AKF Group

Today we celebrate Henrietta Lacks, a loving mother who liked to cook and dance. In 1951 when she became ill with cervical cancer, few hospitals treated people of color, but Henrietta found treatment at Johns Hopkins. Doctors discovered her cancer cells had an extraordinary ability to survive and reproduce. Without her knowledge, cells were taken, shared, and over time, became an essential part of research. Sadly, Henrietta did not survive her cancer and passed away at age 31.... The cells are known as HeLa cells, named for Henrietta Lacks. They have been used to research COVID-19 and help scientists learn how the virus hijacks cells. 70 years her death, we all owe thanks to Henrietta. HeLa cells play a critical role in medical research including immunology, yet Henrietta's family was never asked for consent or offered compensation. Her descendants have worked to establish rules governing procurement and use of specimens. In 2013, the NIH granted them some control over access to the cells’ DNA sequence. While the injustice done to Henrietta cannot be undone, her legacy lives on, not only in advancing science but bringing awareness to inequalities faced by people of color in need of medical treatment and establishing patient consent rules to govern all equally.

In honor of Black History Month, today we shine a spotlight on Dr. Manu Platt in recognition of his achievements in diversifying engineering, cell biology, and physiology. Dr. Manu Platt is Associate Professor and Diversity Director at Georgia Tech and co-founder of Project ENGAGES (Engaging New Generations at Georgia Tech through Engineering & Science). Through Project ENGAGES, Dr. Platt and Georgia Tech provide science education to high school students by partnering with se...ven minority-serving public high schools within Atlanta. The goal of the program is to expose students to career paths in engineering and science and to bring underrepresented populations into the STEM fields. While presenting important STEM opportunities to Atlanta’s high school students, Dr. Platt continues his groundbreaking study of tissue remodeling in HIV, sickle cell, and cardiovascular disease to address global health disparities. In 2019, Dr. Platt was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows, which comprises the top 2% of medical and biological engineers. We thank Dr. Manu Platt for the incredibly important life-saving research he conducts, and for his tireless efforts to diversify STEM fields of study. projectengages.gatech.edu

In honor of Black History Month, AKF is celebrating individuals who have made contributions to STEM efforts. Today we highlight Lisa Gelobter, a computer scientist, technologist, and the Chief Digital Service Officer for the US Department of Education under the Obama Administration. Lisa graduated from Brown University at age 20 with a degree in Computer Science and a concentration in A.I. & Machine Learning. She went on to work for a number of big tech companies that have ch...anged the way we consume media. Lisa was an integral member of the team at Shockwave, paving the way for online video and animation. She is responsible for conducting early animation development used to invent the gif! In 2015 she was invited by President Obama to lead the US Digital Service, the technology division of the President. Lisa was recruited to redesign Healthcare.gov, the site used by Americans to enroll in the Affordable Care Act. Lisa streamlined the application process and made the site easier to navigate. In 2016, Lisa founded tEQuitable, a company that addresses bias and discrimination in the workplace. Thank you to Lisa Gelobter for the advancements she has made in tech, giving us the gif, helping Americans access healthcare, and in striving to create more equitable work environments.

Join Charles Marino next Wednesday, 2/24, for Part 2 of BOMA New York's "Keeping Your Energy Grade Up" series. Part 2 focuses on executing building energy efficiency improvements: https://lnkd.in/gcf7aPz Charlie, Co-director of AKF Energy+Performance, joins other industry panelists for a discussion that includes topics such as Energy Star programs and capital planning.

In honor of Black History Month, today AKF highlights the achievements of American astronaut Dr. Ronald McNair. In 1959 at age 8, Ronald McNair entered the public library in his hometown of Lake City, South Carolina. Though the library was segregated, Ronald was determined to check out books on advanced science and calculus and refused to leave the library until he was permitted to do so. The police were called, but young Ronald stood his ground, eventually leaving victorious... once it was agreed that he could borrow the books. Ronald continued to follow his passion for math and science, becoming valedictorian of his high school class and receiving his PhD in Physics from MIT. In addition to his own PhD, Ronald was awarded four honorary doctorates, but he had other interests as well Ronald was also a 6th degree black belt in Taekwondo! In 1978, Ronald was chosen as one of 35 individuals from a pool of 10,000 applicants for NASA’s astronaut program. On February 3, 1984, he became the second African American in space when he flew as a mission specialist on a flight that lasted 8 days, returning to earth on February 11. Ronald was then selected as a mission specialist for a space shuttle that launched on January 28, 1986. An accomplished saxophonist, Ronald collaborated on a piece of music prior to the flight with composer Jean-Michel Jarre and planned to record his saxophone solo while onboard this mission, which would have made it the first original piece of music recorded in space. However, this shuttle, the Challenger, famously disintegrated 73 seconds after its takeoff from Cape Canaveral, tragically killing all 7 crew members on board. Ronald died at the age of 35. The final track on Jarre’s album Rendez-Vous, "Last Rendez-Vous (Ron’s Piece), is dedicated to his friend Ronald. In 2011, the Lake City Public Library that once refused to loan Ronald books was renamed the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Life History Center. Ronald McNair devoted his life to scientific understanding and braving new frontiers. May we all take a moment today to honor his legacy and bravery.

Congratulations to Penn Medicine on the recent opening of their new sterilization processing center! The facility is the largest instrument processing and surgical supply preparation facility in the country, and the first of its kind in PA. AKF is proud to have contributed to this important project. AKF's team provided full third party commissioning services for HVAC and electrical infrastructure which supports the reliable operation of the critical sterile processing equipment at this new, state-of-the-art facility. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gB_3c99