March 23: Mathematician Avi Wigderson *83 Awarded Abel Prize

Avi Wigderson *83, of the Institute for Advanced Study, and László Lovászis won this year’s Abel Prize, considered the Nobel of mathematics. Their work “has found practical use in computer science, particularly in cryptography.” — The New York Times
 
As newspapers celebrate Sunshine Week, Missouri School of Journalism professor Kathy Kiely ’77 said 2020 taught us that democracy is fragile, and lawmakers need to double down on transparency. — The Gasconade County Republican
 
Troy Mestler *11’s Skyfront drone manufacturer built a multirotor drone that flew 205 miles, setting a record for flight time and distance traveled. — sUAS News
 
The University of Richmond has named economist Kevin F. Hallock *95 its 11th president. Currently Hallock is dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. — WTVR Richmond
 
D. Michael Lindsay *06 has been named the next president of Taylor University in Indiana. Since 2011, Lindsay has served as president of Gordon College in Massachusetts. — Inside Indiana Business
 
CBS News medical contributor Dr. David Agus ’87 said vaccinating children is critical to ending the pandemic. — CBS This Morning
 
Author and producer Eric Schlosser ’81 co-directed a documentary within an art installation called the bomb that traces the history of atomic weapons. — HyperAllergic 

“Law enforcement and society in general tends to really not understand how racism and hate and prejudice is directed toward Asian-Americans, and certainly not understand how it’s directed toward Asian-American women. ... So the instant reaction is generally to discount and dismiss it.”

— Activist and author Helen Zia ’73, who has tracked anti-Asian violence, speaking after last week’s Atlanta-area shootings. — The New York Times

Women carrying babies as surrogates “face a lot of pressure to acquiesce” when the parents don’t want them to get the COVID-19 vaccine, said Robert Klitzman ’80, co-founder of the Center for Bioethics at Columbia University. — Vice

The White House appointed Maureen Tracey-Mooney *15 to be special assistant to the president for education. — WhiteHouse.gov

A collection of stars by artist Frank Stella ’58, known for his abstract art that has evolved over decades, is on display this spring at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield, Connecticut. — CBS News

Paul Sittenfeld ’69, a longtime class secretary and much-loved alum, died March 17. He was an “exuberant, funny, generous, neurotic, complicated, loving father,” according to a remembrance by his children. — Medium

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