Zafra M. Lerman

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Zafra M. Lerman
File:Zafra Lerman (photo by Labeeba Hameed).tif
Zafra Lerman, American Israeli chemist, human rights activist, and science diplomat
Born Zafra Margolin
Israel
Nationality United States
Fields Chemistry, Science education, Human rights, Science diplomacy
Institutions Malta Conferences Foundation
Alma mater Ph.D (Chemistry, 1969) Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
M.Sc. (Chemistry, 1964) Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
B.Sc. (Chemistry, 1960) Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
Doctoral advisor David Samuel
Known for Science diplomacy, Human rights activism, Science education that bridges art and science,
Notable awards Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (1999)
AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy (2015)
World Cultural Council's World Award for Education (2000)

Zafra M. Lerman is an American chemist, educator, and humanitarian. She is the President of the Malta Conferences Foundation, which aims to promote peace by bringing together scientists from otherwise hostile countries to discuss science and foster international scientific and technical collaboration.[1] From 1986 to 2010, she chaired the American Chemical Society's Subcommittee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights.[2][3] She has been successful in preventing executions, releasing prisoners of conscience from jail and bringing dissidents to freedom.[4] She is the recipient of many awards for education and science diplomacy, including the 1999 Presidential Award from U.S. President Clinton,[5] the 2005 Nyholm Prize for Education from the Royal Society of Chemistry (England),[6] the 2015 Science Diplomacy Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),[7] and the 2016 Andrei Sakharov Award for human rights from the American Physical Society (APS).[8]

Early career

Lerman received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.[9][10] She conducted research on isotope effects at the Weizmann Institute of Science,[10][11] Cornell University and Northwestern University[12] in the US, and the ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

Science education and the arts

File:Zafra M Lerman students dancing to illustrate chemistry 2001 Gordon Conference (photo by David Morton).jpg
Zafra M Lerman students dancing to illustrate chemistry 2001 Gordon Conference (photo by David Morton)

Lerman used the arts to help teach science at all levels.[13][14] In 1977, she became the first science faculty member at Columbia College Chicago, an institution of higher education specializing in arts and media disciplines.[15] In 1981, she founded the Department of Science and Mathematics there and served as department Chair through 1991.[16] In 1991, she founded the Institute for Science Education and Science Communication (also known as the 'Science Institute") at Columbia College and served as its head until 2009.[17] From 1991 through 2009 her faculty title was Distinguished Professor of Science and Public Policy. She left Columbia College in 2010 (http://www.bellowslaw.com/lerman-strikes-back/).

To promote integrated teaching of science with creative arts, she founded MIMSAD, Inc. (Methods Integrating Music, Science, Art and Dance) in 1995.[18]

Part of her teaching philosophy is captured in this quote, from a 2011 lecture entitled "Creativity in 3D: "Drawing, Dance, and Drama": "Students remember and understand abstract concepts best by producing their own artistic projects and using their own (sometimes hidden) creativity. Through this process, students are active learners, and utilize both their left and right brain, instead of being just passive observers."[19]

On March 18, 2015, Dr. Lerman was awarded the title of "Distinguished Professor Emerita" by Columbia College Chicago.

Peace activism

File:HRH PrinceHassan (Jordan), Irina Bokova (UNESCO), Zafra M. Lerman at the Malta Conference V (Paris).jpg
Malta V Conference at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, December 4, 2011; His Royal Highness Prince Hassan of Jordan (center-left), Irina Bokova (center-right, Director-General of UNESCO), and Dr. Zafra M. Lerman (right, President of the Malta Conferences Foundation). (Photo by Cynthia Warren Mentz)

During her time at Columbia College, Lerman started to use science to promote peace and human rights. In 1986 she was named Chair of the ACS' Subcommittee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights.[20] Among other activities, this group's mission included helping scientists who, for political reasons, were jailed, abused, and sentenced to execution. She held that position for 25 years.

