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Columbus Scholars
The Christopher Columbus Foundation awards fellowships to outstanding
individuals designated as "Columbus Scholars." These individuals
impact the lives of others through innovation, creativity and risk
taking. Below is an alphabetical listing of the Foundation's Columbus
Scholars.
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Anthony Atala, M.D. |
Dr. Anthony Atala, Associate Professor of Surgery at Children's
Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, was awarded
the 2000 $100,000 Christopher Columbus
Foundation Award for his research to create new organs in
the laboratory. The new organs would be created for a specific
patient with the patient's own cells.
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William Berger, J.D. |
William Berger, J.D. - Team Leader, National
Self-Defense Institute, Be 'S.A.F.E.R' Program, and Chief of Police,
North Miami Beach , FL. Awarded the 2003
$2,500 Homeland Security Award in the Information
Sharing field.
The Be 'S.A.F.E.R.' program (acronym for Strategic Actions For
Emergency Response) is a unique, proven, community-based training
tool that humanizes clinical Disaster/Emergency preparedness information.
Be 'S.A.F.E.R.' works primarily with local law enforcement agencies
to promote community policies for disaster prevention through being
vigilant, informed, and communicating with law enforcement, and
training officers to facilitate classes for citizens based on the
needs of the community. |
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Vickie Boutiette |
Mrs. Vickie Boutiette, a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader/Classroom
teacher at Westside Elementary School in West Fargo, ND, is the recipient
of the 2005 $10,000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award. After potentially
career-ending radical cancer surgery in 1990, further reconstructive
surgeries and enduring speech therapy to learn to talk without part
of her jaw, Vickie returned to teaching in 1993 as a reading teacher
with one-on-one or small groups of students where she fulfills her
commitment to make a positive impact in her students' lives. With
a desire to see improvement in elementary students' success in
reading and writing and undaunted by her physical limitations, Vickie
became a Reading Recovery Teacher/Leader. Vickie has instituted the
Reading Recovery program, a one-on-one literacy education program
for first grade students, not only in her school district but many
other districts throughout North Dakota. As the only trained Teacher/Leader
in her State, she provides training, support and professional development
for elementary school teachers. Building on her successes with first
graders, Vickie continues her literacy challenge by expanding her focus
to include teaching the same techniques to teachers in other grades to
foster success in reading and writing with their students. |
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Donna H. Branson, Ph.D. |
Donna H. Branson, Ph.D. – Director of the Institute of Protective Apparel Research and Technology and Regents
Professor at Oklahoma State University was presented the 2006 $25,000 Homeland Security Award. The award was
sponsored by the public-private partnership of the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, a Federal government
agency, and presented by AgustaWestland North America, one of the world’s largest helicopter manufacturers.
Dr. Branson co-led an industry-academic team of researchers from 2001-2004 to develop a prototype of portable cooling
vests for first-responders to hazardous materials incidents. More recently, she headed up development of body armor
systems to provide protection for soldiers' arms and legs against devastating injuries caused by shrapnel. The
design challenge was to accommodate conflicting requirements including: providing ballistic protection for arms,
legs and associated joints while maintaining full soldier mobility; and minimizing additional weight and heat stress,
in a time-sensitive manner. More than 5,000 units of QuadGard®, an innovative limb armor system weighing 10 pounds,
are now being used in Iraq.
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Judith Brown |
In 1995 the Christopher Columbus Fellowship
Foundation chose Judith Brown as the first
Columbus Scholar. Ms. Brown was a teacher intern and SciTEC
program coordinator at the Columbus Center, a new national center
for marine biotechnology research and education located in Baltimore,
Maryland. The Columbus Center offered educational programs focusing
on the marine environment that encourages science as a career path
for young people, particularly minorities and women. Previously,
Ms. Brown was an educator and pioneer in hands-on biology and biotechnology
education in Montgomery County, Maryland.
