LSC honors new group of thinkers and doers in science and tech at 12th Annual Genius Gala
On May 20, 2024, Liberty Science Center bestowed the “Genius Award” – our highest honor – on three scientists whose leadership, vision, and research has inspired world-changing innovations, at LSC’s 12th Annual Genius Gala.
The three honorees were Nicholas Schiff, MD, an expert on neurological disorders of consciousness who led a pioneering experiment in which five people who had debilitating brain injuries were able to achieve improved cognitive function after receiving electrode implants that stimulated an almond-sized structure deep within their brains; Dr. Joseph L. Graves, Jr., who did pioneering work in the genetics of aging and the use of metals and nanomaterials to defeat harmful bacteria; and Andrea Kritcher, PhD, whose team achieved the “Holy Grail” of nuclear fusion – a clean source of potentially limitless energy – by creating the first ever controlled fusion ignition that produced more energy than the experiment consumed.
LSC also presented the 2024 Icon Award to legendary actor and space adventurer William Shatner, for his advocacy of Earth and for inspiring generations to appreciate and embrace the wonders of space through his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk aboard the USS Enterprise from the Star Trek TV series and movies.
On Monday night, friends and supporters of LSC arrived to walk the red carpet and enjoy the cocktail reception, which featured some very special guests – Buzz Lightyear, WALL-E, and R2-D2, just to name a few!
Following the cocktail reception, attendees took their seats and the event began in Governors Hall!
The ceremony kicked off with an introduction from the Governor of New Jersey, the Honorable Philip D. Murphy.
“For more than 30 years, Liberty Science Center has stood as a proud symbol of New Jersey’s pioneering legacy in science and innovation,” said Murphy. “Here in the Garden State, we are the home of Menlo Park and Bell Labs, the birthplace of the lightbulb and the transistor, and the bedrock for so many revolutionary industries, from fintech to the life sciences to clean energy and beyond.
“And with tonight’s Gala, we are not only coming together to embrace that classic Jersey spirit of ingenuity and invention, we are also coming together to honor a group of trailblazers who are pushing the boundaries of science and technology to change our world for the better.”
Next, LSC President and CEO Paul Hoffman took the stage, reflecting on some of LSC’s greatest highlights over the last year, from handing out 11,000 pairs of eclipse safety glasses at The Great Eclipse celebration to welcoming 79,151 people through our doors in the month of April (the most visitors we’ve ever had before in a single month).
After Hoffman’s introduction, LSC board of trustees member and retired chairman of PSEG Ralph Izzo, alongside his wife Karen, took the stage.
Thanks to a $1.5 million gift from the Izzo Family Foundation, LSC’s “Our Hudson Home” exhibition will be transformed and reimagined into a new gallery focused on the study of climate change. The space will keep the fish tanks, but everything else will be new, including a prominent Touch Tank filled with Hudson River marine life that is being adversely affected by climate change.
The Izzos then introduced the first honoree of the evening: Dr. Annie Kritcher, nuclear physicist and engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
“Dr. Kritcher is the engineering design lead on the experiment that, in December 2022, achieved the holy grail of nuclear physics: igniting the world’s first controlled nuclear fusion reaction to release more energy than it consumed,” explained Ralph Izzo.
Accepting the award, Kritcher reflected on what it felt like to have made that incredible achievement in science.
“You know when you get those waves of emotion that take over your whole body – that was one of those scenarios for me,” Kritcher said.
Next, Gala attendees enjoyed a performance by the PS22 Chorus from Graniteville Elementary School in Staten Island. This group, led by founder Gregg Breinberg, has sung at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, performed for Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar, and sung “Over the Rainbow” at the Academy Awards.
“The success of the PS22 Chorus is a remarkable story and a tribute to the power of a passionate teacher and remarkable school leadership,” said Hoffman. “Students like these are the reason we’re all here tonight.”
Following a brief intermission for dinner, Hoffman returned to the stage to present LSC’s first Icon Award to legendary actor and space adventurer William Shatner.
“On October 13, 2021, William Shatner, age 90, boldly went where no one that old had gone before… into space,” said Hoffman. “Bill’s true reaction to the experience surprised no one more than himself. He wrote movingly about the contrast between the ‘vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing Earth below.’
“The Canadian actor who had done so much as Captain Kirk to inspire interest in space was now one of Earth’s most eloquent advocates.”
Shatner wasn’t able to attend the Gala in person, but he sat for an interview with Hoffman in Los Angeles. In the interview – which was screened at the Gala – Shatner discussed what it felt like to go into space, the importance of LSC’s mission, and the threat of climate change.
