.
The strategic applications of scientific knowledge are indispensable for the discovery and development of meaningful solutions to society’s challenges. Given the current funding environment around STEM and waning public trust in science, scientists have an increasingly critical role to play in transforming how the next generation understands, engages with, and trusts science.
This interactive workshop will provide the fundamentals for exposing scientists to youth-centered science communication. Through discourse and a hands-on activity, participants will explore practical ways scientists can activate their research and engage with K-12 students inside and outside of the classroom. By the end of the program, participants will gain a better understanding of how to communicate scientific concepts and their research to K-12 audiences through developing activities that are meaningful and approachable, ultimately helping foster public engagement with science and with scientists.
This training will be held in-person at the Academy’s space on 115 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10006. Space is limited. Attendees are encouraged to register early.
Speakers
Adrienne Umali
Associate Director, Education, The New York Academy of Sciences
Adrienne Umali is Associate Director of Education at The New York Academy of Sciences, where she leads K–12 enrichment programs designed to spark curiosity and inspire a lifelong love of science through mentorship and hands-on learning. She is passionate about making STEM accessible and engaging for all students, and brings experience as both a neurobiology researcher and a middle/high school science teacher in the Bronx. Adrienne holds a BS in Psychology from Brown University, a Master’s in Biomedical Science from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a Master’s in Education from CUNY Lehman College.
Danielle Mink-Bellizzi
Program Manager, Education, The New York Academy of Sciences
Danielle Mink-Bellizzi is a Program Manager on the Education team at The New York Academy of Sciences, where she leads STEM mentorship programs that connect scientists with K–12 students through hands-on, inquiry-driven learning. Driven by a commitment to expanding access to meaningful STEM experiences, she oversees the Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program and Family Science Nights, fostering inclusive partnerships across NYC. Before joining the Academy, Danielle spent over a decade in informal education across museums and schools, developing art and science programming. She also brings experience in geospatial technologies and remote sensing, having led teacher workshops and served as a STEM specialist with the KIPP Charter network. She holds a BA with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BS in Coastal Environmental Studies from Stony Brook University.
Zamara Choudhary
Program Manager, Education, The New York Academy of Sciences
Zamara Choudhary oversees a portfolio of professional learning programming at The New York Academy of Sciences designed to accelerate career advancement for scientists, students, STEM professionals, educators, and adult learners. She leads the Leon Levy Scholarship in Neuroscience’s Mentorship Program, the Academy’s Internship Program, and alumni engagement for the Stevens Initiative. Passionate about democratizing knowledge across disciplines and continents, Zamara spent a decade in cultural institutions building expertise in international program design and management, teaching, fundraising, research, and public engagement. She holds a Master’s in Arts Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s in History, English, and Arabic Studies from the CUNY Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College.
Join us for aspecial film screening of “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life”.
This compelling film explores the life and work of the legendary neurologist and storyteller, Oliver Sacks, as he shares intimate details of his battles with drug addiction, homophobia, and a medical establishment that accepted his work only decades after the fact. Sacks was a fearless explorer of unknown mental worlds who helped redefine our understanding of the brain and mind, the diversity of human experience, and our shared humanity.
You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity to explore the life and legacy of one of the most influential medical practitioners and writers of our time. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Ric Burns and Kate Edgar, who worked alongside Dr. Sacks for more than three decades as his editor, researcher, assistant, and friend.
The New York Academy of Sciences is proud to recognize the Tata Sons Chairman as its most recent Life Governor.
Published December 5, 2025
By Nick Fetty
Nicholas B. Dirks (right), President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, presents a Life Governor certificate to Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, during the Tata Transformation Prize ceremony in India on Dec. 5.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran (Chandra), Chairman of India-based Tata Sons, joins a distinguished group of changemakers who serve as Life Governors for the Academy.
The Academy’s Board of Governors approved Chandra’s appointment earlier this year. He was presented with a certificate recognizing the honor by Academy President and CEO Nicholas B. Dirks during a ceremony in Mumbai, India on December 5.
Prior to his appointment as a Life Governor, Chandra served on the Academy’s Board of Governors where he lent his expertise to help guide the Academy on strategic and business matters. With more than three decades of science and leadership experience, he’s overseen revenues that have exceeded $100 billion across more than 100 Tata operating companies. He promotes the “One Tata” strategy, which focuses on themes like simplification, scale, synergy, and sustainability.