During 1995-96, Ms. Brown was on a joint sabbatical
at the Columbus Center and the Woodrow Wilson
National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton,
NJ, where she prepared national teaching standards
for science teachers. |
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Michael Cantor, Ph.D. |
Michael
B. Cantor, Ph.D. - President, WayPoint Research, Inc.,
Atlanta , GA. Awarded the 2003 $2,500
Homeland Security Award in the Border/Transportation
Security field. Dr.
Cantor has developed WayPoint, a four-minute, non-verbal test which
assesses a person's ability to operate a man/machine system such
as driving, pipeline control, piloting aircraft, filling drug prescriptions,
law enforcement and baggage handling, among others.
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Chris Cherry |
Chris
Cherry – Distinguished Member
of the Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque,
NM, was awarded the 2004 $5,000 Homeland
Security Award, sponsored by Paul S.
Polo, Sr., in the Emergency Response field.
Currently, he is involved in the research and development of
specialized explosive systems, explosive entry, shaped charge
technology and advanced explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) disablement
tools. Mr. Cherry has invented, designed and patented many EOD
and Explosive tools, and has designed many advanced initiation
and explosive breaching systems. Mr. Cherry provides advanced
training for military personnel, as well as local, State and
Federal bomb squads, and is the creator of Operation America. |
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James C. Cobey, M.D.,
M.P.H. |
Dr. James C. Cobey, Orthopaedic Surgeon,
Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C., was a 2002 $50,000
Frank Annunzio Award recipient in the Arts/Humanities/Humanitarian field.
Dr. Cobey has been a lifelong champion of humanitarian causes and
has put his professional medical expertise in orthopaedics to good
use by helping thousands of children, patients, landmine and war
victims worldwide. His research has resulted in bringing unheralded
attention to the issue of landmines and helped galvanize support
for a ban, which eventually led to the creation of the International
Campaign to Ban Landmines, a group responsible for the 40-nation
Mine Ban treaty calling for the destruction of stockpiled mines.
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 Pam
Courtney |
Pam Courtney, a full-time Physical
Education (PE) teacher at Hubert H. Bancroft Elementary School
in Sacramento, CA, was the recipient of the 2004
$10,000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award. She teaches
students from grades 1-6, including those in the Special Education
program. Miss Courtney, a former Junior Olympic athlete, earned
her teaching credential in 1984. That same year, while in training
for the 1988 Olympics bicycling team, she was severely injured
in an automobile accident, losing the use of her legs. After a
difficult and challenging recovery, she persevered and became a
PE teacher, in spite of being confined to a wheelchair. To teach,
reach and meet the needs of students with diverse abilities, Pam
has developed a PE curriculum that makes it easy and fun for the
children to learn anatomy, physiology, dance routines, nutrition,
good sportsmanship, positive character development, and leadership
skills.
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 Richard
A. Craig, Ph.D. |
Dr. Richard A. Craig, Staff Scientist
at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory in Richland, WA, was awarded
the 2001 $100,000 Christopher Columbus Foundation
Award for the development of the Timed Neutron Detection (TND)
of Land Mines. This device finds plastic and metal mines by locating
the hydrogen atoms that make up the destructive war devices. |
 Aaron Diaz |
Aaron
Diaz – Staff
Scientist, Nondestructive Characterization and Measurement Sciences
Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, was
awarded the 2004 $5,000 Homeland Security
Award in the Border/Transportation Security field. His award-winning research has
focused on ultrasonic nondestructive examination measurements,
imaging and analysis. This work has resulted in the development
of the Acoustic Inspection Device, a state-of-the-art technology
used by U.S. and international Customs Officers at ports-of-entry,
IRS Fuel Compliance Officers and other law enforcement officials
for counterterrorism and drug interdiction activities. Mr. Diaz
is routinely sought out by his peers and colleagues to consult
on the most difficult non-destructive evaluation problems. His
expertise has led to significant national and international recognition. |
 Amy Dunaway-Haney
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Mrs. Amy Dunaway-Haney, a Spanish teacher
at Kettering Fairmont High School, Kettering, Ohio was the recipient
of the 2002 $10,000 Freida J. Riley
Teacher Award. Amy was diagnosed at 8 years old
with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, a degenerative muscle disease.
