Public Understanding of Science Award

Dr. Donald Kennedy – Former Editor-in-Chief, Science.

Dr. Kennedy has spent his career advancing science and education. He served as President of Stanford University from 1980-1992 and his time there was marked by a renewed attention undergraduate education and an increase in student volunteerism and public service. In the 1970s Dr. Kennedy served as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after his increasing academic interest in regulatory policy regarding health and the environment. From 2000-2008, Kennedy held the position of Editor-in-Chief of Science magazine, the world's leading outlet for scientific news, commentary, and cutting-edge research.

His present research program, conducted through the Center for Environmental Science and Policy at the Institute for International Studies, entails policy on such trans-boundary environmental problems as: major land-use changes; economically-driven alterations in agricultural practice; global climate change; and the development of regulatory policies.

Dr. Kennedy is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He served on the National Commission for Public Service and the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology and Government, and as a founding Director of the Health Effects Institute. He currently serves as a Director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and as Co-Chair of the National Academies’ Project on Science, Technology and Law.