Ferid Murad, born on September 14, 1936, was an award-winning American physician and pharmacologist is best known for his groundbreaking work on the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the cardiovascular system, which led to his co-winning of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Murad began his academic journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from DePauw University in 1958. He then pursued a medical degree at the Indiana University School of Medicine, which he completed in ... moreFerid Murad, born on September 14, 1936, was an award-winning American physician and pharmacologist is best known for his groundbreaking work on the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the cardiovascular system, which led to his co-winning of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Murad began his academic journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from DePauw University in 1958. He then pursued a medical degree at the Indiana University School of Medicine, which he completed in 1965. After receiving his medical degree, Murad served in the United States Army and worked as a staff associate at the National Institutes of Health. In the late 1970s, Murad's research took a significant turn when he began investigating the role of nitric oxide in the body. His groundbreaking discovery was that nitric oxide acts as a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system, regulating blood pressure and blood flow. This finding revolutionized our understanding of cardiovascular physiology and had profound implications for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and angina. It also opened up new avenues for drug development, particularly in the field of nitric oxide-based therapies. Murad was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998, sharing the honour with Robert F. Furchgott and Louis J. Ignarro. This prestigious award solidified Murad's place in medical history.
Sir Ian Wilmut was a renowned British embryologist best know for the significant contributions he made to the field of reproductive biology and became widely known as the creator of Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. Wilmut began his career in biology, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nottingham in 1966. He later pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, where he studied the development of mouse embryos. In 1996, Wilmut's groundbreaking ... moreSir Ian Wilmut was a renowned British embryologist best know for the significant contributions he made to the field of reproductive biology and became widely known as the creator of Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. Wilmut began his career in biology, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nottingham in 1966. He later pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, where he studied the development of mouse embryos. In 1996, Wilmut's groundbreaking work came to the forefront when he led a team of scientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland. This team successfully cloned a sheep named Dolly using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer. Dolly's birth made headlines worldwide and opened up new possibilities in the field of cloning. Following Dolly's creation, Wilmut's research expanded to explore the potential applications of cloning technology. He investigated the possibility of using cloned animal models to study human diseases, particularly neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. His work aimed to advance our understanding of these conditions and potentially develop new treatments. Wilmut received numerous accolades, in 2008, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to science and conferred the title of Sir. He also received several prestigious awards, including the Albert Lasker Award for and the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine.
Virginia Tower Norwood was an American aerospace engineer, inventor, and physicist best known for her contribution to the Landsat program, having designed the Multispectral Scanner which was first used on Landsat 1. Norwood attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she graduated in 1947 with a degree in Mathematical Physics. After graduation she began working at the United States Army Signal Corps in New Jersey, she took engineering classes through a Rutgers University extension progr... moreVirginia Tower Norwood was an American aerospace engineer, inventor, and physicist best known for her contribution to the Landsat program, having designed the Multispectral Scanner which was first used on Landsat 1. Norwood attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she graduated in 1947 with a degree in Mathematical Physics. After graduation she began working at the United States Army Signal Corps in New Jersey, she took engineering classes through a Rutgers University extension programme. A year after graduation from MIT she was hired by the U.S. Army Signal Corps Laboratories in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey where she began working on weather radar. Norwood then moved to Hughes Aircraft Company where she worked for 36 years on a range of projects that included antenna design, communications links, optics, and the Landsat scanners. Norwood oversaw the development of Landsat 2, 3, 4 and 5. Currently, Landsat 8 and 9 are orbiting the earth, and NASA plans to launch Landsat 10 in 2030. In 1979, Norwood received the William T. Pecora Award and in 2021 she was also given an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the highest honour that society bestows on any individual. She was always referred to as the mother of Satellite Imaging Systems or Mother of Landsat.
