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Nov.
18, 2002 |
Science Visionary to Discuss Cloning at Trustee
Celebration of Faculty Achievement
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Jason Grow
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Michael West '76, science visionary at the center
of the national debate over human cloning, will be the keynote
speaker at the 2002 Trustee Celebration of Faculty Achievement.
The event, sponsored by the Rensselaer Board of
Trustees, will take place Thursday, Dec. 5, beginning with West's
address at 4 p.m. in room 308 of the Darrin Communications Center.
Following the lecture, President Shirley Ann Jackson
and the trustees will recognize and honor faculty achievement
during a reception at the Russell Sage Dining Hall. The lecture
and reception are open to the entire campus community.
West is president and chief executive officer
of Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) in Worcester, Mass. He and his
colleagues are pioneers in the effort to clone human embryos,
a process known as "therapeutic cloning."
The process will not create a new human being,
but will yield specialized cells that promise a multitude of clinical
applications, from patching injuries to rejuvenating aging tissues.
West graduated from Rensselaer with a bachelor's
degree in psychology. He earned his master's degree in biology
from Andrews University, before receiving a doctorate also in
biology from Baylor University.
In 1990, West founded the Geron Corporation, a
biotechnology company devoted to cellular aging. He left Geron
in 1998 and co-founded Origen to develop embryonic stem cell technology
in chickens, improve poultry characteristics, and genetically
modify hens to produce human pharmaceuticals in their eggs. West
joined ACT in 1998.
For more information on the faculty celebration,
contact Pat Ullrich at ext. 6214 or ullrip@rpi.edu.
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