At a glance
"The rare opportunity for my virology students to interact with Dr. David Baltimore, a scientist whose work has provided an understanding of and subsequently shaped so many aspects of modern science, including pharmaceuticals, is one which I hope will inspire my students to know that they each can achieve anything they want to in life if they work hard and follow their true passion."
Professor Stephen Bauer
Alfred State students in Stephen Bauer’s virology class had the opportunity to interact and ask questions to Nobel Prize winner Dr. David Baltimore.
Dr. Baltimore, an American virologist, shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1975 with Homar M. Temin and Renato Dulbecco. The research of all three men contributed to an understanding of the role of viruses in the development of cancer.
"Learning has to include diverse and engaging experiences, both inside and outside the classroom,” commented Bauer. “As an educator, I fully embrace this approach in my own teaching. The rare opportunity for my virology students to interact with Dr. David Baltimore, a scientist whose work has provided an understanding of and subsequently shaped so many aspects of modern science, including pharmaceuticals, is one which I hope will inspire my students to know that they each can achieve anything they want to in life if they work hard and follow their true passion."
Alfred State President Dr. Steve Mauro, whose education and teaching background is in biology, introduced Dr. Baltimore before the students were able ask questions. “Dr. Baltimore’s scientific work and expertise has influenced policy and launched the careers of thousands of individuals. It was his research that was pivotal in my own decision to pursue science as a career when I was an undergraduate.”
“He is a legend in the scientific world, and we are honored and grateful that he has given his time to speak to our students to make them aware of what an enriching experience a life in pursuit of discovery can be.”
Baltimore has contributed to immunology, virology, cancer research, biotechnology, and recombinant DNA research during his career. He spent years teaching at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research before moving into academic administration and Presidential roles at Rockefeller University and California Institute of Technology.