William Allan Wulf was an American computer scientist notable for his work in programming languages, compilers and helped to adapt an early Pentagon communications web into the network that eventually grew into the internet. Wulf earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was one of the first people to receive a Ph.D. in Computer Science and made a career in computer science when the field barely existed. He j... moreWilliam Allan Wulf was an American computer scientist notable for his work in programming languages, compilers and helped to adapt an early Pentagon communications web into the network that eventually grew into the internet. Wulf earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was one of the first people to receive a Ph.D. in Computer Science and made a career in computer science when the field barely existed. He joined the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, a center of computer science research after completing his Ph.D. In 1981 he and his wife who was also a Computer Science professor at Carnegie Mellon, founded Tartan Laboratories. By the time they sold the company, it had grown to become one of the high-tech companies in the country. He served as president of the National Academy of Engineering from 1996 to 2007. He retired at the University of Virginia by resigning in 2012 after working there from 1968 and with accomplishments in research of computer architecture, computer security, and hardware-software design. He was honored by every major professional society in computer science, as well as the American Philosophical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Roger Carl Schank was an American artificial intelligence theorist, cognitive psychologist, learning scientist, educational reformer, and entrepreneur known for his influential contributions to the field of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and learning sciences. Schank studied mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University and later got his PhD in linguistics at the University of Texas. He worked at Stanford University before moving to Yale University and subsequently becoming a professor ... moreRoger Carl Schank was an American artificial intelligence theorist, cognitive psychologist, learning scientist, educational reformer, and entrepreneur known for his influential contributions to the field of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and learning sciences. Schank studied mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University and later got his PhD in linguistics at the University of Texas. He worked at Stanford University before moving to Yale University and subsequently becoming a professor of computer science and psychology there in 1974. Schank joined Northwestern University in 1989 to establish the interdisciplinary Institute for the Learning Sciences (ILS) at Northwestern through a 10-year, $30 million grant from Andersen Consulting. The team studied language processing, cognition, and memory organization and developed systems to aid in problem-solving, decision-making, planning, and learning. Schank authored more than 125 academic articles and 30 books. He also founded multiple learning technologies companies, including Socratic Arts, Cognitive Arts, Cognitive Systems. Inc., and CompuTeach, Inc and Engines for Education a nonprofit organization.
Paul Berg was an American biochemist and professor at Stanford University who won a Nobel Prize in biochemistry and is credited for ushering in the era of genetic engineering in 1971 by successfully combining DNA from two different organisms. After serving in the Navy during World War II, Berg attended Penn State University for his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry graduating in 1948 and his PhD in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 1952. From 1952–1954 he worked as a ... morePaul Berg was an American biochemist and professor at Stanford University who won a Nobel Prize in biochemistry and is credited for ushering in the era of genetic engineering in 1971 by successfully combining DNA from two different organisms. After serving in the Navy during World War II, Berg attended Penn State University for his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry graduating in 1948 and his PhD in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 1952. From 1952–1954 he worked as a postdoctoral fellow with the American Cancer Society. In 1955 he joined the faculty of Washington University. Berg moved to Stanford University, where he taught biochemistry from 1959 to 2000. He pioneered work involving gene splicing of recombinant DNA, a technique that was fundamental in the development of modern genetic engineering and genetic engineering of new therapeutic treatments for diseases and of vaccines, like the messenger RNA used to counter the virus that causes Covid-19. He was a recipient of numerous awards like the National Medal of Science presented to him President Ronald Regan in 1983 and the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
Karl Alexander Müller was an award winning Swiss physicist and Nobel Prize winner who in 1987 together with Georg Bednorz, received a Nobel Prize together for their work in superconductivity in ceramic materials. Müller was born in Basle, Switzerland to a wealthy family that owned a chocolate company founded by his grandfather. After high school Müller saved in the Swiss Army. After his service he attended Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and studied Physics and Mathematics earning his Ph.... moreKarl Alexander Müller was an award winning Swiss physicist and Nobel Prize winner who in 1987 together with Georg Bednorz, received a Nobel Prize together for their work in superconductivity in ceramic materials. Müller was born in Basle, Switzerland to a wealthy family that owned a chocolate company founded by his grandfather. After high school Müller saved in the Swiss Army. After his service he attended Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and studied Physics and Mathematics earning his Ph.D in 1958. After graduating he found work as a lecturer at the University of Zürich and in 1963 he became a research staff member at the IBM Zürich, a position he kept until he retired. He spent the next 15 years investigating the properties of perovskites compounds. In 1980 he began his research in superconductivity in ceramic materials, a research that would enable him to win a Nobel Prize. He was also a recipient of other awards like the Robert Wichard Pohl Prize of the German Physical Society in 1987, the Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Prize, the American Physical Society International Prize for New Materials Research and the Minnie Rosen Award in 1988.
Ronnie Walter Cunningham was an American astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author of the 1977 book The All-American Boys famous for reviving NASA’s quest to put men on the moon in the wake of a launching-pad fire that killed three astronauts. He was one of three crew members on the first manned Apollo 7 mission, which completed 163 orbits of the Earth in 1968. Ronnie Walter Cunningham was born in Creston, Iowa, the eldest of five children. In 1951 he enro... moreRonnie Walter Cunningham was an American astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author of the 1977 book The All-American Boys famous for reviving NASA’s quest to put men on the moon in the wake of a launching-pad fire that killed three astronauts. He was one of three crew members on the first manned Apollo 7 mission, which completed 163 orbits of the Earth in 1968. Ronnie Walter Cunningham was born in Creston, Iowa, the eldest of five children. In 1951 he enrolled in the Navy and flew Marine fighters in the Korean war. After his service he attended University of California and graduated with bachelor’s degree and a master’s in physics. After Apollo 7 he was named director of what became known as the Skylab program, which developed America’s first space station. Later in his life he became a senior executive at financial and real estate companies. He was a recipient of numerous awards including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. He was inducted in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997.
