Double Helix Medals Dinner - Kathryn W. Davis
http://doublehelixmedals.cshl.edu/
Kathryn Wasserman Davis is a 102-year-young example of genetics at its best. A lifelong philanthropist and advocate for research,
Mrs. Davis and her family established the Davis
Chair in
Human Genetics at
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to focus on uncovering the roots of genetic disorders. She also founded the
Kathryn W. Davis RNAi Research Center at
Cold Spring Harbor to support the understanding of how this cellular machinery might be programmed to turn off genes that lead to cancer and other disorders.
In addition to her commitment to biomedical research, Mrs. Davis is a noted supporter of the arts, education, conservation, global
peace initiatives, and representative government. She has nurtured a lifelong passion for cross-cultural education, international relations, and the
Soviet Union and
Russia.
Mrs. Davis has lectured extensively on Russia and the Soviet Union, written about foreign affairs for numerous periodicals, and is a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations.
The Woodrow Wilson Center for
International Scholars presented her with its
Woodrow Wilson Award for
Public Service, honoring individuals who have served with distinction in public life.
Through the foundation established by her late husband,
Shelby Cullom Davis, a noted investment banker and
U.S. Ambassador to
Switzerland, Mrs. Davis fosters informed opinions on the world stage. Countless students at the Davis
Center for
Russian and
Eurasian Studies at
Harvard; the Davis
Institute for International Studies at the
Heritage Foundation; the Kathryn W. Davis Center for International and
Regional Studies at the
College of the Atlantic;
Wellesley College; and a number of other colleges and universities have benefited from her generosity and entered the international arena prepared to make a
difference in the world. Other organizations that benefit from Mrs. Davis' support are the East-West
Institute,
NARSAD and
Scenic Hudson.
On her
100th birthday, Mrs. Davis founded
Projects for
Peace, which supports more than
100 peace initiatives each year undertaken by college students worldwide, and challenges future generations "to bring about
a mindset of preparing for peace, instead of preparing for war."
Mrs. Davis holds a
B.A. in
Russian history from
Wellesley, an
M.A. in history from
Columbia, and a
Ph.D. in political science from the
University of Geneva. Her doctoral thesis, "
The Soviets at
Geneva," focused on the Soviet Union's relationship with the
League of Nations and was published in 1934 -- on the day the
USSR joined the organization.