Confined to a wheelchair since her sophomore year in high school,
Amy had to overcome the challenges of her disease and the discouragement
of some professors to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher. Amy's
desire is to broaden her students' perspectives and inspire them
to appreciate and make the most of the opportunities they have. As
a result, a number of former students have become teachers, occupational
therapists, doctors and special education teachers. |
 Marek Elbaum, M.D. |
Dr. Marek Elbaum, President of Electro-Optical
Sciences, Inc. in Irvington, NY, was awarded the 1998
$100,000 Christopher Columbus Foundation Award for the development
of MelaFind™, an imaging system for
the early detection of melanoma, one of the deadliest of skin cancers. |
 Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. |
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, MD, was awarded the 2001
$50,000 Frank Annunzio Award in the Humanitarian field. Since
the 1970s, Dr. Fauci has pioneered the field of human immunoregulation
by making a number of basic scientific observations that serve as
the basis for current understanding of the regulation of the human
immune response. Dr. Fauci has made seminal contributions to AIDS
virus and HIV infection research. Additionally, Dr. Fauci is the
current leading spokesman on the threat of anthrax and small pox
in this country. |
 Robert A. Ferguson |
Mr. Robert A. Ferguson, a teacher at
Whitney Middle School, Tulsa, OK, was awarded the first $5,000
Freida J. Riley Teacher Award in May 2000. A recipient of
a Purple Heart for injures sustained in Vietnam, Mr. Ferguson has
braved trials that would have defeated lesser men. In addition to
his injuries, he has battled and triumphed over Crohn's disease and
diabetes to accomplish his goal of becoming a special education teacher
for multi-handicapped students in grades 6-8. |
 Millard Fuller |
Mr. Millard Fuller, Founder and President of Habitat for Humanity
International (HFHI), a worldwide Christian housing organization,
was awarded the 2000 $100,000 Frank Annunzio
Award in the Humanitarian field. HFHI volunteers have built
homes together with more than 100,000 families in need in more
than 1500 United States cities and 60 other countries. |
 Robert C. Gallo, M.D. |
Dr. Robert C. Gallo is the Director of
the Institute of Human Virology and Professor of Medicine, Microbiology
and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore,
MD. Dr. Gallo was awarded the 2000 $10,000
Frank Annunzio Award in the Science/Technology field for his
universally recognized pioneering achievements in the field of human
retrovirology. |
 Michael Graves |
Mr. Michael Graves, Architect, President and Principal, Michael
Graves & Associates in Princeton, NJ, was awarded the 2001
$50,000 Frank Annunzio Award in the Art/Humanities field.
Mr. Graves is a leading contemporary architect and has helped influence
the transformation of architecture from abstract modernism toward
more contextual and traditional themes since the 1980s.
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 Victor
Hakopian |
Victor
Hakopian, a Special Education Teacher at Jean Parker
Elementary School in San Francisco, CA, was awarded the 2003
$10,000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award. Being disabled
at a young age with a rare eye disease which left him legally
blind, Victor had to overcome prejudice from his peers and society
as well as family cultural beliefs. However, he learned that
his destiny was in his own hands and he continually worked toward
his goals. Victor promotes and expects excellence from his students
as he inspires his students to have the confidence to take risks,
and to know his classroom is a safe haven where they can do so.