Starting in 2001, Lerman began working with the American Chemical Society Subcommittee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights to develop a scientific conference that would bring together researchers from many different, often mutually hostile, nations in the Middle East so they could cooperatively work toward solving problems facing the region. With support from the American Chemical Society (ACS), International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC - England), and the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, the first conference was held on the island of Malta from December 6 to 11, 2003.[21][22] Attendees included six Nobel Laureates and scientists from 15 Middle Eastern Countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates).[22] The conference included five workshops to foster cross-border collaborations:

  • Nanotechnology and material science
  • Medicinal chemistry and natural products
  • Alternative energy
  • Science education for all levels
  • Environment - Air and water quality

The organizers followed up by hosting a second meeting two years later, Malta II.[23]

The meeting was honored by United States Senator Dick Durbin in a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate entitled "Chemists Working Cooperatively".[24]

Lerman led the initiative to continue with the conferences and founded the Malta Conferences Foundation to support them. She secured the support of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

List of Malta Conferences

2003 Malta I[22] Malta
2005 Malta II[23] Malta
2007 Malta III[25] Istanbul, Turkey
2009 Malta IV Amman, Jordan
2011 Malta V Paris, France
2013 Malta VI[26][27] Malta
2015 Malta VII[28] Rabat, Morocco

For her work, The American Association for the Advancement of Science awarded Lerman the 2014 Award for Science Diplomacy.[7]

Notable Awards and Honors

Year Honor Institution
2016 Andrei Sakharov Prize[8] American Physical Society
2015 Award for Science Diplomacy[7] American Association for the Advancement of Science
2013 Recognition in U.S. Congress[29] Hon. Jan Schakowsky, Representative
2011 Award for Stimulating Collaborations and Ensuring Human Rights The International Conference on Chemistry for Mankind (India)
2010 Peace Award[30] The International Center for Innovation in Education
2010 ACS Fellow[31] American Chemical Society`
2010 George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education[32] American Chemical Society
2007 George Brown Award for International Scientific Cooperation[33] U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation Global (CRDF Global)
2005 Recognition on International Human Rights Day[34] American Association for the Advancement of Science
2005 Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights Award[35] New York Academy of Sciences
2005 Nyholm Prize for Education[6] Royal Society of Chemistry (England)
2004 Heuer Award for Outstanding Achievement in Undergraduate Science Education Council of Independent Colleges
2004 Recognition in U.S. Congress[24] Senator Dick Durbin
2003 Charles Lathrop Parsons Award[36] American Chemical Society
2002 James Flack Norris Award[37] American Chemical Society–Northeastern Section
2002 Recognition in U.S. Congress[38] Senator Dick Durbin
2002 Inductee Today's Chicago Woman Hall of Fame
2001 AAAS Fellow[39] American Association for the Advancement of Science
2000 José Vasconcelos World Award of Education[40] World Cultural Council
2000 Joseph Hyman Ethics Award American Institute of Chemists
1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring[5] President of the United States (Bill Clinton)
1998 ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences[41] American Chemical Society, sponsored by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
1998 Kilby Laureate Awards The Kilby International Awards Foundation
1997 Public Affairs Award American Chemical Society - Chicago Section

Selected Publications

Year Title First Author Citation
2015 From Building Roads To Building Peace: A Woman Chemist’s Odyssey. Lerman, Zafra M. Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Wu, M.L.; Cheng, H.N.; Miller, B., Eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, DC
2015 The Malta Conferences: Fostering International Scientific Collaborations Toward Peace in the Middle East. Hoffman, Morton Z Lerman,

Zafra M.

 Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Wu, M.L.; Cheng, H.N.; Miller, B., Eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, DC
2015 From Fighting for Human Rights to Building a Bridge to Peace: A Scientist’s Role and Responsibility Lerman, Zafra M. Science & Diplomacy (AAAS), 4 (1), pp 1–7. 2015.
2015 Science Offers A Whole New Diplomacy Lerman,

Zafra M.

 TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 27 No. 1, 2015, p. 23
2014 The Challenges for Chemistry Education in Africa Lerman, Zafra M. African Journal of Chemical Education (AJCE),4 (2), pp 80–90. 2014.
2014 Research and Education in the Middle East Lerman, Zafra M. Chemistry International.(36)3. pp 6, 27- 29. 2014.
2014 The Malta Conferences, Frontiers of Science: Research and Education in the Middle East Lerman, Zafra M. Forum on International Physics. American Physical Society. pp 19– 21. 2014.
2013 Human Rights, Education, and Peace: A Personal Odyssey Lerman, Zafra M. Journal of Chemical Education (2013), vol. 90 (1), pp 5–9
2011 Using Chemistry to Bridge Gaps Between Nations. Lerman, Zafra M. In the book “Chemistry for Mankind: Innovative Ideas in the Life Sciences”
2009 Chemistry and chemical education as a bridge to peace Lerman, Zafra M. In Chemistry Education in the ICT Age, Gupta-Bhowon, M.; Jhaumeer-Laulloo, S.; Li Kam Wah, H.; Ramasami, P. (Eds.)
2008 Fostering Peace Through Scientific Bridges. Lerman, Zafra M. ACS International E-Newsletter, January/February 2008 issue
2007 Using the Arts to Make Chemistry Accessible to Everybody Lerman, Zafra M. Studies in Philosophy, Culture & Education, pp. 149–165 (Institute for Multicultural Research, Arab Academic College for Education, Israel)
2006 Frontiers of Chemical Sciences II: Research and Education in the Middle East Lerman, Zafra M. Chemistry in Israel - Bulletin of the Israel Chemical Society, (2006) vol. 21, pp. 21–23
2006 Contacts, Collaborations, and the Buddha Lerman, Zafra M. Reflections from the Frontiers; Explorations for the Future; Gordon Research Conferences 1931-2006, p. 109 (Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia: 2006)
2005 Chemistry: An Inspiration for Theater and Dance Lerman, Zafra M. Chemical Education International (2005) vol. 6, p.1
2003 Using the Arts to Make Chemistry Accessible to Everybody Lerman, Zafra M. Journal of Chemical Education (2003), vol. 80 (11), pp 1234-1243
2003 Citizen Chemists (book review of Claude, R. P.: Science in the Service of Human Rights). Lerman, Zafra M. Chemical and Engineering News, 87 (21), 42-43, 2003
2003 From the Outreach Front! IAC Conference in Cuba Lerman, Zafra M. J. Chem. Ed., 80 (4), 383, 2003.
2003 ACS Delegation Travels to Cuba Hofman, M. The Chemical Bulletin, 90, 4, 8, American Chemical Society, 2003
1992 Report on Human Rights in China Lerman, Zafra M. Chemical Education Newsletter, American Chemical Society (Washington, DC, 1992).
1989 Scientific Freedom and Human Rights in the Soviet Union Lerman, Zafra M. Chemical Education Newsletter, American Chemical Society
1964 Temperature dependence of the secondary isotope effect in aqueous alkaline ester hydrolysis. Halevi, E. A. Proc. Chem. Soc., London (1964), p. 174.

References

  1. ↑ Malta Conferences Foundation website
  2. ↑ In 2010, this Subcommittee was dissolved and its activities were absorbed into the other Subcommittees of the ACS' Committee on Internation Activities
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 2011 ICIE Conference
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Program for the 2010 ICIE Conference
  31. ↑ 2010 Class of ACS Fellows
  32. ↑ ACS Awards: George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education
  33. ↑ Chemistry International (2008)
  34. ↑ 2005 AAAS Report on Science and Human Rights
  35. ↑ New York Academy of Sciences page for the Pagels Human Rights Award
  36. ↑ ACS Awards: Charles Lathrop Parsons Award
  37. ↑ List of recipients of the James Flack Norris Award for Teaching Excellence
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ List of AAAS Fellows
  40. ↑ José Vasconcelos World Award of Education 2000
  41. ↑ ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences
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