Fred Kavli
Fred Kavli | |
---|---|
Born | Norwegian-American | August 20, 1927
Alma mater | Norwegian Institute of Technology |
Known for | Business leader, innovator, and philanthropist. |
Title | Founder and Chairman, The Kavli Foundation |
Fred Kavli (August 20, 1927 – November 21, 2013) was a
In 2000 he established The Kavli Foundation to "advance science for the benefit of humanity and to promote public understanding and support for scientists and their work".[2] The Foundation's mission is implemented through an international program of research institutes, professorships, and symposia in the scientific fields of astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics. The foundation awards the Kavli Prize in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience.
He was featured in the media primarily for his philanthropic efforts.[3]
Kavli's life
Born in 1927,[4] Kavli grew up on the family farm in the Norwegian village of Eresfjord (pop. 450).
At 14, together with his brother Aslak, he began his first enterprise creating wood pellet fuel for cars. This was during the
Inspired by his father's 13 years in San Francisco the young Kavli wanted to move to the US. Three days after he received his engineering degree from the Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH) in Trondheim he left for America on the SS Stavangerfjord.
Having no job or sponsor waiting for him, his visa application was initially rejected, and so in 1955 he immigrated to
Looking to start his own business he advertised in the Los Angeles Times newspaper soliciting financial backers with the simple but effective text "Engineer seeking financial backing to start own business".
Two years later he founded the
In 2000, he sold Kavlico for $345 million to C-Mac Industries Inc. Kavlico is today owned by the French company Schneider Electric. Much of Kavli's wealth is a result of his real estate investments in Southern California. As a philanthropist, Kavli subsequently established The Kavli Foundation and dedicated much of his wealth to funding research institutions and programs worldwide.
On June 19, 2006, he was appointed Grand Officer, Commander with Star, of the
Kavli was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[7] He was also a former member of the U.S. President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and former member of the University of California President's Board on Science and Innovation.
In 2009, Mr. Kavli received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Northwestern University.
A Trustee of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Foundation, in addition to supporting scientific research and education, his philanthropic activities include the Fred Kavli Theatre for Performing Arts at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, California, as well as other projects. He was divorced and had two grown children.
On November 21, 2013, Kavli died at his Santa Barbara, California home after surgery for cholangiocarcinoma, a rare form of cancer.[12][13][14][15]
Kavli Prizes
Through
Kavli chose to focus on these three areas of interest – "from the biggest, to the smallest, to the most complex" – because he thinks these fields are the most exciting scientific fields for the 21st century with potentially great benefits.
The first Kavli Prize winners were announced on May 28, 2008, simultaneously in Oslo and at the opening of the World Science Festival in New York City. The first Kavli Prize for astrophysics was awarded to Maarten Schmidt and Donald Lynden-Bell. Louis E. Brus and Sumio Iijima shared the nanoscience prize, while Pasko Rakic, Thomas Jessell and Sten Grillner were awarded the neuroscience prize.[19] The four US winners of the Kavli Prize were honored by President George W. Bush and Science Advisor, Dr. John Marburger, at an Oval Office reception in the White House on November 12, 2008.[20] (See Kavli Prize for laureates in subsequent years.)
The Kavli Foundation
The Kavli Foundation, based in Oxnard, California, is dedicated to the goals of advancing science for the benefit of humanity and to promote public understanding and support for scientists and their work. It was established in 2000 by Mr. Kavli and is actively involved in establishing major research institutes at leading universities and institutions in the United States, Europe and Asia.
The Kavli Foundation has made grants to establish Kavli Institutes on the campuses of the
In addition to the Kavli Institutes, six Kavli professorships have been established: two at the University of California Santa Barbara, one at the University of California Los Angeles, one at the University of California Irvine, one at Columbia University, and one at the California Institute of Technology.
Kavli Institutes
The Kavli Foundation has established 20 research institutes at leading universities worldwide.[21] These institutes focus on astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience and theoretical physics. Consistent with its business-like approach, Kavli requires each partner University to match the average $7.5 million donation. The institutes are not required to focus on any specific subject but are free to do any basic research they see fit.
Seven researchers associated with the Kavli institutes have been awarded Nobel prizes: David Gross, Frank Wilczek, Richard Axel, Eric Kandel, Edvard Moser, May-Britt Moser and Rainer Weiss.
As of October 2023, there are 13 institutes in the
.The 20 Kavli Institutes are:
Astrophysics
- The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University
- The Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago
- The Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- The Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University
- The Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge
- The Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe at the University of Tokyo
Nanoscience
- The Kavli Institute for Nanoscale Science at Cornell University
- The Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technologyin the Netherlands
- The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at the California Institute of Technology
- The Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- The Kavli Institute for NanoScience Discovery at the University of Oxford
Neuroscience
- The Kavli Institute for Brain Science at Columbia University
- The Kavli Institute for Brain & Mind at the University of California, San Diego
- The Kavli Institute for Neuroscience at Yale University
- The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute at Johns Hopkins University
- The Kavli Neural Systems Institute at The Rockefeller University
- The Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco
Theoretical physics
- Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara
- The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Sciences (KITS) at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Honours
- Royal Norwegian Order of Merit - Grand Officer.[5]
- Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences – fellow.[22]
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology – honorary doctor.[23]
Quotes
The curiosity of the human being is what has brought us where we are today, and I have complete confidence that it will take us where we need to be in the future.[24]
References
- ^ a b - Det er viktigere ting i livet enn penger
- ^ "Kavli Foundation Mission Statement".
- ^ Dennis Overbye (April 19, 2005). "A Philanthropist of Science Seeks to Be Its Next Nobel". New York Times.
Besides promoting science, Mr. Kavli said, "The main thing is to create networks of support for the institutes," he added. "We intend to be international, worldwide."
- ^ "Fred Kavli dies at 86; businessman gave millions to research". Los Angeles Times. 23 November 2013.
- ^ a b "Kongehuset.no (Official site)". Archived from the original on 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2006-06-20.
- ^ Norwegian University of Science and Technology Archived 2010-09-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "American Academy of Arts and Sciences". Archived from the original on 2010-09-17. Retrieved 2010-09-18.
- ^ Northwestern University
- ^ "Bower Award for Business Leadership". Franklin Institute. 2011. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy
- ^ University of Oslo
- ^ "Physicist and philanthropist Fred Kavli dies at 86". physicsworld.com. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
- ^ "Fred Kavli, science research supporter, dies at 86 - Yahoo News". News.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
- ^ Hankin, Rockell N. "In memoriam: Fred Kavli". The Kavli Foundation. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- LA Timesby Robert J. Lopez, 21 November 2013
- ^ a b Kavli Prize official website
- ^ Andrew Farrell for Forbes Magazine Online: The Man With The Million-Dollar Prize. May 16, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
- ^ Time magazine: The Next Nobel?
- ^ Kavli Foundation Press Release, May 28, 2008 Archived November 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "President Bush honors U.S. Kavli Prize recipients". Executive Office of the President of the United States/Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington D.C. Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. November 17, 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
- ^ "The Kavli Foundation - Kavli Institutes". Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ "Medlemmer: KAVLI, Fred" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences. Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ Anon (2014). "Honorary Doctors". NTNU (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ^ "Cultivating curiosity". 29 August 2002.
External links
- Concise Fred Kavli biography Archived 2010-11-24 at the Wayback Machine – From The Kavli Foundation
- Kavli Strives to Leave Mark on Science – New York Times article
- The Next Nobel? Time magazine profile
- Kavli strives to leave mark on science USA Today