PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Wendy Connors named Hertz Foundation President, succeeding Robbee Kosak

2024-10-01
(Press-News.org) The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds, supports, connects and catalyzes the nation’s top PhD students in science and technology, today announced that Wendy Connors, currently its chief development officer, will begin as president on Jan. 1, 2025. Connors will succeed current president Robbee Baker Kosak, who will retire after almost 10 years in the role.

Appointed by the Hertz Foundation board of directors, Connors is the sixth president of the foundation and second woman to hold the position since it was founded in 1957. She brings more than 25 years’ experience as an accomplished nonprofit executive and fundraising leader in university and educational settings, including previous roles at MIT and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

“Connors is a seasoned professional with top-tier university experience, a strong track record of fundraising success and an understanding of institutional governance. What’s more, during her three years at the foundation, she has demonstrated that she understands and embraces the unique mission and culture of the Hertz Foundation,” said Stephen Fantone, chair of the Hertz Foundation board of directors and the founder and president of Optikos Corporation. “She is the leader the Hertz Foundation needs in its next phase of growth.”

Under Connors’ leadership, the Hertz Foundation is strongly positioned to expand the nation’s pipeline of principled science and technology leaders through its prestigious Hertz Fellowship at a time of critical need for the nation and the world. Hertz Fellows are named during their doctoral studies and join an influential network as they become leaders in the academic, public and private sectors, working to advance U.S. security and global scientific leadership. Hertz Fellows have been named Nobel laureates and Breakthrough Prize winners; are elected members of the National Academies; and are recipients of many other prestigious national and international awards.

Connors’ first priority as the next president will be to successfully complete funding and implementation of the organization’s ambitious strategic plan, which seeks to increase the number of Hertz Fellowships awarded annually and extend the engagement of the 1,305 innovators and leaders who constitute the Hertz Fellows community today.

“From the acceleration of AI and climate change to globalization and geopolitical tensions, our national security and economic stability depend on U.S. leadership in science and technology,” adds Connors. “We believe Hertz Fellows are uniquely prepared to lead—which is why our nation urgently needs more of them. I’m committed to scaling the impact of the Hertz Foundation.”

As an executive at the Hertz Foundation, Connors led a nationwide development team and oversaw all aspects of fundraising, serving as a key liaison to the board of directors on development matters. She oversaw fundraising communications strategy and expanded the pipeline of supporters to the foundation, including for women and those underrepresented in STEM. Connors’ leadership fueled an 80% growth in annual fundraising revenue and the addition of 24 new named and endowed Hertz Fellowships, which directly supported the foundation’s strategic plan. Her work as a member of the senior team has elevated connections among Hertz Fellows and helped strengthen the Hertz Fellowship experience. Her transition to the presidency promises to inject these efforts with even further energy, ideas and innovation.

“I am proud to have helped the Hertz Foundation deepen both Fellow and non-Fellow engagement, secure resources to support Fellows and strengthen their fellowship experience; and work closely with our board to grow fundraising in support of our strategic plan,” says Connors. “I look forward to building on the vital work of this foundation by engaging more broadly with Hertz volunteers, Fellows and friends, increasing the foundation’s national visibility and developing new modes of support to extend our impact.”

In her previous role as an executive director at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Connors led global fundraising teams in support of faculty, student and institutewide initiatives and raised over $200 million as part of the Better World Campaign. She worked with alumni and volunteers to build a broader and more engaged international community for the institution.

Connors is a founding member of the national CDO Network, a global, all-sector network of chief development officers, and serves as vice president of the Jackson E. and Evelyn G. Spears Foundation, a private foundation that supports education and community-based initiatives. She lives in Boston with her husband, Travis, co-founder and general partner at Building Ventures, and her two adult daughters, Colby and Marley.

“Having worked closely with Connors the last three years, I can testify to her abilities to lead, collaborate and innovate with an entrepreneurial mindset. I am thrilled she has been selected,” said Kosak, who has served as president since 2015. “For me, leading the Hertz Foundation through this transformation has been a great privilege, and the perfect capstone to my career commitment to excellence in higher education. I look forward to continuing to celebrate the impact of the exceptional work of our Fellows on the future of our nation and our society.”

