Special guest Whoopi Goldberg to present award at Liberty Science Center’s 5th Annual Genius Gala on May 20 Honoring Renowned Architect Frank Gehry, Legendary Dinosaur Hunter Jack Horner, “Mother of Mindfulness” Dr. Ellen Langer, & Astrophysicist/Black Hole Researcher Kip Thorne

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Jersey City, NJ – March 10, 2016 – Liberty Science Center announced today that Whoopi Goldberg, moderator of ABC’s “The View,” will serve as a presenter at its annual Genius Gala 5.0 on Friday, May 20, in Jersey City, N.J. This magical celebration of science and creativity will honor renowned architect Frank Gehry, legendary dinosaur hunter Jack Horner, “Mother of Mindfulness” Dr. Ellen Langer and astrophysicist/black hole researcher Kip Thorne with Genius Awards.

Ms. Goldberg will present an award to Mr. Horner. The two share a common trait: they both excelled in their careers despite having dyslexia. Horner, who failed five successive quarters during college, went on to become a paleontologist whose discoveries redefined the way we view dinosaur social behavior.

“We are thrilled to have Whoopi Goldberg attend and present at our annual Genius Gala,” said Paul Hoffman, President and CEO of Liberty Science Center. “Her passion for science blended with her energetic spirit will surely add to the fun of our event.”

Messrs. Horner and Gehry, and Drs. Langer and Thorne will join previous Genius Gala honorees Sir Richard Branson, Garry Kasparov, Jane Goodall, Oliver Sacks, Temple Grandin, Dean Kamen, Sylvia Earle, Craig Venter, Cori Bargmann, Ernő Rubik, Jeff Bezos, Vint Cerf, and Jill Tarter in LSC’s Genius Gallery, a permanent, interactive display recently debuted at the Center.

Another special guest at the gala will be Fabiano Caruana, who at 23 years old is the third-highest rated chess player in the world and the current U.S. National Champion. He serves as LSC’s Visiting Grandmaster and Ambassador for the Center’s scholastic Chess Works!

The honorees and performers have generously volunteered their time and talents in support of the not-for-profit Science Center’s mission to expose learners of all ages to the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology. No honorariums or appearance fees are paid. All Gala proceeds benefit LSC’s exhibitions and programs, particularly the science-education programs that LSC does for 91,000 “at-risk” children.

Genius Gala 5.0 highlights will include musical performances by piano and violin duo Peter Dugan and Charles Yang, as well as American environmentalist and composer Benjamin Bronfman; cameo video for Jack Horner featuring Neil DeGrasse Tyson; magic performance by Marco Tempest; and a tandem chess match with Baltimore Ravens guard and mathematician John Urschel and Fabiano Caruana.

The Genius Gala, beginning at 6pm, brings together 700 movers and shakers from the NY/NJ metropolitan area. The creative black-tie event is being led by a veritable “Who’s Who” of area and national business leaders and philanthropists. Corporate Chairs are Steve Howe, US Chairman and Americas Managing Partner, EY, and Brent Saunders, CEO, Allergan. Co-chairs are: David Barry, President and CEO, Ironstate Development Company; Benjamin Bronfman, Partner, Global Thermostat; Jennifer A. Chalsty, Director, Advisory Council, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University; Kevin Cummings, President and Chief Executive Officer, Investors Bank; Michael J. DeMarco, President and Chief Operating Officer, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation; Phil Di Iorio, CEO, Global Wealth Management, JPMorgan Private Bank; Robert J. Hariri, MD, PhD, Chairman and Founder, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics; Carl R. Kuehner III, Chief Executive Officer, Building and Land Technology; Ralph LaRossa, President and Chief Operating Officer, Public Service Electric & Gas Company; Robert A. Marino, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; Barry H. Ostrowsky, President and Chief Executive Officer, Barnabas Health; John Overdeck, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder, Two Sigma; Laura Bilodeau Overdeck, Founder and President, Bedtime Math; Chirag Patel Co-CEO and Chairman, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC; Carlos Rodriguez, President and Chief Executive Officer, Automatic Data Processing, Inc; and Josh S. Weston, Honorary Chairman, Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

Ticket prices start at $1,250 per guest with options for table sponsorship from $12,500 to $100,000. For more details, please visit lsc.org/gala.

About Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to people of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, the world’s largest IMAX Dome Theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than 250,000 students visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s offsite and online programs. LSC is the most visited cultural institution in New Jersey with more than 650,000 visitors annually and the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.