NEW YORK—January 7, 2008—The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science announced that Lorry I. Lokey of San Francisco pledged $30 million to further international scientific education and research.
The funds will be used by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel for two major initiatives: the Lorry I. Lokey Pre-Clinical Research Facility and the Lorry I. Lokey Research School of Biochemical Sciences. The gift is the largest single contribution ever made to the American Committee in its 63-year history.
Lokey is the founder of Business Wire, a leading San Francisco-based news release distribution service. During a recent visit to the campus of the Weizmann Institute, he called the philanthropic gift “one of the best investments of my life.”
As the only facility of its kind in Israel and in the region, the Pre-Clinical Research Facility will dramatically increase the resources of Weizmann Institute scientists, particularly in research areas with medical and health implications. When completed, it will be the largest core research facility on the Institute’s campus.
The facility will be utilized by many of the Institute’s 130 biological science research groups, and will house the campus’s most advanced imaging equipment. Research conducted in the building will span the medical spectrum, including studies on cancer, genetic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, bone and muscle development, and immune system disorders.
Thanks to a dedicated suite of biohazard laboratories, scientists also will be able to research viruses and lower-grade infectious diseases, such as influenza and hepatitis.
The Weizmann Institute’s biochemistry graduates already play leadership roles internationally and in Israel’s academic and private sectors in biotechnology, hi-tech, security, pharmaceuticals, and other key drivers of the Israeli economy. The new Lorry I. Lokey Research School of Biochemical Sciences will be a centerpiece of the Institute’s graduate education program. By boosting student benefits and the school’s visibility, Lokey’s endowment will make the school even more competitive, and help ensure that it will be among the top choices for talented graduate students worldwide in the life sciences.
Each new Ph.D. student in the Lokey Research School will be supported directly by an increased budget (supplementing the scholarship all Graduate School students currently receive, which covers the cost of tuition and a living stipend). Other new planned amenities include a prestigious annual colloquium which would bring top life scientists to the Weizmann Institute campus.
Professor Daniel Zajfman, President of the Weizmann Institute, said that Lokey’s gift will have a profound effect on the future of science, Israel, and every graduate bearing the Lokey Research School name with pride.
“Lorry Lokey understands that the partnership between science and philanthropy has the potential to improve dramatically the quality of our lives and to reduce human suffering. We are so grateful for his visionary leadership and for the trust he places in the scientists and students of our Institute,” he said.
Richard H. Jones, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, said that Lokey’s gift “helps strengthen the ties between Israel and the U.S.,” in addition to furthering science research that serves all of humanity without distinction.
As one of the nation’s leading philanthropists, Lokey’s many other charitable activities emphasize both science research and education, particularly in universities and high schools.
The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science (ACWIS), founded in 1944, develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, one of the world's premier scientific research institutions. The Weizmann Institute is a center of multidisciplinary scientific research and graduate study, addressing crucial problems in medicine and health, technology, energy, agriculture, and the environment. For additional information, please visit www.weizmann-usa.org.
