[Sci-tech-public] Fwd: Re: New director, Knight Science Journalism Fellowships

[Michael Fischer]

>Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:13:28 -0500
>To: mindell at MIT.EDU, dkfitz at mit.edu
>From: Michael Fischer <mfischer>
>Subject: Re: [Sci-tech-public] New director,	Knight Science 
>Journalism Fellowships
>Cc:
>Bcc:
>X-Attachments:
>
>Congratulations.  This sounds like a really great appointment.
>
>
>
>>
>>Hello,
>>As director of the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, it 
>>gives me great pleasure to announce the new director of the Knight 
>>Science Journalism Fellowships, Philip Hilts. More detail is 
>>provided below, but let me say that Philip impressed us all with 
>>his intellect, the range and depth of his journalistic commitments, 
>>and his vision for the future of the program. We are tremendously 
>>excited to have Philip join our community and continue the 
>>wonderful work of Boyce Rensberger, who retires this summer, and 
>>Victor McElheny in building up the Knight fellowship program, which 
>>will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary next month.
>>Thanks to Dean Deborah Fitzgerald for chairing the search committee 
>>and running a broad and timely search. Thanks also to the other 
>>members of the committee - Kathy Boisvert (Knight fellows), Rob 
>>Kanigel (MIT, Science Writing), Penny Chisholm (MIT, Civil and 
>>Environmental Engineering), Paul Schechter (MIT, Physics), Robert 
>>Weinberg (MIT Cancer Center, Whitehead Institute), Christine 
>>Russell (Harvard, Belfer Center), and Deborah Blum (University of 
>>Wisconsin, School of Journalism).
>>Congratulations again to Philip and best wishes to Boyce on his 
>>upcoming retirement.
>>
>>David Mindell
>>Director, Program in Science, Technology, and Society
>>Dibner Professor
>>of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing
>>Professor of Engineering Systems
>>Housemaster, MIT Edgerton House
>>
>>
>>
>>Philip Hilts named new Director
>>of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships
>>
>>          
>>Philip J. Hilts, photograph by Marc Jones
>>
>>Philip J. Hilts, the author of six books, and a prize-winning 
>>health and science reporter for The New York Times and The 
>>Washington Post, has been named the third director of the Knight 
>>Science Journalism Fellowships. He will succeed Boyce Rensberger, 
>>who retires this summer after ten years in the job.
>>           Hilts, whose journalism career began in 1968, was the 
>>Times reporter who broke the story of the tobacco industry's 
>>40-year coverup of its own research showing that tobacco was 
>>harmful and addictive.  His most recent book, Rx for Survival: Why 
>>We Must Rise to the Global Health Challenge, won the Los Angeles 
>>Times Book Prize for Science and Technology and was a New York 
>>Times Notable Book of the Year.
>>           A long-time teacher of science journalism at Boston 
>>University, Hilts will also take over Rensberger's teaching role in 
>>MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing.
>>Hilts said he was thrilled to have the chance to lead the program.
>>"This is the best program of its kind anywhere, and has for decades 
>>been the source of enthusiasm and high standards that science 
>>journalists look to," he said. "Now the program has even more to 
>>do, helping journalists launch themselves into the electronic 
>>future, again with enthusiasm while maintaining high standards. 
>>What a great opportunity!
>>"I'm delighted that Phil Hilts will be coming to MIT and using his 
>>extraordinary experience and energy to guide the advancement of the 
>>science journalists who come here each year," said Deborah 
>>Fitzgerald, who chaired the search committee. "The Fellowships is a 
>>major part of MIT's effort to improve the public understanding of 
>>science and technology, and I'm confident that Phil will lead the 
>>program to new heights."
>>Rensberger echoed Fitzgerald's sentiments.
>>"This is an excellent choice," he said. "Phil and I worked together 
>>for about five years at the Washington Post, and I developed 
>>enormous respect for his scientific interests and investigative 
>>acumen."
>>Hilts has been a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, twice a 
>>fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, and serves as a 
>>commentator on health and science issues for National Public Radio.
>>      The Knight Science Journalism Fellowships, which celebrates 
>>its 25th anniversary in February, is the nation's leading program 
>>for advanced education in science for mid-career journalists. 
>>Funded chiefly by an endowment from the John S. and James L. Knight 
>>Foundation, the Fellowships is a component of the Science, 
>>Technology and Society Program in the School of Humanities, Arts 
>>and Social Sciences. It began in 1983 as the Vannevar Bush 
>>Fellowships in the Public Understanding of Technology and Science, 
>>founded by Victor K. McElheny, who retired in 1998.
>>
>>For more information, visit
>><http://web.mit.edu/knight-science/>http://web.mit.edu/knight-science/
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
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>>Sci-tech-public at mit.edu
>>http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/sci-tech-public
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