| Zafra M. Lerman | |
| Birth Name: | Zafra Jacobi |
| Birth Place: | Nesher, British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel) |
| Nationality: | American |
| Field: | Chemistry, Science education, Human rights, Science diplomacy |
| Work Institutions: | Malta Conferences Foundation |
| Alma Mater: | Ph.D (Chemistry, 1969) Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel M.Sc. (Chemistry, 1964) Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel B.Sc. (Chemistry, 1960) Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel |
| Doctoral Advisor: | David Samuel |
| Known For: | Science diplomacy, Human rights activism, Science education that bridges art and science, |
| Prizes: | Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (1999) AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy (2015) José Vasconcelos World Award of Education (2000) |
Zafra M. Lerman is an American chemist, educator, and humanitarian. She is the President of the Malta Conferences Foundation, which aims to promote peace by bringing together scientists from otherwise hostile countries to discuss science and foster international scientific and technical collaboration.[1] From 1986 to 2010, she chaired the American Chemical Society's Subcommittee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights.[2] [3] She has been successful in preventing executions, releasing prisoners of conscience from jail and bringing dissidents to freedom.[4] She is the recipient of many awards for education and science diplomacy, including the 1999 Presidential Award from U.S. President Clinton, the 2005 Nyholm Prize for Education from the Royal Society of Chemistry (England),[5] the 2015 Science Diplomacy Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),[6] the 2016 Andrei Sakharov Award for human rights from the American Physical Society (APS), the 2016 United Nations NOVUS Award for the 16th Sustainable Development Goal: Peace and Justice,[7] and the 2017 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award.[8]
Lerman received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.[9] [10] She conducted research on isotope effects at the Weizmann Institute of Science,[11] Cornell University and Northwestern University[12] in the US, and the ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
Lerman used the arts to help teach science at all levels.[13] [14] In 1977, she became the first science faculty member at Columbia College Chicago, an institution of higher education specializing in arts and media disciplines.[15] In 1981, she founded the department of science and mathematics there and served as department chair through 1991.[16] In 1991, she founded the Institute for Science Education and Science Communication (also known as the 'Science Institute") at Columbia College and served as its head until 2009.[17] Since 1991 she was a Distinguished Professor of Science and Public Policy.
Part of her teaching philosophy is captured in this quote, from a 2011 lecture entitled "Creativity in 3D: "Drawing, Dance, and Drama":"Students remember and understand abstract concepts best by producing their own artistic projects and using their own (sometimes hidden) creativity. Through this process, students are active learners, and utilize both their left and right brain, instead of being just passive observers."[18]
In addition to developing innovative methods of teaching science through the arts, Lerman started using science to promote peace and human rights around the globe. In 1986 she was named chair of the American Chemical Society's Subcommittee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights.[19] Among other activities, this group's mission included helping scientists who, for political reasons, were jailed, abused, and sentenced to execution. She held that position for 25 years.
Starting in 2001, Lerman began working to develop a scientific conference that would bring together researchers from many different, often mutually hostile, nations in the Middle East so they could cooperatively work toward solving problems facing the region. With support from the American Chemical Society (ACS), International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC - England), and the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, the first conference was held on the island of Malta from December 6 to 11, 2003.[20] [21] Attendees included six Nobel Laureates and scientists from 15 Middle Eastern Countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates). The conference included workshops to foster cross-border collaborations on air and water quality, science education for all, and green energy.