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 James C. Hughes |
James C. Hughes, 11th grade teacher of United States History, Humanities 11 and Advanced Placement U.S. History at Farmingdale High School, Farmingdale, NY is the recipient
of the 2006 $10,000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award. Blind since the age of three from a hereditary form of glaucoma, Jim was fortunate to have a mentor during his formative
years, his older brother, Joey, who also had the disease. Joey’s untimely death at the age of 23, when Jim was just 16, spurred a determination and drive in Jim to use the
lessons Joey taught him--accept the challenges, keep fighting and never use his disability as an excuse. By living beyond his disability, Jim won the approval of his
college student-teacher placement coordinator and completed his student teaching in a “regular” school environment. He subsequently was hired as a teacher in a public
school. His love of history led to his choice of discipline; and his commitment to his students has broadened his impact on his school and community. Regardless of whether
his students are ‘at risk’ or advanced placement, his goal of having an impact on young people has been more than realized. He gives his students hope for their future
despite whatever challenges they might face, teaching that obstacles create opportunities for growth, perseverance and success. Jim’s special rapport with his students
enables him to treat all students equally; he cannot judge them based on appearances. He makes his students so comfortable with his disability, that they sometimes forget
that he is blind. They don’t see or treat Mr. Hughes differently because he is blind; they accept him for who he is.
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 Joany
Jackman, Ph.D. |
Dr. Joany Jackman, Senior Scientist, The
Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel,
MD. was awarded the 2003 $2,500 Homeland Security Award in
the Emergency Response field. Dr. Jackman
is developing methods to analyze breath for novel markers of infection.
This technology uses proteins and lipids secreted by the host in
response to pathogens in the lungs to detect signs of infection
prior to the appearance of symptoms. This technology will allow
rapid triage of individuals at the scene of a potential bioterrorist
attack. It will allow emergency medical personnel to focus their
resources on the most seriously ill individuals and permit rapid
and early treatment. This technology, once fully developed, will
reduce the impact of bioterrorism, by improving the outcome and
treatment of exposed populations.
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 Frances
S. Ligler, D.Phil., D.Sc. |
Dr. Frances
S. Ligler, USN Senior Scientist for
Biosensors and Biomaterials, Naval Research Laboratory, Center
for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC was
awarded the 2003 $2,500 Homeland Security Award in
the Biological, Radiological, Nuclear field.
Dr. Ligler has pioneered the development of ultra-sensitive antibody-based
detection systems for biological agents and other hazardous materials,
and for the ability to develop a biological sensor from concept
to commercial product. This work has had a profound impact on
the development of biosensor-based detection of biological warfare
agents over the past 17 years, leading to significant improvements
in the nation's capability for early and accurate detection.
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 Daniel V. Lim, Ph.D. |
Daniel V. Lim, Ph.D. - Professor of Microbiology, Department of Biology and Center for
Biological Defense, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, was awarded the 2004
$5,000 Homeland Security Award in the
Biological, Radiological, Nuclear field. Dr. Lim was selected for his work in developing a test capable of identifying
the presence of anthrax, ricin and other bioterrorism hazards in food, water and blood. He works closely with companies,
Federal and State agencies, the military and other universities on development and implementation of these rapid detection
procedures. Dr. Lim is also associated with the USF Center for Biological Defense and is routinely invited to speak on
the subjects of biodefense and biothreat agents at national conferences and workshops.
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 Maya Lin |
Ms. Maya Lin, owner of the Maya Lin Studio
in New York City, has won international acclaim for her site-specific
art and architecture projects. Ms. Lin was awarded the 2000
$10,000 Frank Annunzio Award in the Arts/Humanities field.
