FOR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF WGBH
FA L L 2 0 1 4 / W I N T E R 2 0 1 5
Nova Dives into Science
IN THIS ISSUE
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Investing in Nova Trusting Masterpiece S imone Stedry Winston Is New RLS Chair
• An Eventful Season ill Thorndike Welcomes •W New Overseers
View from
the President
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On the cover: Nova’s Lethal Seas will premiere in spring 2015
romoting an understanding of science and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers is part of WGBH’s DNA. “Back in 1974, the common wisdom was that science wasn’t suitable for television,” says Nova senior executive producer Paula Apsell. “WGBH and PBS thought otherwise, and launched an ambitious experiment.” Forty years later, Nova—in all its glorious facets: on air, online, radio, mobile (see sidebar, page 3)—has irrefutably proved that Americans have not only an interest in, but an insatiable appetite for science. Nova tackles some of the most important stories in science and technology today—from marine biologists’ hunt for clues to one of the greatest environmental catastrophes facing our planet: ocean acidification…to an investigation into the most confounding engineering mysteries of the ancient world. Look for the premieres of Lethal Seas and Building Wonders in winter/spring 2015. In this issue, we’ll introduce you to some of WGBH’s generous and visionary friends who are making our work possible. You’ll meet new WGBH supporters DuBose and Nancy Montgomery (page 3), who are big fans of Nova and its many educational digital components. And the late Sudi Cummings, whose passion for WGBH and Masterpiece lives on through a generous bequest in support of the Masterpiece Trust (page 7). And speaking of the Masterpiece Trust, I’m thrilled to share the news that the Trust, which was created to ensure Masterpiece’s future, has hit a major milestone: nearly $12 million raised since its launch four years ago. You’ll also hear from our new Ralph Lowell Society Chair and longtime supporter Simone Stedry Winston (page 4) and catch up with Zena Lum, a former RLS director whose commitment to WGBH continues through her RLS membership (pages 4 and 5). We’re grateful to them, and to all of you for matching your passion with your philanthropy—for strengthening WGBH’s ability to innovate public media, in the public interest, every day.
J O N A T H A N C . A B B O T T P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O
What’s New with Nova Nova is the only series on US television that tells important science stories every week... and so much more. Nova senior executive producer paula apsell presides over a multi-platform powerhouse (pbs.org/nova) dedicated to fostering science literacy. “We definitely are not your grandfather’s Nova,” says Paula.
Silicon Valley Couple
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Invest in Nova
On TV… and online anytime Stream nearly any Nova program at your convenience at pbs.org/nova.
u b ose and nancy m ontgom ery met and earned degrees in Boston— he from MIT, where he studied electrical engineering, computer science, and management before going on to Harvard Business School; she from Wellesley College, where she majored in biology. The pair loved the educational climate, but they hated the winters. In 1974, they packed up their car and drove to San Francisco just as Silicon Valley was about to take off. Their timing couldn’t have been better. At 27, DuBose co-founded one of the earliest and still most successful venture capital firms in the country. Menlo Ventures has helped launch biomedical and high-tech companies and products that have changed the world, from Gilead Sciences to Siri. Nancy was busy, too, earning an MBA from Stanford and serving as chief financial officer of Applied Biosystems, which manufactured equipment biotech companies use to synthesize and sequence DNA and proteins. After their two daughters were born, she switched to consulting and, finally, full-time parenting. Fast forward to 2014: the children are grown and this dynamic couple is looking ahead. “We are now at the stage where we are thinking about how to give back on a more global scale,” says Nancy. “Science and education have always been important to us. It’s the generations that will come after us that have to lead, and they need to have a good understanding of our world and how it works.” Enter Nova, WGBH’s stellar science series and its many educational digital components. “We’ve watched and admired Nova for years,” says DuBose, who with Nancy recently made a generous gift to Nova through their family foundation. “We think it is the gold standard for science education in the US. Nova does a great job tackling the really difficult, complex issues in science—from string theory to evolution—and making them understandable and entertaining.” Nova’s leadership in fostering science literacy is important to the Montgomerys. So, too, is the woman at the series’ helm: Paula Apsell. “The people who run organizations are the key to their success,” Nancy says. “Paula is driven, dynamic, and thoughtful. We had the pleasure of spending some time with her, and we are excited about her vision for Nova—past, present, and future. We hope our gift helps Paula create even more great programs and projects!”
