Veteran scientific and academic leaders join The Kavli Foundation Board of Directors

Dr. Gilda Barabino and Dr. Adam Falk will join the board of The Kavli Foundation in 2027 and provide strategic guidance to foundation leadership. Current board members Drs. Mary Sue Coleman and Shirley Malcom will transition to senior advisors.

Today, The Kavli Foundation announced the election of two new members to its board of directors. Dr. Gilda Barabino is the former president of Olin College, past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Adam Falk is currently the president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society and is immediate past president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Dr.  Falk is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

“We are excited to welcome two new, dynamic leaders to our board as part of our ongoing commitment to renewing the perspectives that guide us,” said Rockell N. Hankin, chairman of The Kavli Foundation board. “Drs. Gilda Barabino and Adam Falk bring deep experience in leadership roles across the philanthropic and academic sectors. We look forward to benefiting from their ideas and support in the years to come.”

“The leadership of Drs. Barabino and Falk will strengthen our commitment to supporting basic science research for the benefit of humanity,” said Dr. Cynthia Friend, The Kavli Foundation president. “They are both distinguished researchers and proven leaders whom I look forward to working with in the future.”

Dr. Gilda Barabino is the former president of Olin College of Engineering, past president of AAAS and a noted investigator. She is a chemical engineer by training and is known for her work in sickle cell disease and orthopedic tissue engineering research and her leadership in higher education. Her lab has focused on cellular and tissue responses to fluid mechanical forces in the context of vascular disease and orthopedic disorders. Seminal findings from her work have informed current technologies and formed the basis for novel therapies. In addition to her leadership as president at Olin College, Barabino has held faculty and leadership positions at other leading institutions, including vice provost for undergraduate education at Northeastern University and vice provost for academic diversity at Georgia Institute of Technology. She was the Daniel and Frances Berg Professor and dean of the Grove School of Engineering at the City College of New York, and she is currently professor of biomedical and chemical engineering at Olin College. Dr. Barabino provides leadership on a global stage, previously serving as the president and board chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Barabino is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, reflecting her significant contributions to research, education and leadership. Dr. Barabino has received many awards for her work, including most recently the 2024 Dickson Prize in Science at Carnegie Mellon University and the 2023 Robert Fletcher award from Dartmouth College.

“I look forward to advancing the mission of The Kavli Foundation, including by supporting the continued development of talented early and mid-career scientists in our three disciplines of nanoscience, neuroscience and astrophysics,” said Dr. Barabino.

Dr. Adam Falk is currently the president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society and is immediate past president of the Sloan Foundation, where he championed initiatives in scientific research, higher education, and public understanding of science and technology. Prior to that, he was president of Williams College, where he focused on academic excellence, financial aid expansion, and campus inclusivity. A theoretical particle physicist by training, Dr. Falk spent much of his academic career on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University, where he also served in several administrative roles, including as dean of the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of 50 peer-reviewed publications in the area of elementary particle physics and quantum field theory. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He has been recognized for his contributions to both science and academic leadership, including young investigator awards from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. He was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship in Physics and received the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award.

Of the announcement, Dr. Falk said, “I am thrilled to join The Kavli Foundation board at such an important time. As a scientist, it brings me great satisfaction to serve a deeply respected organization that supports groundbreaking research to advance the frontiers of scientific knowledge.”

Drs. Coleman and Malcom, who currently serve on the board of directors, will transition to senior advisors for a term of two years. Dr. Friend said, “We are so grateful for the service of Drs. Mary Sue Coleman and Shirley Malcom during their terms. They have provided invaluable guidance and support, and we look forward to their continued engagement as senior advisors over the coming years.” Hankin joined Dr. Friend in extending appreciation to the outgoing board members, saying, “We are grateful for the support of two extraordinary leaders during this important time and look forward to their continued engagement.”

Media contact:
Gabriel Rodriguez, Vice President, Spitfire Strategies
Email: [email protected]
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The Kavli Foundation is dedicated to advancing science for the benefit of humanity. The foundation’s mission is to stimulate basic research in astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience and theoretical physics; strengthen the relationship between science and society; and honor scientific discoveries with The Kavli Prize. Learn more at kavlifoundation.org.