The CERN & Society Foundation, whose purpose is to support and promote the dissemination, to the widest possible audience, of the benefits of the mission of CERN, through education and outreach, innovation and knowledge exchange, culture and art, complements CERN’s goals with a philanthropic arm. This year, the Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of three new official ambassadors: Rolf-Dieter Heuer, Anne Richards and Peter Jenni, joining William Hurley (known as Whurley), who has served as a CERN & Society Foundation ambassador since 2018. Ambassadors are nominated by the Foundation Board for a period of three years (renewable) and serve on a voluntary basis to support the outreach of the Foundation.
As Director-General of CERN (2009–2015), Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer (DE) launched the concept of the CERN & Society Foundation to advocate collaboration and partnerships in support of CERN’s mission. Following the conclusion of his term as Director-General, he joined the CERN & Society Foundation Board as a member for two full mandates, the maximum allowed, until 2022. Several of the programmes now promoted by the Foundation were established with his close involvement as Director-General, among them the Beamline for Schools competition and Arts@CERN.
Dame Anne Richards (UK) first connected with CERN when she was a summer student and research fellow in the 1980s and has remained engaged in support of the Laboratory since then. In 2014, she joined the CERN & Society Foundation Board as its first Chair, and guided the establishment and development of the Foundation until 2020.
Professor Peter Jenni (CH), a particle physicist, started his career at CERN in the 1970s and, among many other roles, was spokesperson for the ATLAS experiment until 2009. With Fabiola Gianotti, current Director-General of CERN, he launched the ATLAS PhD Grant Scheme, which has now evolved into the Non-Member State PhD Studentship Scheme. Peter served as a CERN & Society Foundation member and Deputy Chair from 2014 to 2020.
The CERN & Society Foundation Board is extremely pleased to benefit from the support and prestige of all the distinguished ambassadors and looks forward to working closely with them to spread CERN’s spirit of scientific curiosity for the inspiration and benefit of society.
Sources:
- https://cernandsocietyfoundation.cern/news/congratulations-anne-richards-being-awarded-damehood
- https://cernandsocietyfoundation.cern/news/capitalising-wider-understanding-benefits-science
- https://atlas.cern/Discover/Collaboration/Management/PeterJenni
- https://home.cern/about/who-we-are/our-people/biographies/rolf-dieter-heuer
- https://cernandsocietyfoundation.cern/news/change-leadership
- https://cernandsocietyfoundation.cern/page/whurleyr-william-hurley
- https://cernandsocietyfoundation.cern/news/whurleyr-be-first-cern-society-foundation-ambassador