Retiring after almost 10 years as Hertz Foundation president, Kosak has overseen unprecedented growth and transformation. During her tenure, the foundation dramatically strengthened its financial position—nearly tripling its financial assets. As a result, the foundation now enjoys top scores from the national nonprofit ranking systems, Charity Navigator and Candid. She worked closely with board leadership to expand and diversify board membership; develop the board’s ambitious strategic plan; significantly build out the value proposition of the Hertz Fellows community; and increase national recognition for the scientific leadership of Fellows. During this time, strategic partnerships have been developed with influential science and technology organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, Draper, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 10x Genomics, and the Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group.

“Kosak has positioned the Hertz Foundation for further growth,” said Fantone. “Its financial position is strong, and so are its people—from an empowered staff to an engaged community of Fellows volunteers, donors and partners. Kosak has left an indelible impact on the foundation and its Fellows that will reverberate into the future.”

About the Hertz Foundation Founded in 1957, the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation accelerates solutions to the world's most pressing challenges, from enhancing national security to improving human health. Through the Hertz Fellowship, the Foundation identifies the nation's most promising young innovators and disruptors in science and technology, empowering them to become the future leaders who keep our country safe and secure. Today, a community of more than 1,300 Hertz Fellows is a powerful, solution-oriented network of our nation's top scientific minds, working to address complex problems and contributing to the economic vitality of our country. Learn more at HertzFoundation.org.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

A tool to enhance the taste and texture of sourdough and study the complexity of microbiomes

2024-10-01
When millions of people went into lockdown during the pandemic, they went in search of new at-home hobbies to help cure their boredom. Among them was making sourdough bread. In addition to being sustainable for its use of natural ingredients and traditional methods which date back thousands of years to ancient Egypt, it also is valued for its nutritional benefits. For example, studies have shown that sourdough contains more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants compared to many other types of bread. For people with mild sensitivities to gluten, sourdough bread can be easier to digest since much of the gluten is broken down during ...

Structure of a eukaryotic CRISPR-Cas homolog, Fanzor2, shows its promise for gene editing

Structure of a eukaryotic CRISPR-Cas homolog, Fanzor2, shows its promise for gene editing
2024-10-01
(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – October 1, 2024) A revolution in biomedicine is currently underway, driven by the application of genome engineering tools such as the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas9. New genome editing systems continue to be identified in different organisms, adding to the potential toolbox for various therapeutic applications. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital studied the evolutionary journey of Fanzors, eukaryotic genome-editing proteins. Using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), the researchers provided insights into the structural divergence ...

St. Jude names M. Madan Babu, PhD, senior vice president and chief data scientist

St. Jude names M. Madan Babu, PhD, senior vice president and chief data scientist
2024-10-01
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital today announced  M. Madan Babu, PhD, FRS, as the institution’s first Chief Data Scientist, Senior Vice President for Data Science, and leader of the newly formed Office of Data Science. This $195 million research enterprise will have 115 new positions. In his new role, Babu will bring new, advanced computing technologies and data science approaches to biomedical research. His team will also facilitate the integration of biological and biomedical ...

It all adds up: Study finds forever chemicals are more toxic as mixtures

It all adds up: Study finds forever chemicals are more toxic as mixtures
2024-10-01
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A first-of-its-kind study has measured the toxicity of several types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), better known as “forever chemicals,” when mixed together in the environment and in the human body. The good news: Most of the tested chemicals’ individual cytotoxicity and neurotoxicity levels were relatively low.  The bad news: the chemicals acted together to make the entire mixture toxic. “Though they are structurally similar, not all forever chemicals are ...

SwRI-led team discovers carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Pluto’s moon Charon

SwRI-led team discovers carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Pluto’s moon Charon
2024-10-01
SAN ANTONIO — October 1, 2024 — A Southwest Research Institute-led team has detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide for the first time on the frozen surface of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. These discoveries add to Charon’s known chemical inventory, previously identified by ground- and space-based observations, that includes water ice, ammonia-bearing species and the organic materials responsible for Charon’s gray and red coloration. “Charon is the only midsized Kuiper Belt object, in the range of 300 to 1,000 miles in diameter, that has been geologically mapped, thanks ...

More clarity on hereditary colorectal cancer

More clarity on hereditary colorectal cancer
2024-10-01
The genetic confirmation of a suspected diagnosis of "hereditary colorectal cancer" is of great importance for the medical care of affected families. However, many of the variants identified in the known genes cannot yet be reliably classified in terms of their causal role in tumor formation. Under the leadership of the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, an international team of researchers has reassessed the medical relevance of a significant number of unclear variants and thus significantly ...

