The awards will be presented at the Science Museum on Thursday, April 17, 2008. To request an invitation, email jspalding@smv.org or call (804) 864-1541.
Meet Virginia's Outstanding Scientists and Industrialist for 2008
Virginia’s Outstanding Scientist
Dr. James M. Russell III, of Yorktown, is a Hampton University atmospheric and planetary sciences professor and Center for Atmospheric Sciences co-director. He is a pioneer in satellite atmospheric remote sensing. His work in cutting-edge research is used to understand global ozone changes and Earth’s high atmosphere. Russell led the mission that provided the first global view of chlorine gases destroying ozone. As principal investigator, he confirmed chlorine from chlorofluorocarbons caused the ozone hole and verified that the ozone layer is recovering because of international regulations. He and his colleagues also provided the first global picture of widespread solar storm effects on the middle to upper atmosphere and showed that nitric oxide in the atmosphere acts as a natural thermostat to regulate temperatures. AIM, his most recent research, is a satellite mission that studies night shining clouds in Earth’s Polar Regions. AIM is the first NASA mission led by a historically black college or university. Russell has a bachelor’s from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a master’s from the University of Virginia and a doctorate from the University of Michigan.
Virginia's Outstanding Scientist
Dr. Sarah Spiegel, of Richmond, is professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and co-leader of the Massey Cancer Center’s Cancer Cell Biology Program. She is breaking new ground in biomedical research with her work on a signaling molecule she discovered called sphingosine-1-phosphate or S1P. She found that S1P is a critical factor that influences a cell’s decision to survive or die and is key to their movement. Her work showed that S1P regulates numerous physiological processes and is important in cancer, inflammation, and allergic disorders, such as asthma. Her recent research has opened up new avenues for drug development that targets enzymes that regulate S1P and its signaling. Under her leadership VCU’s Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department’s reputation has soared and research funding has increased dramatically to more than five times larger than when she started. Spiegel earned a bachelor of science from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a doctorate from The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
Virginia's Lifetime Achievement in Science
Dr. Jack Musick, of Gloucester, is Marshall Acuff Professor of Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary. He is an internationally known expert in the ecology and conservation of sharks and sea turtles. In 1973, he established what is now the world’s longest-running shark-monitoring program. His shark research has brought global attention to significant declines in shark populations due to overfishing, and led to the first U.S. management plan for sharks in 1993. Musick’s sea turtle research, which pioneered the use of satellite tracking to establish migration patterns and wintering areas, shows that the Chesapeake Bay is one of the most important nursery areas for Loggerhead and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles. His studies of coastal fish have contributed to management plans for summer flounder, Atlantic sturgeon, and black sea bass. He also established a fish collection that now features the world’s largest collection of Chesapeake Bay and mid-Atlantic fish, with 128,000 specimens in 247 families. Musick has advised 89 graduate students during his 40-year academic career, likely a record for marine science graduate education in the U.S.
Virginia’s Outstanding Industrialist
Randal J. Kirk, of Pulaski County, is senior managing director and CEO of Third Security LLC, an investment management firm he founded in 1999. Kirk’s success in Virginia began as an attorney in Bland County when in 1983, he co-founded General Injectables & Vaccines. By the time it sold in 1996, Kirk had founded New River Pharmaceuticals, which focused on improving versions of widely prescribed drugs. Last year, New River sold for more than $2 billion. In addition, Kirk helped create NewVA Capital Partners LP to make investments in companies operating in or considering relocating to the Roanoke Valley, New River Valley and Alleghany Highlands. Today, NewVa is a major investor in four such local businesses including Synchrony and Intrexon. Kirk serves on numerous boards including the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Clinical Data Inc., and Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. In 2006, he was elected Rector of the Board of Visitors of Radford University and appointed by Governor Kaine to the Virginia Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates. He received a bachelor’s from Radford University and a law degree from the University of Virginia.
Virginia’s Lifetime Achievement in Industry
Charles H. Foster Jr., of Richmond, is chairman emeritus of LandAmerica Financial Group Inc., one of the largest title insurers in the United States. LandAmerica is on Fortune’s 2007 list of America’s Most Admired Companies. In 1991 Foster was given the challenge of turning around an unprofitable company, Lawyers Title. He led the company with $400 million in total operating revenue through a spin-off from Universal Corporation to a successful public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Corporate acquisitions led to the formation of LandAmerica in 1998 with total operating revenue of $1.5 billion. Under Foster’s leadership, the price of LandAmerica shares had a compounded annual growth rate of 16%-nearly double that of the S&P 500 for the same period of time. By 2004 LandAmerica was a Fortune 500 company with revenue in excess of $3.5 billion. Foster holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master's degree from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. He is on the James Madison University Board of Visitors and is Virginia Business Council chairman.
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