The organizers followed up by hosting a second meeting two years later, Malta II.[22]
The meeting was honored by United States Senator Dick Durbin in a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate entitled "Chemists Working Cooperatively".[23]
Lerman led the initiative to continue with the conferences and founded the Malta Conferences Foundation to support them. She secured the support of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
List of Malta Conferences
| 2003 | Malta I | Malta | |
| 2005 | Malta II | Malta | |
| 2007 | Malta III[24] | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| 2009 | Malta IV | Amman, Jordan | |
| 2011 | Malta V | Paris, France | |
| 2013 | Malta VI[25] [26] | Malta | |
| 2015 | Malta VII[27] | ||
| 2017 | Malta VIII | Malta |
| Year | Honor | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Public Affairs Award | American Chemical Society - Chicago Section |
| 1998 | Kilby Laureate Awards | The Kilby International Awards Foundation |
| 1999 | Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring[28] | President of the United States (Bill Clinton) |
| 2000 | Joseph Hyman Ethics Award | American Institute of Chemists |
| 2000 | José Vasconcelos World Award of Education[29] [30] | World Cultural Council |
| 2001 | AAAS Fellow[31] | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| 2002 | James Flack Norris Award[32] | American Chemical Society–Northeastern Section |
| 2003 | Charles Lathrop Parsons Award[33] | American Chemical Society |
| 2004 | Heuer Award for Outstanding Achievement in Undergraduate Science Education | Council of Independent Colleges |
| 2005 | Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights Award[34] | New York Academy of Sciences |
| 2005 | Recognition on International Human Rights Day[35] | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| 2007 | George Brown Award for International Scientific Cooperation[36] | U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation Global (CRDF Global) |
| 2010 | George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education[37] | American Chemical Society |
| 2010 | ACS Fellow[38] | American Chemical Society` |
| 2011 | Award for Stimulating Collaborations and Ensuring Human Rights | The International Conference on Chemistry for Mankind (India) |
| 2013 | Recognition in U.S. Congress[39] | Hon. Jan Schakowsky, Representative |
| 2015 | Award for Science Diplomacy | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| 2016 | Andrei Sakharov Prize[40] | American Physical Society |
| 2016 | Peace and Justice Award[41] | UN NOVUS Summit |
| 2017 | Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award | International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) |
| 2020 | Three Nobel Peace Prize Nominations | Nominators: member of the US Congress; member of the French parliament; Prof. of History[42] |
| 2023 | Two Nobel Peace Prize Nominations | Nominators: member of the US Congress; member of the French parliament |
| Year | Title | First Author | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Temperature dependence of the secondary isotope effect in aqueous alkaline ester hydrolysis. | Halevi, E. A. | Proc. Chem. Soc., London (1964), p. 174. |
| 2003 | ACS Delegation Travels to Cuba | Hofman, M. | The Chemical Bulletin, 90, 4, 8, American Chemical Society, 2003 |
| 2003 | From the Outreach Front! IAC Conference in Cuba | Lerman, Zafra M. | J. Chem. Educ., 80 (4), 383, 2003. |
| 2003 | Citizen Chemists (book review of Claude, R. P.: Science in the Service of Human Rights). | Lerman, Zafra M. | Chemical and Engineering News, 87 (21), 42-43, 2003 |
| 2003 | Using the Arts to Make Chemistry Accessible to Everybody | Lerman, Zafra M. | Journal of Chemical Education (2003), vol. 80 (11), pp 1234-1243 |
| 2005 | Chemistry: An Inspiration for Theater and Dance | Lerman, Zafra M. | Chemical Education International (2005) vol. 6, p.1 |
| 2006 | Frontiers of Chemical Sciences II: Research and Education in the Middle East | Lerman, Zafra M. | Chemistry in Israel - Bulletin of the Israel Chemical Society, (2006) vol. 21, pp. 21–23 |
| 2009 | Chemistry and chemical education as a bridge to peace | Lerman, Zafra M. | In Chemistry Education in the ICT Age, Gupta-Bhowon, M.; Jhaumeer-Laulloo, S.; Li Kam Wah, H.; Ramasami, P. (Eds.) |
| 2013 | Human Rights, Education, and Peace: A Personal Odyssey | Lerman, Zafra M. | Journal of Chemical Education (2013), vol. 90 (1), pp 5–9 |
| 2014 | The Malta Conferences, Frontiers of Science: Research and Education in the Middle East | Lerman, Zafra M. | Forum on International Physics. American Physical Society. pp 19– 21. 2014. |
| 2014 | Research and Education in the Middle East | Lerman, Zafra M. | Chemistry International.(36)3. pp 6, 27- 29. 2014. |
| 2014 | The Challenges for Chemistry Education in Africa | Lerman, Zafra M. | African Journal of Chemical Education (AJCE),4 (2), pp 80–90. 2014. |
| 2015 | Science Offers A Whole New Diplomacy | Lerman, Zafra M. | TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 27 No. 1, 2015, p. 23 |
| 2015 | From Fighting for Human Rights to Building a Bridge to Peace: A Scientist’s Role and Responsibility | Lerman, Zafra M. | Science & Diplomacy (AAAS), 4 (1), pp 1–7. 2015. |
| 2015 | The Malta Conferences: Fostering International Scientific Collaborations Toward Peace in the Middle East. | Hoffman, Morton Z Lerman,Zafra M. | Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Wu, M.L.; Cheng, H.N.; Miller, B., Eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, DC |
| 2015 | From Building Roads To Building Peace: A Woman Chemist’s Odyssey. | Lerman, Zafra M. | Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Wu, M.L.; Cheng, H.N.; Miller, B., Eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, DC |
| 2018 | A Chain Reaction for Peace. | Lerman, Z.M., Margolin, B. | Guest editorial in Chemistry and Engineering News. 2018, 96 (4), pp. 2. |
| 2018 | Resolution on the Water Crisis in Gaza | Lerman, Z.M. | Chemistry International, 2018 (40), 2, 32. |
| 2018 | Education, Human Rights, and Peace –Contributions to the Progress of Humanity | Zafra Margolin Lerman | Pure and Applied Chemistry, 91(2), pp. 351–360. |