Ms. Lin's work, which has been praised as both serene and profoundly
powerful, encompasses the dualities of art and architecture, as well
as the artist's own Asian-American heritage. |
 William P. Magee, Jr. M.D. |
Dr. William P. Magee Jr.,
CEO and Co-founder, Operation Smile, Inc., Norfolk, VA, was
a $50,000
Frank Annunzio Award recipient in the Arts/Humanities/Humanitarian field
in 2002. Dr. Magee's work with Operation Smile has provided reconstructive
surgery and related health care to indigent children and young adults
in developing countries and the United States. Globally, Operation
Smile has trained thousands of physicians and other health professionals
who volunteer their time to perform advanced medical procedures in
their own local hospitals, dramatically improving the quality of
life for tens of thousands of children. |
 Douglas L. McMakin |
Douglas L. McMakin, Staff Engineer in the Applied Physics Group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy,
Richland, WA. Mr. McMakin was awarded the 2007 $25,000 Homeland Security Award for the development of the first-of-its-kind personnel security system that safely detects non-metallic and
metallic objects, including explosives that might be worn by a suicide bomber. The system provides a safe, fast and effective alternative to metal detectors, X-ray machines and pat-down
searches at security checkpoints. As Project Manager and Technical Lead at the Radar Imaging Laboratory, where he has worked since 1987, Mr. McMakin and his team developed and tested
innovative real-time microwave and millimeter-wave holographic-imaging systems for airport personnel screening for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (now the TSA) and body-measurements
for biometrics and clothing applications using various planar and cylindrical imaging techniques. Mr. McMakin was very active in the commercialization of these technologies with two licensed
partners L-3/SafeView (www.safeviewinc.com) and Intellifit (www.intellifit.com). |
 Rosalyn
Queen Alonso, Foundation Chair and James D. Otvos, Ph.D. |
Dr. James D. Otvos, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder of LipoMed,
Raleigh, NC, was awarded the 1999 $100,000
Christopher Columbus Foundation Award for the development
of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) LipoProfile.
An innovation in blood cholesterol testing, the LipoProfile distinguishes
between high-risk and low-risk forms of cholesterol which could
prevent heart disease.
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 M. Ian Phillips, Ph.D. |
Dr. M. Ian Phillips, University of Florida, College of
Medicine, Gainesville, FL, was a 2002
$50,000 Frank Annunzio Award recipient in the Science/Technology field.
Dr. Phillips has applied his 30 years of medical research and teaching
to the study of cardiovascular disease that affects millions of
people. Most recently, Dr. Phillips has developed new ways of treating
hypertension with gene therapy. His research team also developed
a gene "switch" that "turns on" protective
genes when a heart attack begins in response to oxygen deprivation.
These "vigilant
vectors" provide cardioprotective genes to reduce heart damage
from repeated attacks. Dr. Phillips believes this technique could
be applied to a host of other chronic diseases such as diabetes,
stroke and lung disease. |
 Ace Sarich |
Ace Sarich - Vice President, VoxTec, a Division of Marine Acoustics, Inc.
Annapolis, MD, was awarded the 2004 $5,000 Homeland
Security Award in the Information Sharing field. VoxTec solely develops and manufactures the Phraselator®, a handheld, voice-actuated translation
device being used worldwide by American soldiers and domestically in law enforcement and healthcare settings.
The Phraselator® is capable of speaking thousands of phrases in nearly 60 languages. It is used to provide
instructions, give directions or ask questions with easily conveyed responses. Mr. Sarich travels frequently
to the Middle East where he trains soldiers in the field on the use of the Phraselator®.
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 Wendy R. Shugol |
Ms. Wendy R. Shugol, a teacher at Falls
Church High School, Falls Church, VA, was awarded the 2001
$5,000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award. Ms. Shugol was injured
in an automobile accident soon after completing college and before
beginning her teaching career. The head injuries sustained in the
accident subsequently resulted in a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy.
Despite her condition, Wendy went on to fulfill her dream of becoming
a special education teacher with an even deeper understanding and
appreciation of what her own disabled students must encounter daily.
She has earned the respect of her peers, students and their parents
for having high expectations for her students and the willingness
to provide the necessary support for them to achieve. |
 James A. Thomson, V.M.D., Ph.D., Diplomate A.C.V.P. |
James A. Thomson, V.M.D., Ph.D., Diplomate A.C.V.P. - John D. McArthur Professor, Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin Medical School and The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI.