Nova Next Explore this online collection of timely articles by the nation’s top scientists and science journalists, along with companion video and animation. Nova + PBS LearningMedia Nova is the #1 contributor of STEM content to PBS LearningMedia (pbslearningmedia. org), WGBH and PBS’s pioneering library of free digital resources for K-12 educators nationwide. 1.5 million users in 48 states have signed on. Nova Labs Nova Labs opens the door for high school students to real-world science investigations, providing online access to scientific data and research opportunities. Gross Science This new Web series shares revolting stories from the natural world to pique the curiosity and scientific interest of younger viewers. The Elements iPad app Nova’s first iPad app features an interactive periodic table and game in which players build atoms and molecules to make everyday things. “It makes science feel like magic in your hands.” — Xeni Jardin, Boing Boing Plus, Nova ScienceNow, The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers, and more. Visit pbs.org/nova for all things Nova.
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News from the Ralph Lowell Society New Chair, New Year
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s I take on my new duties as Chair of the Ralph Lowell Society, I am excited to follow in the footsteps of some extraordinary predecessors, most recently Melinda Rabb, who completed her term this summer after three years of helping grow both our RLS membership and our annual support of WGBH. Those are accomplishments I intend to build on. Our recent RLS survey that many of you participated in provided valuable insights. You care deeply about WGBH’s mission to create public media that expands opportunities for all. You are excited about recent RLS events and trends, particularly our efforts to serve the multiple generations who make up the RLS. And you want to share your enthusiasm for WGBH and the RLS with your friends. And that’s wonderful, because RLS members are our most effective ambassadors. I invite you to “bring a friend” to an RLS event in 2015. It’s the perfect way to get an up-close look at some of your favorite productions and to meet the talented people behind them. And speaking of events, we had some great ones this fall. New York Times columnist and best-selling author Nicholas Kristof stopped by to discuss his latest book and documentary, A Path Appears, on how smart philanthropy can make a real difference in people’s lives. (Our RLS support of WGBH certainly does that!) We also met with chef extraordinaire Lidia Bastianich and enjoyed a preview of Masterpiece’s Death Comes to Pemberley, followed by a fascinating lecture about England’s great manor houses. And there’s much more to come in 2015, including a very special Masterpiece Tour to England this summer (see page 5), so stay tuned. Wishing you a happy New Year, and many thanks for making WGBH a priority in your life!
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An American Experience RLS Chairman’s Circle members Graham and Ann Gund (Trustee) graciously hosted a gathering at their Nantucket home this past summer in celebration of the upcoming 2015 PBS premiere of American Experience’s Last Days in Vietnam. Now in limited theatrical release, the film already is generating Oscar buzz.
rls innovator’s circle members and event co-hosts marjie kargman (trustee) and her husband bob kargman (right) with american experience executive producer mark samels
rls benefactor and event co-host jane arneth tyler chats with rls chairman’s circle member and event host graham gund
rls members and wgbh friends learn more about american experience’s new film, last days in vietnam, in the gunds’ garden on nantucket
from left: event hosts graham and ann gund with mark bailey, last days in vietnam filmmaker rory kennedy, and american experience executive producer mark samels
America’s Test Kitchen Up Close RLS members enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of America’s Test Kitchen in Brookline this summer that included mingling with Test Kitchen chefs and sampling their delicious fare.
