The Society for Science announced that Dr. Roderic I. Pettigrew was elected to their board of trustees. “As a global leader in health, medicine and engineering, I am thrilled to welcome Roderic to the board of trustees,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of the Society for Science and publisher of Science News. “He is an innovator helping people take control of their futures, which aligns with the society’s mission of understanding science’s role in human advancement.”
Pettigrew, as founding director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), established several research programs aimed to improve the field of medicine. His latest undertaking is EnMed, a school that integrates engineering into medical training to develop an innovation-minded physician, or physicianeer, who invents solutions to health care problems.
He is also the 2020 recipient of the Vannevar Bush Award, one of the nation’s highest science awards. Pettigrew was a participant in the 1967 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
“As a young person, I always had a natural love for science and was excited by understanding, discovery and using knowledge to create. Growing up in the segregated South, annual science fairs served multiple positive purposes. They allowed us to reach beyond our social environment to explore the universe through the laws of nature, to connect with others far and wide and to stimulate boundless dreams,” shared Pettigrew. “Starting in the ninth grade, I always looked forward to having a project in the state fair and by the 10th grade, I was ecstatic to be selected to attend the ISEF held in San Francisco, which happened to necessitate my first flight. The whole experience was a landmark in my education, personal and professional development. Now I hope to help bring this type of nurturing of creativity to the next generations of scientists and engineers as a member of the board of trustees of the Society for Science.”
The Society for Science is dedicated to the achievement of young scientists in independent research and to public engagement in science. Established in 1921, the society is a nonprofit whose vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Through its world-class competitions, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Broadcom MASTERS, and its award-winning magazine, Science News and Science News for Students, Society for Science is committed to inform, educate and inspire.
