Kastner named president of Science Philanthropy Alliance
The Science Philanthropy Alliance, a coalition of nonprofit institutions and foundations dedicated to increasing investment in basic science research, announced today that physicist Marc Kastner, the Donner Professor of Science at MIT, will serve as its first president. Kastner, a member of the faculty since 1973, served from 2007 to 2013 as dean of the School of Science. As president of the Science Philanthropy Alliance, he will lead the organization’s efforts to promote philanthropic giving and investment in pioneering science research critical to our long-term economic growth and quality of life. “This is a critical time for basic science, with federal support declining in real terms, even as the need for this research is more important than ever for providing the basis of new advances in medicine and technology, providing a deeper understanding of our place in the universe, and attracting young people to study mathematics and science,” Kastner says. “While philanthropy...