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The Franklin Institute Receives Record $4 Million Gift from Biopharmaceutical Leader, Cephalon
PHILADELPHIA-(Business Wire)-April 25, 2008 - The Franklin, Pennsylvania's most-visited museum and home to The Giant Heart, has received a $4 million contribution from international biopharmaceutical leader Cephalon, Inc., to develop a new signature exhibit for the museum built around neuroscience and the brain. Crowning a long-time relationship with The Franklin, the Cephalon commitment marks the largest single corporate donation in The Franklin Institute's history and one of the largest corporate gifts to a science museum. The contribution from Cephalon is part of The Franklin's recently announced Inspire Science! fundraising effort. The museum has already received $27 million in funding, with a goal of raising $60 million for an ambitious series of revitalization efforts, including a building extension that will house the brain exhibit.
The announcement was made today in conjunction with a Franklin-hosted symposium entitled New Views of the Brain in the Age of Neuroscience, featuring panelists such as Franklin Laureate and Rockefeller University professor Dr. Fernando Nottebohm, Dr. Wade Berrettini, Director at the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. Camillo J. Taylor, Associate Professor, Computer and Information Science Department University of Pennsylvania, as well as moderator Dr. Jeffry Vaught, Executive Vice President, Research & Development, Cephalon, Inc.
"We are proud to support the development of the brain exhibit and hope that it will inspire an interest in science among young museum visitors. As a scientist, I find it particularly important that children become aware of the scientific discoveries that shape their world at such a formative stage of their lives," said Cephalon CEO and Chairman, Frank Baldino, Jr., PhD. "In addition, I believe in our responsibility as a corporation to contribute to the community in ways that will help ensure that future generations are educated and more prepared to lead the global economy."
"We are tremendously grateful for Cephalon's remarkable $4,000,000 commitment to our neuroscience exhibit," said Dr. Dennis Wint, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute. "We are thrilled to partner with a company with such a deep commitment to science education when it is so very clear that science education is absolutely vital to building a strong, sustainable community."
Both today's seminar and the new exhibit explore how cutting-edge research is changing our view of how the brain functions. Where once the adult brain was considered fixed, scientists are now finding that the brain has an amazing capacity for growth, pointing to new strategies for treating brain diseases or injuries. Where once there was an argument between the respective influences of nature and nurture, the mapping of the human genome has shed new light on how much of our behavior might actually be encoded in our DNA.
The neuroscience exhibit will be housed in a building extension, which not only creates additional signature exhibit space, but will feature climate control capabilities and other features that will allow the museum to remain competitive in drawing blockbuster traveling exhibits to Philadelphia. The neuroscience exhibit will open in late 2012.
The Franklin has doubled its attendance in the last five years. Upgraded facilities, which range from a re-built Giant Heart to a 5,000 square foot store to blockbuster exhibits like Titanic, BodyWorlds and Tut have generated unprecedented attention and audiences. The sum total economic impact to the Philadelphia region of the three blockbusters has been calculated to be over $200 million. To capitalize on the re-invigorated image of the museum, as well as leverage its core mission of inquiry, The Franklin recently introduced its tagline "Curious?" to cement public perceptions of The Franklin as a place for excitement, intrigue and just plain fun.
The Franklin Institute
Increasingly a "go-to" destination, The Franklin is known for blockbuster exhibits, one-of-a-kind theatrical experiences, a growing roster of evening events for adults, and cutting-edge community learning (including a high school partnership with the School District of Philadelphia) with national influence. All are aimed at explaining science in ways that impact on people's lives. Additionally, the museum's prestigious Franklin Awards, which honor the greatest men and women of science, engineering, and technology, has achieved international significance in recent years. The Franklin is considered one of the great science centers in the nation and the world - with the ability to present science in an engaging and increasingly interactive setting that creates real-world relevance to the multi-cultural community which The Franklin serves.
Founded in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is a renowned and innovative leader in the field of science and technology learning, as well as a dynamic center of activity. It is dedicated to creating a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology in ways that would dazzle and delight its namesake. For more information, please visit www.fi.edu.
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