Hannes Keller was a Swiss physicist, mathematician, deep diving pioneer, and entrepreneur best known for his 1962 deep diving achievement of 1,020 feet (311m) dive off Catalina Island, California. Although two other people died he remained the only person on the planet to have touched the ocean floor until 1975. His accomplishment accelerated a new age of deep sea diving. Keller was born in Winterthur, Switzerland and attended University of Zurich to study philosophy, mathematics, and theoretic... moreHannes Keller was a Swiss physicist, mathematician, deep diving pioneer, and entrepreneur best known for his 1962 deep diving achievement of 1,020 feet (311m) dive off Catalina Island, California. Although two other people died he remained the only person on the planet to have touched the ocean floor until 1975. His accomplishment accelerated a new age of deep sea diving. Keller was born in Winterthur, Switzerland and attended University of Zurich to study philosophy, mathematics, and theoretical physics. His success in diving led him to construct decompression chambers that he sold to hospitals and the Navy. After his diving career he became a successful businessman selling his own line of computers and in the 1980s became a leading vendor of IBM PCs in Switzerland. Keller was a renaissance man. On top of everything mentioned he was also a classical pianist, he ran Visipix, the largest fine art and photo museum online and was on the advisory board for United States Historical Diving Society in 2009.
Werner Wilhelm Frankie was a German biologist and a professor of cell and molecular biology at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg. He studied chemistry, biology, and physics at the University of Heidelberg and became a professor at the same university after completion of his doctorate. He also became head of the department at the German Cancer Research Centre. In 1982, he became the president of the European Cell Biology Organization, a post he held until 1990. He researched mostly ... moreWerner Wilhelm Frankie was a German biologist and a professor of cell and molecular biology at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg. He studied chemistry, biology, and physics at the University of Heidelberg and became a professor at the same university after completion of his doctorate. He also became head of the department at the German Cancer Research Centre. In 1982, he became the president of the European Cell Biology Organization, a post he held until 1990. He researched mostly on molecular characterization of the cytoskeleton in normal and transformed cell. He was also a doping expect. He won the Meyenburg Prize in 1981, the Ernast Jung Prize in 1984, and Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2004.
Frederick Phillips Brooks Jr was an American Computer architect, software engineer and computer scientist. He was best known for being the lead designer of computers that cemented IBM dominance. In 1999 he was awarded with the A.M Turing Award which is the highest honor in computer science for his landmark contributions to computer architecture, operating system and software engineering.
Brooks was born in Durham, North Carolina. He went to Duke University for his Bachelor of Science degree in ... moreFrederick Phillips Brooks Jr was an American Computer architect, software engineer and computer scientist. He was best known for being the lead designer of computers that cemented IBM dominance. In 1999 he was awarded with the A.M Turing Award which is the highest honor in computer science for his landmark contributions to computer architecture, operating system and software engineering.
Brooks was born in Durham, North Carolina. He went to Duke University for his Bachelor of Science degree in physics graduating in 1953 and subsequently went to Harvard for his Ph.D in computer science graduating in 1956. He became a teaching assistant at Harvard and later that year he joined IBM where he did revolutionary work. It was during this time that he coined the term computer architecture and authored and coauthored many books.
In 1964 Brooks went to University of North Carolina and founded the university's computer science department chairing it for twenty years. He continued on with his research in visual environments up to 2013. He served on a number of boards like the Defense Science board and won over 25 awards throughout his career.
Jay Myron Pasachoff was an American astronomer. Pasachoff took a leading role in the science and history of transits of Mercury and Venus, as an analogue to exoplanet studies and this led to the transit of Venue and the 2016, 2019 Mercury transit. His career included him observing a wide variety of ground-based telescopes and spacecraft and reported in his text he wrote. His research which was funded by NASA was the scientific work at the total solar eclipse.
He studied at Harvard, receiving ... moreJay Myron Pasachoff was an American astronomer. Pasachoff took a leading role in the science and history of transits of Mercury and Venus, as an analogue to exoplanet studies and this led to the transit of Venue and the 2016, 2019 Mercury transit. His career included him observing a wide variety of ground-based telescopes and spacecraft and reported in his text he wrote. His research which was funded by NASA was the scientific work at the total solar eclipse.
He studied at Harvard, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1965 and his doctorate in 1969. Pasachoff wrote an article for Nature, and collaborated on the art Renaissance of Italy. He received an Education Prize of the American Astronomical Society in 2003, this was for his fine writing for textbook from junior high school through college and teaching generations. Pasachoff had a huge impact in the science, he was a Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy and the author of textbooks and trade books in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and other sciences.
He was married to Dr Naomi who was also an astronomer and they had a child together who is now a research professor of law at Georgetown Law.
