NCSE is pleased to congratulate Bruce Alberts on receiving the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for achievement and leadership in science. In a press release issued on October 3, 2014, President Obama said of the most recent recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovations, "These scholars and innovators have expanded our understanding of the world, made invaluable contributions to their fields, and helped improve countless lives ... Our nation has been enriched by their achievements, and by all the scientists and technologists across America dedicated to discovery, inquiry, and invention."
Alberts is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco, a former president of the National Academy of Sciences, and a former editor-in-chief of the journal Science. A member of NCSE's Advisory Council, Alberts received NCSE's Friend of Darwin award in 2004, in recognition of his support of and advocacy for the integrity of science education while at the National Academy of Sciences, when it published both Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science (1998) and the second edition of Science and Creationism (1999). He also received the AIBS Education Award from the American Institute for Biological Sciences in 2009.