This recognition adds to a long list of accolades for Chandra which also include:
In collaboration with Tata Sons, the Academy launched the Tata Transformation Prize in 2023. The Prize recognizes and supports the implementation at scale of high-impact research that drives innovation in scientific disciplines of importance to India’s societal needs and economic competitiveness. Tata Sons also support the Academy’s Shaping Science podcast.
Learn more about the Tata Transformation Prize and check back for more updates from the 2025 ceremony!
To attend, click the “Register” button at the time of the presentation. It will take you directly to the Zoom call.
Welcome and Introductions: 11:30 AM to 11:45 AM
Main Presentation: 11:45 AM to 2:30 PM
AI Data Center Boom: High Cost/Benefit, Locally & Environmentally
Tech companies are racing to expand data center capacity to win the competition for commercial dominance, most prominently through the AI path. This surge has been encouraged by the current business and political environment including new federal industrial policies, abundant capital, disregulation, and hype of AI.
Business tactics prioritizing immediate business interests over the public interest may include:
Bending/breaking some constraints, including legal ones
Building fast before anyone can react
Minimizing disclosure of critical data center features
Obfuscation of site ownership via complex LLCs, trusts, etc.
I will present brief summaries of findings from technical journals, newspapers, and magazines. Informative YouTube video segments will be included to elicit group discussion.
Speaker
Philip W. Apruzzese (BE Chem. E., MS Technology Mgmt., CHMM) graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ. He was employed in the pharmaceutical industry (Squibb, Beecham, Schering-Plough) for nearly 40 years, holding manufacturing operations, project, research pilot plant startup, and environmental compliance management positions. From 2010 to 2019 he was employed part-time as a Chem Eng/Environmental, health and safety consultant in addition to working seasonally as a Level C Official for USA Cycling racing events.
Since relocating to the Seattle area he has begun volunteer work with several non-profit community cycling/Recycling resources and advocacy organizations. Additionally he volunteers online with the Summit Old Guard, an organization for retired business and professional men.
In April, 2015, he spoke on Tour de France cycling performance enhancements – Post Lance/Post Drugs and in 2019 he presented on The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of lithium ion batteries. In 2021 he presented on The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis. In April 2025 he spoke along with Stuart Kurtz on Becoming a Chemical Engineer: Two Stories.
Investment in companies offering technologies and services that enable decarbonization recently faced increased headwinds. Despite the urgent need for innovation in this area, it remains unclear whether we are seeing the development of economically viable new ventures or a repeat of the boom and bust associated with “cleantech” in the late 2000s and early 2010s. This session will explore these critically important issues.
Series Moderator
Josh Lerner
The Jacob H. Schiff Professor, Harvard Business School; Director, Private Capital Research Institute
Panelists
Reuben Munger
Vision Ridge
Ron Gonen, MBA
Closed Loop Partners
Sponsors
Series Sponsor
Presented By
Pricing
All: Free
About the Series
The “Private Capital and Discovery: Strategic Investing in Scientific Innovation” series is brought to you by The New York Academy of Sciences and The Private Capital Research Institute. Through expert panels and thought-provoking discussions, the series examines how private equity is uniquely positioned to drive transformative advancements—while also exploring the ethical and strategic dilemmas that can arise when financial incentives influence the trajectory of science. Learn more about the series.
Angus Fletcher, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss how the humanities inform the sciences, the role of neurons as action initiators, and why he thinks artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a hoax. With degrees from the University of Michigan and Yale University, he is currently a professor of story science at Ohio State University’s Project Narrative. Trained in both neuroscience and literature, Prof. Fletcher bridges the sciences and humanities to explore how stories shape the human mind, inspire innovation, and foster resilience. His latest book –Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know – argues that it’s our unique form of human intuition, imagination, and emotional intelligence that give humans an edge even in the age of AI.
Ulysses S. Grant is best known for leading the Union Army to victory during the American Civil War and serving as the nation’s 18th president, but his less-well-known grandson, who was an associate member of The New York Academy of Sciences, had his own impact on the country in the fields of civil engineering and architecture.
Published November 11, 2025
By Nick Fetty
A portrait photograph of MG Ulysses S. Grant III, taken in April 1945. Photograph taken from Grant’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.
