Fifty-six of the nation's most creative biomedical scientists are being given the opportunity to tackle their most ambitious, risky research plans, as they become the newest class of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators. The Institute is committing more than $600 million over their first term of appointment.

The 42 men and 14 women represent 31 institutions nationwide, including seven institutions — the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Boston University, Cornell University-Ithaca, Purdue University, Texas A&M University, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and the University of Texas at Austin — that are adding an HHMI investigator for the first time. Their careers in science were launched in countries around the globe, including China, Israel, Argentina, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

The Optical Society of America Foundation (OSAF) is pleased to announce that the Stanford University OSA Student Chapter has been awarded an Educational Outreach Grant in support of their efforts to construct educational modules (displays/demos) and their new optics-themed photo contest. Some of the experiments they are designing will explore flourescence, colors of polarization and changing light to sound. These modules will be added the Chapter’s existing demonstrations used during outreach events. Additionally, the grant will allow the chapter to print and display the winners of their photo contests at the San Jose Tech Museum (400,000 visitors annually).