Earl Ubell Grant Awarded to Zoe Kleiman-Tapley 10F

Zoe Kleiman-Tapley 10F has been awarded an Earl Ubell Grant.

Named to honor the memory of Earl Ubell, whose distinguished career has influenced generations of science writers, the grant program recognizes and supports exceptional student work that seeks to make the scientific method or scientific findings accessible to nonscientists.

Kleiman-Tapley's project will include creation of a series of acrylic paintings and short essays, with the intent to "visually explain the cognitive and neurological mechanisms of social and emotional processing," she said.

"[I have an] interest in bridging the gap between disciplines to make scientific investigation more accessible to the masses," she said. "My project will culminate in a public exhibition in either the Centrum Gallery or the Prescott Tavern. Ideally, some or all of pieces and accompanying explanations can become a permanent fixture in some capacity at Hampshire."

Earl Ubell began his career at the New York Herald Tribune as a messenger and rose to science editor, a position he held from 1953 to 1966 before transferring to the then-new medium of television. He was health science editor for WCBS-TV from 1966 to 1972, and from 1978 to 1995. He served as the news director for WNBC-TV News from 1972 to 1976.

Ubell covered such notable events as the first Sputnik flight in 1961 and the first U.S. manned space flight in 1962. He carried out scientific research at major laboratories, and was the author of eight books (one co-authored). His numerous awards for journalism, medical reporting and science writing include an Emmy in 1970 for the New York area of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Donald Salmon Award for significant contribution to development of the arts in that same year. Ubell died in 2007 at age 80.

Hampshire College alumnus, and the son of Earl Ubell, Michael C. Ubell 70F established the grant program in honor of his father.