PNAS Profiles: How do Academy members get started in science?

Evolution of a Feature

Since 1996, newly elected NAS members have been invited to contribute a special Inaugural Article to PNAS. Some members contribute an original research article, whereas others submit Reviews or Perspectives. The 283 Inaugural Articles published thus far span the interests of the Academy and can be browsed at www.pnas.org/inaugurals.shtml.

Inaugural Articles not only underscore the scientific contributions of new Academy members but also highlight members as individuals. To introduce new members more personally, we launched a series of Biographies in November 2003 to accompany Inaugural Articles. These Biographies briefly encapsulated and illustrated each member's personal history.

We published 54 Biographies and have renamed them “Profiles,” expecting to present about one per issue. The collection reveals great diversity in the paths to becoming a scientist and in the topics that set members on the path to election. Many members meandered into science and particularly into the areas where they made important contributions. Some discovered a scientific edifice that was leaning in a way that their particular push would topple. Others were just lucky. This series is valuable reading for high school and college students contemplating careers in science.

Because of the popularity of the series and its importance in teaching, we are expanding it beyond newly elected members to include members who have made significant contributions to PNAS, such as former NAS President Bruce Alberts and members of the PNAS Editorial Board. Upcoming Biographies will profile Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown, Jack Halpern, Nina Fedoroff, and Maxine Singer.

We now call these articles “Profiles” because, although all have some biographical material, we let the individual choose a personal point of emphasis. The first Profile is on Bruce Alberts (1) and focuses on his long-standing commitment to improving science education.

Career Insights and Highlights

PNAS Profiles delve into those facets of Academy members' lives that have shaped them as scientists and as individuals. Key aspects include influential teachers and mentors, career and philosophical shifts, geographic changes, women's issues, fruitful collaborations, and serendipitous findings.

Each Profile offers a different tale of how an Academy member picked his or her way along the path of science. For instance, physicist Francisco de la Cruz, elected to the NAS as a Foreign Associate in 2002, faced geographical isolation, political upheaval, and war throughout his life in Argentina, Spain, and the United States (2). Atmospheric scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan, elected to the Academy in 2002, overcame language barriers as a youth in India, where classes were taught in English and not his native Tamil tongue. “[I] had to figure out things on my own. I just lost the fear of the unknown,” he says (3).

The importance of effective, inspiring teachers early in life is exemplified by developmental biologist Constance Cepko's start in science in the seventh grade. Science fair judge and U.S. Department of the Interior researcher John Palmer, who took her under his wing, “would come in on Saturdays and teach,” says Cepko (4). “He is the reason I'm here.” Mentors later in life make a significant impact, too, such as geneticist Nancy Hopkins' first undergraduate research advisor, James Watson. During a time when women were rarely encouraged to pursue science careers, Watson nurtured and supported Hopkins' scientific interest. “He told me, `You should be a scientist. You have a one-track mind,”' she says (5).

I hope you find these stories of role models, philosophies, achievements, and career misgivings enlightening and entertaining. I look forward to your comments on how we can improve this feature, which we think is an enjoyable and informative addition to PNAS.