2018 Vilcek Prizes Celebrate Immigrant Contributions to U.S.
The Vilcek Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Vilcek Prizes. Awarded annually, the prizes call attention to the breadth of immigrant contributions to the American arts and sciences. The Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science is awarded to Russian-born immunologist Alexander Rudensky, chair of the immunology program at Sloan Kettering Institute, director of the Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. The Vilcek Prize in Architecture is awarded to Guatemalan-born architect and urban researcher Teddy Cruz, professor at University of California, San Diego, and director of design at Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forman. Each prize includes a $100,000 cash award.
“The Vilcek Prizes were established in appreciation of the immigrants who chose to dedicate their vision and talent to bettering American society,” says Rick Kinsel, president of the Vilcek Foundation. “This year’s prizewinners honor and continue that legacy with works of astounding, revolutionary importance—from the development of the genome editing technology, CRISPRCas, to the design of data-driven spaces that respond to the emotional and physical needs of its occupants.”
The Vilcek Prize in the Arts is awarded in rotating disciplines, this year honoring the field of architecture.
The work of Teddy Cruz is deeply informed by his childhood in Guatemala and subsequent immigration to America. Arriving in California at the age of 20, he was struck by the many ways that the cities and communities of San Diego and Tijuana were both united and divided. This sparked a lifelong interest in using the tools and framework of architecture and urban planning to redefine the concepts of borders, citizenship, and community. Most recently, this has taken the form of designing, with his partner Fonna Forman, cross-border community spaces that host a variety of arts and educational programming. Created in tandem with local governments, universities, activists, and nonprofit groups, the spaces emphasize the shared values, peoples, and ecology on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Cruz’s writing has been published widely, including features in the New York Times, The Guardian, and Harvard Design Magazine. He has received the prestigious Rome Prize in Architecture, and the work of Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forman will be included in the American Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale.
VILCEK PRIZE IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
ALEXANDER RUDENSKY
For fundamental molecular insights on the workings of a type of immune cell with a breathtaking array of functions—in autoimmune disease, inflammatory disorders, and cancer.
VILCEK PRIZE IN ARCHITECTURE
TEDDY CRUZ
For creating designs and concepts that make border communities more inclusive and equitable.
VILCEK PRIZE FOR CREATIVE PROMISE IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
POLINA ANIKEEVA
For developing novel engineering solutions that have advanced the field of neural engineering and enabled fine-grained analysis of brain function and animal behavior.
SERGIU P. PASCA
For developing realistic models of the human brain and unearthing fundamental insights into the biology of neuropsychiatric diseases like autism.
FENG ZHANG
For using light to manipulate the activities of brain cells in living animals and for enabling rapid alterations to the genomes of living organisms.
VILCEK PRIZE FOR CREATIVE PROMISE IN ARCHITECTURE
MONA GHANDI
For using data-driven design and biofeedback information to create responsively empathetic spaces.
JAMES LENG
For his investigations into the role of defunct buildings and his vision for public, social uses of infrastructure.
JING LIU
For her innovative interdisciplinary work and for developing new approaches to urban housing.
KJ