The Annunzio STEM Leadership Award
This non-cash award will honor STEM leaders and mentors– adults who exemplify, facilitate and provide community service through the application of STEM.
This award named for the late Honorable Frank Annunzio, former United States Representative from the 11th Congressional District of Chicago, Illinois, honors the founder of this Foundation. In the legacy efforts launched in 1998 to honor lifetime achievements of outstanding public and private sector Americans in diverse fields including science, arts and technology, recipients were selected based on significant and beneficial impacts they made on society.
Carrying forward Congressman Annunzio’s role, it offers Federal Foundation recognition of citizen leaders in both public and private sector roles. Full coordination with nonprofit, for profit, congressional and agency support is envisioned, leading to wider recognition of individual contributions and leadership.
STEM education and application pioneers and leaders will drive selection. STEM competitions, support organizations at all levels, technology leaders, policy drivers and scientific organizations will be fundamental in mobilizing recognition for outstanding public and private sector leadership and contributions.
Here is a partial list of legacy program recipients:
Bruce E. Logan, Ph.D. Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania Dr. Logan and his research group are pioneering completely new ways to make electricity based on recovering energy from waste. They have shown that it is possible to produce electricity from waste organic matter in water, with a device called […]
Joseph Chaiken, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York A ten year-old left in a dark room with a flashlight for a few minutes will usually press the light up against his or her hand or some other body part to behold the red glow. The red glow shows that of the colors […]

Jennifer West, Ph.D. Isabel C. Cameron Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering Rice University, Houston, Texas Dr. West is conducting research in biomaterials and tissue engineering focusing on the synthesis, development and application of novel biofunctional materials and on the use of biomaterials and engineering approaches to study biological problems. One area of […]

James A. Thomson, V.M.D., Ph.D., Diplomate A.C.V.P. John D. McArthur Professor, Department of Anatomy University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School and The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center Madison, Wisconsin Dr. Thomson was the first to isolate and culture nonhuman primate embryonic stem (ES) cells in 1995, and human ES cells in 1998. Dr. Thomson’s research goals […]

Ray Wu, Ph.D. Professor of Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Cornell University, Ithaca, New York Dr. Wu, a pioneer in genetic engineering, published the first method for sequencing DNA, and has been a central figure in the related development of new cereal crops for third world countries. His DNA sequencing method used a novel, location-specific primer-extension strategy that […]

M. Ian Phillips, Ph.D. University of Florida College of Medicine Physiology & Functional Genomics Gainesville, Florida Dr. Ian Phillips is internationally known for his basic research on the brain and renin-angiotensin system, and for his invention of potential new therapies for chronic diseases using gene targeting approaches. He has applied his 30 years of academic […]

William P. Magee Jr., D.D.S., M.D. CEO and Co-founder Operation Smile, Inc. Norfolk, Virginia Dr. William P. Magee Jr., a leading plastic and craniofacial surgeon, founded Operation Smile, Inc., with his wife, Kathleen S. Magee, B.S.N., M.Ed., M.S.W. Under the Magee’s leadership, Operation Smile, a private, not-for-profit volunteer medical services organization has provided reconstructive surgery […]

James C. Cobey, M.D. Orthopaedic Surgeon Washington Hospital Center Washington, D.C. Dr. Cobey has been a lifelong champion of humanitarian causes and has put his professional medical expertise in orthopaedics to good use by helping thousands of children, patients, landmine and war victims worldwide under the auspices of the American Red Cross and Health Volunteers […]

Robert C. Gallo, M.D. Director of the Institute of Human Virology and Professor of Medicine Microbiology and Immunology School of Medicine University of Maryland Baltimore, MD Dr. Gallo was awarded the $10,000 Frank Annunzio Award in the Science/Technology field. Dr. Gallo is universally recognized for his pioneering research into the understanding of human disease which […]

Maya Lin Owner Maya Lin Studio New York, NY Ms. Lin was awarded the $10,000 Frank Annunzio Award in the Arts/Humanities field. Ms. Lin has established herself in both the art and architecture communities with her unique vision and sensibility. Her monuments, including The Women’s Table at Yale University, the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, […]