Today would have been former Rockefeller president and Nobel Prize laureate Joshua Lederberg's 100th birthday. Lederberg was just 33 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering that bacteria can mate and exchange genes. His findings led to research that elucidated the mechanisms of bacteriophages and other viruses; explained how cell growth is interrupted; and clarified how cancer progresses. And his description of transduction led to the development of gene therapy and contributed to the boom in biotechnology and genetic engineering in the 1970s. After retiring from the presidency, Lederberg became University Professor and head of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Informatics, where his research continued. Throughout his later research career, Dr. Lederberg was highly active in international science and human rights advocacy. Lederberg is deeply respected and admired for his myriad contributions to medical science, Rockefeller, and public policy, and his powerful legacy is a true testament to our mission of Science for the Benefit of Humanity. (fb)

“For nearly 125 years, this university has advanced science for the benefit of humanity,” Alex Kogan, associate vice president of Plant Operations & Housing and co-chair of the university’s Sustainability Committee, says. “Building a greener campus is part of that legacy.” Learn how a modest task force at Rockefeller grew into a campuswide commitment to greener science and smarter operations: (fb)