Awarded the 2003 $50,000 Frank Annunzio Award for his research in the field of embryonic stem (ES) cells to improve knowledge of basic reproductive biology, and to explore using
ES-derived cells to treat health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, leukemia and degenerative neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and
multiple sclerosis. |
 Joanne B. Tindall |
Joanne B. Tindall – Teaching principal at the W.F. Tallman School, Nashville Transition Center, for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Nashville, TN,
is the recipient of the 2007 $10,000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award. Doctors told Joanne’s parents that she would most likely be mentally retarded, would never walk or talk, and should possibly
be institutionalized due to her premature birth and diagnosis of cerebral palsy at age two. Defying the doctors’ dire predictions, Joanne quickly learned to walk and talk and has worked hard
to remain ambulatory. Far exceeding the school system’s expectations, she was quickly mainstreamed from self-contained special education classrooms into inclusion classrooms not only by
graduating from high school as a National Honor Society student, but graduating as a member of Phi Beta Kappa from Tennessee Technological University with a teaching degree in special education,
followed by a Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision. Building on the lessons learned through her own experiences as a disabled student, Joanne was determined to become a teacher and
make a difference in her students’ lives. She has dedicated her career to working with students with all types of special needs. After teaching for a few years, she began working as a crisis
hotline phone counselor on weekends at a mental health center. This soon led to teaching GED classes to adult clients in the alcohol drug treatment facility and then the lead teacher and
principal position of the adolescent day-treatment program. This eventually led to her current position as a teaching principal in a State-operated juvenile justice facility, where many of her
students have earned regular diplomas, GEDs, or special education diplomas in this very difficult teaching and learning environment.
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 Charles H. Townes, Ph.D. |
Dr. Charles H. Townes, Professor in the
Graduate School, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley,
CA, was awarded the 1999 $100,000 Frank
Annunzio Award for his research on the microwave spectra of
molecules and the ultimate invention of the laser. |
 Jennifer West, Ph.D. |
Jennifer West, Ph.D. - Isabel C. Cameron Professor of Bioengineering and
Professor of Chemical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, was awarded the 2004 $50,000 Frank Annunzio Award
for her research in biomaterials and tissue engineering focusing on the synthesis, development and application
of novel biofunctional materials and on the use of biomaterials and engineering approaches to study biological problems.
One area of Dr. West's research involves tissue engineering aimed at creating new materials for small-diameter
vascular grafts. A related area of Dr. West's research involves the use of bioengineering to combat
restenosis, a complication that often arises after angioplasty, the balloon procedure used to open clogged
arteries. She is developing polymer materials that can be coated on arteries after they are opened with the balloon.
The polymers release nitric oxide, a chemical that helps arteries heal without the clotting and scar tissue formation
associated with thrombosis.
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 John J. Wild, M.D., Ph.D. |
Dr. John J. Wild, Director, Medico-Technological
Research Institute of Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, MN, was awarded
the 1998 $100,000 Frank Annunzio Award for
being the pre-eminent pioneer of modern diagnostic medical ultrasound. |
 Kensall D. Wise, Ph.D. |
Dr. Kensall D. Wise, Professor of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, MI, was awarded the 1996 $100,000
Christopher Columbus Foundation Award for his creation of "microprobes," tiny
electronic devices implanted in the brain for stimulating and monitoring
the activity of nerve cells. |
 Jonathan Woodward, Ph.D. |
Dr. Jonathan Woodward, Senior
Research Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN,
was awarded the 1997 $100,000 Christopher
Columbus Foundation Award for the development of an enzymatic
method to produce hydrogen from abundant renewable sugar. |
 Ray Wu, Ph.D. |
Dr. Ray Wu, Professor of Biochemistry/Molecular
Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, was a 2002
$50,000 Frank Annunzio Award recipient in the Science/Technology field. Dr. Wu used a novel, location-specific primer-extension
strategy that made his DNA sequence analysis possible. His strategy
has been incorporated into subsequent generations of rapid procedures,
including the use of automated instruments, which has led to the
decoding of entire genomes of many living organisms. Information
on these sequences is essential for improving health care and increasing
food security in the next several decades. Based on Dr. Wu's keen
knowledge of DNA, genes and rice biotechnology, he has developed
techniques to produce drought- and salt-tolerant transgenic rice
plants. The same genes and methods have the potential to dramatically
increase production of all major cereal crops, which is crucial for
third world countries. |
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