Brandeis celebrates along with Nobel Prize ceremony

As professors Michael Rosbash and Jeffrey Hall accepted their Nobel Prize medallions 3,700 miles away at Stockholm Concert Hall, the Brandeis community held its own Nobel celebration with a livestream of the ceremony in Levin Ballroom Sunday morning.

Students, faculty and friends ate crepes, doughnuts, Swedish Fish and Nobel Prize-themed cookies as they watched the live event on a big screen. The crowd cheered and applauded when Rosbash and Hall were each individually recognized, and when Brandeis was mentioned during the ceremony.

In remarks before the 4:30 p.m. (Swedish time) ceremony began, Susan Birren, dean of arts and sciences, said the honor demonstrated the type of scientific research that takes place at Brandeis, and she acknowledged the undergraduate, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers who have played a key role in Rosbash and Hall's historic research.

"It's an exciting day for Brandeis," Birren said.

Dylan Ma, Matthias Schlichting, Weijin Xu and Madelen Díaz, who all work in Michael Rosbash's lab, were seated at a table in the front of the room.

"It still feels like it's a dream. To watch it happen, it's like it's becoming real," said Díaz a doctoral student in neuroscience, as she watched the pageantry unfold. "And it all looks so beautiful."

Ariella Levisohn '19, a biology major, watched with a group of friends circled around a table in the ballroom.

"It's cool to see them (Rosbash and Hall) working hard and getting rewarded for it," Levisohn said. "To learn from people who have won a Nobel Prize is really exciting."

Zach Goldblatt '19 is triple majoring in education, English and philosophy. Even though his areas of study are a far cry from Rosbash and Hall’s research, he didn't want to miss the chance to see them receive the Nobel Prize.

"I don't know if I'll have the opportunity to do something like this again, ever," Goldblatt said.

The viewing party was organized by the Office of the President and the Brandeis University Student Union.

Categories: Research, Science and Technology, Student Life

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