Blythe Brenden of Minnesota, a long-standing friend of the Weizmann Institute and dedicated champion of programs to support women, has signed off on a $5 million gift to establish the Blythe Brenden Initiative for Women in Science.
Her generous and visionary partnership strengthens the Institute’s commitment to closing the gender gap in STEM fields and increasing the number of outstanding women scientists on its campus and at other Israeli institutions.
The Blythe Brenden Initiative will provide funding for key efforts run by the Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Gender Equality, headed by Prof. Idit Shachar from the Department of Systems Immunology. This includes game-changing fellowship programs which enable Israeli women to further their careers in science and academia, such as the highly competitive Women’s Postdoctoral Career Development Award in Science. Recipients are provided with essential support and funding to conduct fellowships at the best research institutions abroad.
“By expanding opportunities for young, talented women to advance their scientific careers, we ensure a flow of the fresh perspectives and ideas essential to driving innovation and progress. This is integral to Weizmann’s work as a destination for the world’s best scientific minds poised to strengthen and enrich research and discovery on campus and around the globe,” Ms. Brenden says.
The Weizmann Institute is proud to partner with Blythe Brenden to promote these essential programs and make them available to even more outstanding young researchers, helping ensure that the next generation will encounter an environment that further highlights the excellence of women scientists.
Ms. Brenden serves as an officer on the Board of Directors of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science and is a member of the Weizmann Institute’s International Board and prestigious President’s Circle. She has provided philanthropic support for other research activities at the Institute, including new scientists, a laboratory in the Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, special equipment for the lab of Prof. Maya Schuldiner in the Department of Molecular Genetics, and the Brenden-Mann Innovation Impact Award to support mid-career women scientists.