“My message is frantic – we’ve got to do something,” Shatner said. “The children you’re reaching at Liberty Science Center, they will be the most affected by global warming. So we’re trying to reach as many people as possible who can affect global warming, which is poisoning the air, poisoning the land, and poisoning the water.
“And we can do something about it – we’ve just got to do it. We’ve got to cooperate.”
Next, Hoffman provided an update on SciTech Scity, the 30-acre innovation campus that LSC is creating.
“The extensive site work and environmental remediation is now complete, and the vertical construction on the four elements of this $450 million project will start in the next few months,” said Hoffman.
Hoffman also reflected on SciTech Scity’s recently launched Healthcare Innovation Engine, a public-private partnership to drive healthcare innovation through digital technologies. The goal is to prove that digital-first home healthcare can work for patients, providers, and payers. Lead partners include Bristol Myers Squibb, EY, RWJBarnabas Health, Sheba Medical Center, Bell Labs, Princeton University, New Jersey Innovation Institute at NJIT, and key NJ government players, such as the NJEDA, the state’s health and human services departments, and Jersey City’s health department.
“The Engine’s pilot programs will focus on high-need communities in Hudson County, targeting areas with poor access to care and health vulnerabilities,” said Hoffman. “The first pilot, launching later this year, will address cardiovascular disease and aims to create scalable solutions for communities across New Jersey and the country.”
Next, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop – who helped bring about SciTech Scity – took the stage to introduce the next honoree, groundbreaking evolutionary biologist Dr. Joseph L. Graves, Jr.
“Raised in Westfield, New Jersey during the civil rights era, Dr. Graves is the author of five critically acclaimed books, including Racism Not Race and A Voice in the Wilderness: A Pioneering Biologist Explains How Evolution Can Help Us Solve Our Biggest Problems, which – among other honors – was named the top science book of 2022 by the Next Big Idea Club,” said Fulop.
In a conversation with Hoffman, Graves spoke of the misconceptions about biology and race, and how things can change in the future.
“It’s a simple fact we have a system that works to discriminate against certain communities and benefits other communities,” Graves said. “So if we want to see the demography of science change, it starts with equally funding school districts and making sure teachers, in particular, have livable salaries.”
Martine Rothblatt, the final presenter of the evening and previous Genius Gala honoree, then took the stage to present the night’s final award to traumatic brain injury treatment innovator Dr. Nicholas Schiff of Weill Cornell Medical Center.
“Dr. Schiff is an internationally recognized physician and scientist whose research is bridging basic neuroscience and clinical investigative studies of impaired consciousness and cognition following structural brain injuries,” said Rothblatt. “Dr. Schiff’s research involves deep brain electrical stimulation – a kind of pacemaker for the brain.”
In a conversation with Hoffman, Schiff reflected on the moment in his career he chose to challenge outdated beliefs in neurological disorders of consciousness.
“I realized how viscerally I was still holding onto the beliefs I was told as a trainee,” said Schiff.
Following the ceremony, the afterparty kicked off in PSE&G Court, with dessert, dancing, speed chess, and more.
Thanks to all who joined and supported us for the 12th Annual Genius Gala! Click here to see more photos from the event.
The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation is the Platinum Chair of the event, which is attended by hundreds of industry leaders and philanthropists from the NY/NJ metropolitan area.
The Innovation Chairs are Gregory Tusar, Head of Institutional Product, Coinbase; and Josh Weston, Honorary Chairman, ADP.
The Co-Chairs of the Gala are David Barry, Founder and CEO, Urby; Sheri Bronstein, Chief Human Resources Officer, Bank of America; Alma DeMetropolis, Managing Director, Market Manager, J.P. Morgan; Clarissa Goncalves, CFO, Global Product & Technology, Global Security, Strategy, and Procurement, ADP; Richard M. Hodosh, MD, Former Medical Director, Atlantic Brain and Spine Institute; Stephen R. Howe, Jr., Retired Chairman, Ernst & Young LLP; Ralph Izzo, Retired Chairman of the Board, CEO, President, PSEG; Bruce L. Levy, President and CEO, BMR Energy; Marsh McLennan Agency; Chirag Patel, Co-CEO and President, Amneal Pharmaceuticals; Michael Prilutsky, EVP, RWJBarnabas Health, President and CEO, Jersey City Medical Center; Al Reba, SVP, US, Cardiovascular and Established Brands, Bristol Myers Squibb; Anthony Skiadas, CPA, CFO, Verizon Communications; Caroline Tillett, Chief Scientific Officer, Kenvue; and Timothy Tracy, Global Client Service Partner, Private Equity and Americas Private Equity Leader, EY.