Ulysses S. Grant, III, was born in Chicago in 1881. He eventually moved to New York City and studied at Columbia University. Grant briefly served during the Spanish-American War, prior to being admitted to West Point Academy, his grandfather’s alma mater. At West Point he was classmates with Douglas McArthur. MacArthur, who became America’s top general during World War II, graduated first in the class of 1903, while Grant was sixth.
Army Corps of Engineers and World War I
Upon graduating from West Point, Grant briefly served with the Army Corps of Engineers in the Philippines, Cuba, and Mexico. There he received formal training and education in engineering. He also served as an aide to President Theodore Roosevelt. It was at the White House that he met his future wife, Edith Ruth Root, daughter of Eilhu Root who served as Secretary of War and Secretary of State in the McKinley and Roosevelt administrations.
During World War I, Grant served as secretary of the American section of the Supreme War Council in Paris. Along with U.S. General Tasker H. Bliss, he played a role in negotiating and writing the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the war. Grant was promoted to the rank of Colonel and received the Army Distinguished Service Medal in 1919.
A statement from the War Department lauded Grant for his specific contributions: “As Secretary of the American section, Supreme War Council, Colonel Grant was entrusted with the most important duty of coordinating the work of the Joint Secretariat of the Supreme War Council and of the Joint Secretariat of the Military Representatives of the Supreme War Council, and as a member of the War Prisoners’ commission, Berne, Switzerland, he has rendered conspicuous service to the Government.”
Civilian Service and World War II
Between WWI and WWII, Grant returned stateside spending time in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. During this time, he was promoted to the rank of Major. He worked as the executive officer of the Arlington Memorial Bridge Commission, a member of the National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, and eventually as the leader of the Office of Public Building and Public Parks in Washington, D.C. He continued to climb the military ranks, rising to Lt. Colonel and then Brigadier General.
When the U.S. entered World War II following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Grant was named Chief of the Protection Branch of the Office of Civil Defense, overseeing the civil defenses of the entire United States.
Grant formally retired from the Army in 1945 with the rank of Major General.
Later Years
Despite hanging up his military uniform, Grant wasn’t ready to stop working. He served as vice president of George Washington University in Washington D.C. from 1946 to 1951. Though relatively little is documented from his foray into higher education administration, the university hosted an exhibit in 2023 recognizing the Grant family’s contributions to the museum. The exhibit, titled Rethinking Legacy and Memory: Behind the Image of Ulysses S. Grant, focused on the elder Grant and his legacy outside of his militaristic and political leadership.
The younger Grant was also an associate member of The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy), meaning that despite moving away from New York he chose to remain affiliated with the Academy.
In his final years, Grant took an interest in history preservation. He served on the Civil War Centennial Commission and authored a biography of his grandfather. Ulysses S. Grant, III, passed away in 1968 at the age of 87. The elder Grant, who passed away in 1885, did not live long enough to see his grandson pursue a career of service to his country much like he had done roughly half a century earlier.
To attend, click the “Register” button at the time of the presentation. It will take you directly to the Zoom call.
Welcome and Introductions: 11:30 AM to 11:45 AM
Main Presentation: 11:45 AM to 2:30 PM
Lithium Processing: Challenges for Refining and Recycling
In the late twentieth century, lithium changed from a metal of limited economic importance to an essential component of the modern economy. The distribution of lithium resources on Earth and the technology for its recovery have implications for geopolitics, the economy, and the environment. Join us as we explore the connections between the properties of this unique metal, the challenges in its extraction and recycling, and its role in the modern world.
Speaker
Dr. Mark Kobrak received his BA degree in Chemistry and Integrated Science from Northwestern University, and his PhD in Chemistry from University of Chicago. He joined the faculty of Brooklyn College in 2001, serving as Chair from 2009-2011 and again from 2020-2023. His work centers on the physical chemistry of ionic liquids, a class of salts that are molten at room temperature. Recent efforts have included the development of novel metal extraction technologies. He has received multiple fellowships supporting research work at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and was a visiting researcher at University of Groningen in the Netherlands in 2017.
As a faculty member, Kobrak has pursued an eclectic collection of projects. Examples include establishing the department’s industrial internship program, co-authoring a science education article on the physics of solar sails, and serving as a scientific consultant on a film featuring Paracelsian alchemy. He has also revised the laboratory curricula of five different undergraduate courses and written a 480 page free textbook to help students transition from general to organic chemistry.
