Imagine that someone you know, someone you’ve worked with, someone in your tertiary universe has just received a Nobel Prize. That’s huge. And of course, you’ll want to trumpet this news as loudly as possible.
Heck, my alma mater, Hamilton College, can boast that Elihu Root, who graduated from Hamilton and would later serve as Secretary of State, received the 1912 Nobel Peace Prize. There’s even a marker near one of the campus buildings to honor Elihu Root’s accomplishments.
Let us now fast-forward to 2023, as the Nobel Prize recipients and honorees are announced. The first announcement, for achievements in medicine, went to two scientists for their groundbreaking studies and developments of mRNA vaccines against the COVID-19 virus.
This is incredible, and much congratulations and respect to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman.
And sure enough, the University of Pennsylvania congratulated them as well.
Of course they are. Dr. Karikó was an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in the 1990’s, where she specialized in the study of messenger RNA. But when she couldn’t get enough grant money to continue her studies, the University demoted her and denied her an opportunity for tenure.
That was in 1995.
Even though she stayed with the University and continued her research, she eventually chose to leave Penn for an opportunity to work in the private sector. Dr. Karikó would have stayed at Penn had the University reinstated her professorship, but they chose not to.
So for Penn to now trumpet the accomplishments of Dr. Karikó and Dr. Weissman after all this … it seems rather garish.
And why did they treat Dr. Karikó like crap? Because Dr. Karikó’s research didn’t bring in zillions of dollars in grant money. I’ve seen this before – especially back in my college days, where professors wanting the security of tenure were in a continuing battle of “publish or perish,” where they had to get their literary or scientific observations published in credible magazines and journals and research papers, lest their dreams of tenure disappear with the alarm clock’s ring.
So until the University of Pennsylvania and its School of Medicine offer an apology for their treatment of Dr. Karikó, perhaps they shouldn’t take the credit for Dr. Karikó’s accomplishments. This isn’t the loaf of bread that the little red hen baked without your help, but you’re the first one at the table when the bread is served.
Then again, I’m surprised Penn hasn’t also touted the accomplishments of their two Presidential alumni with Penn pedigrees.
That of course would be Donald Trump – with his degree from Penn’s Wharton School of Business – and William Henry Harrison, who briefly attended Penn’s medical college before switching to a military career.
I guess in the end, it’s all about the credit you take … for the work you didn’t make. Right, Penn?
Chuck The Writer 