Newsmakers

Biologist ELAINE FUCHS *77 was one of nine National Medal of Science recipients honored by President Barack Obama Oct. 7. Fuchs, who earned her Ph.D. in biochemical sciences at Princeton, received the nation’s highest scientific honor for her pioneering work in cell biology and molecular genetics. Her research has probed the properties of stem cells and enhanced understanding of inherited diseases and cancers. Fuchs is a professor at Rockefeller University and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  

LOCOMOTIVES: RUSSELL E. TRAIN ’41, who headed the creation of UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention, received this year’s Ann Webster Smith Award for leadership in international cultural-heritage conservation. The convention seeks to identify and protect the world’s natural and cultural treasures. ... QUEEN NOOR ’73 of Jordan represented the nuclear disarmament group Global Zero at a Sept. 24 meeting of the U.N. Security Council. ... SEAN KELLER ’92 *94, an assistant professor of architectural history and theory at the Illinois Institute of Technology, won the 2009 Winterhouse Award for Design Writing and Criticism. ... ALEXANDRA GROSVENOR ELLER ’94 was appointed as a trustee of the National Geographic Society. ... Painter FRANK STELLA ’58 was honored with the Julio González Prize, in recognition of his contributions to modern art, from Spain’s Institut Valencià d’ Art Modern. ... Two alumni are playing key roles in the United Football League, which debuted in early October. BILL HAMBRECHT ’57 is the league’s founder and a lead investor, and FRANK VUONO ’78 serves as the chief operating officer.