FOXM1 and PD-L1 in CDK4/6-MEK resistance in nerve tumors

FOXM1 and PD-L1 in CDK4/6-MEK resistance in nerve tumors
2024-10-01
“We suggest that future therapeutic strategies targeting the oncogenic network of CDK4/6, MEK, PD-L1, and FOXM1 represent exciting future treatment options for MPNST patients.” BUFFALO, NY- October 1, 2024 – A new mini review was published in Oncotarget's Volume 15 on September 30, 2024, entitled, “Linking FOXM1 and PD-L1 to CDK4/6-MEK targeted therapy resistance in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors.” As highlighted in the abstract of this paper, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive, Ras-driven sarcomas characterized ...

McMaster University researchers identify new therapeutic approach to preventing cancer from spreading to the brain

2024-10-01
Researchers at McMaster University have identified a new therapeutic approach to preventing cancer from spreading to the brain.    In a new study, published recently in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, researchers Sheila Singh and Jakob Magolan discovered a critical vulnerability in metastatic brain cancer, which they say can be exploited with new drugs to prevent spread. Singh, a professor in McMaster’s Department of Surgery and director of the Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, says brain metastases are becoming increasingly prevalent and are extremely fatal, with 90 per cent of patients dying within one ...

Squid-inspired fabric for temperature-controlled clothing

Squid-inspired fabric for temperature-controlled clothing
2024-10-01
WASHINGTON, October 1, 2024 – Too warm with a jacket on but too cold without it? Athletic apparel brands boast temperature-controlling fabrics that adapt to every climate with lightweight but warm products. Yet, consider a fabric that you can adjust to fit your specific temperature needs. Inspired by the dynamic color-changing properties of squid skin, researchers from the University of California, Irvine developed a method to manufacture a heat-adjusting material that is breathable and washable and can be integrated into flexible fabric. They published their ...

Using antimatter to detect nuclear radiation

Using antimatter to detect nuclear radiation
2024-10-01
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2024 – Nuclear fission reactors act as a key power source for many parts of the world and worldwide power capacity is expected to nearly double by 2050. One issue, however, is the difficulty of discerning whether a nuclear reactor is being used to also create material for nuclear weapons. Capturing and analyzing antimatter particles has shown promise for monitoring what specific reactor operations are occurring, even from hundreds of miles away. In AIP Advances, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Sheffield and the University of Hawaii developed ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Arthropods dominate plant litter decomposition in drylands

World-renowned organic chemists attend inaugural science symposium hosted by Rice’s Global Paris Center

The trees of Miami’s future

MIT team takes a major step toward fully 3D-printed active electronics

Accelerated three-year medical school students perform as well as peers in traditional four-year programs

SwRI-developed instruments will study potential habitability of Jupiter’s moon Europa

Proposed scoring system may enhance equity in organ transplantation, increase transplant rates and improve patient survival

Survivors of childhood brain cancer are more likely to be held back in school

Updating offshore turbine designs to reflect storms’ complexity is key

Hospital strain during the COVID-19 pandemic and outcomes in older racial and ethnic minority adults

Scientists unveils key role of “selfish DNA” in early human development

Bonobos may be more vulnerable than previously thought, suggests genetics study

Scripps Research scientists discover chemical probes for previously “undruggable” cancer target

Giant Magellan telescope begins primary mirror support system testing

Experimental cancer drug eliminates bone metastases caused by breast cancer in lab models

Political candidates who fight climate change stand to benefit in election

Stand up to Cancer announces new grants supporting pioneering research in six cancer types

Researchers awarded $1.3M to help military Veterans battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia

New hub for high-energy astrophysics — CTAO Science Data Management Centre opens at DESY in Zeuthen

JMIR publications CEO and Executive Editor Gunther Eysenbach achieves #1 ranking as most cited researcher in Medical Informatics for fifth consecutive year

ERC grant for groundbreaking wearable health tech

NIH announces winners of prize competition to improve postpartum maternal health and health equity through innovative diagnostics

APS and SPR honor Dr. Cynthia F. Bearer with the 2025 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award

Election delays and voter trust

US air pollution monitoring network has gaps in coverage, say researchers

Continuous monitoring of fatigue in factory workers

Farmer ants’ wearable bacteria

Political polarization and trust

Study uncovers how silkworm moth's odor detection may improve robotics

New study links obesity to elevated hypertension risk among young middle eastern women

[Press-News.org] Wendy Connors named Hertz Foundation President, succeeding Robbee Kosak