rls members get an up-close and delectable look at america’s test kitchen in brookline
rls sponsors peg condon (left) and elizabeth rogers (overseer) catch up
rls members and wgbh friends explore america’s test kitchen’s extensive library
rls sponsors denis reno and karen jorgenson check out what’s cooking
Masterpiece Tour June 24 to June 30, 2015 Join us for a Masterpiece Tour of London, Oxford, Glyndebourne, and Wimbledon. We’ll visit Osterley House, Syon Park, Eltham Palace, and London’s The Inns of Court—all settings for Masterpiece productions over the years. Highlights include a private tour of Bodleian Library and Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University; an elaborate, seated picnic and performance at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera; a private lunch and tour of Hampton Court; a stop at Sherlock Holmes’ Publick House; an optional day at Centre Court, Wimbledon…and much more.
Zena Lum (center) with good friends Lisa Paap (left) and Amy Slade
Supporting
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What She Knows
e n a lum knows WGBH. She served as director of the Ralph Lowell Society for seven years and when she left in 2009, she decided to stay connected through an RLS membership at the Friend level. “I wanted to honor the hard work and accomplishments of the great staff and volunteers I worked with during my time at ’GBH,” Lum says. But there’s another reason she joined the RLS. Having enjoyed an insider’s view, Lum appreciates the vital public service WGBH provides. “Our media landscape is becoming more and more convoluted,” she says. “WGBH stands out as an independent voice that’s ensuring everyone has access to high-quality news and entertainment.” Today, Lum helps nonprofits find new leaders as search director for Lois L. Lindauer Searches. She lives in the South End with her husband Ben Smith— a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyst for the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs—and their nine-year-old son, Dylan. What are your family’s WGBH favorites? My favorite is Sherlock on Masterpiece—it’s such a clever adaptation. I always learn something new on Frontline and Nova. My husband is a huge Nova fan and my son is becoming one. Do you listen to 89.7 WGBH or 99.5 WCRB? I listen to Morning Edition on 89.7 as I get ready for work. My son is a cellist and as we immerse ourselves in the world of classical music, we’re listening to WCRB more and more. What do you enjoy most about your RLS membership? The events are great. I took Dylan to see the advance screening of The Hundred-Foot Journey and he loved it so much we went out and bought the book. Why are you confident about WGBH’s future? Jon Abbott [WGBH President and CEO] and his team do not take WGBH’s future success for granted. They are always thinking about creative, cutting-edge ways to bring thoughtful and deeply relevant content home to viewers and listeners.
For more information, please contact Vanya Tulenko (vanya_tulenko@wgbh.org), or call 617-300-3900.
r a lp h lo w e l l s o ci e t y m e m be r sh i p l eve ls friend • $1,500 fellow • $2,500 sponsor • $5,000 benefactor • $10,000 president’s circle • $25,000 chairman’s circle • $50,000 innovator’s circle • $100,000 For a complete list of the benefits and privileges at each membership level, please call the Ralph Lowell Society Hotline at 617-300-3900, visit wgbh. org/ralphlowell, or email ralph_lowell_ society@wgbh.org. We welcome your questions and value your support. RLS Chair • Simone Stedry Winston Director • Vanya Tulenko Senior Events Manager • Jeanmarie Roberts Senior Development Associate • Christopher Reilly Development Assistant • Glenna Moran Pop-Stefanov
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2014 Becton Fellow Greg Shea greg shea once dreamed of being in a rock band. Today, he’s made it on stage, but the instrument in his hands isn’t the guitar he’s played since middle school—it’s a camera. And Shea, executive producer of WGBH’s new digital and broadcast series Front Row Boston, uses it to capture bands like the Dropkick Murphys performing at iconic Boston clubs, from Brighton Music Hall to the House of Blues. Relying on small, handheld cameras— with as many as six videographers led by Shea shooting from on stage and in the crowd— Front Row Boston blends into the venues’ intimate atmospheres to convey the bands’ energy and artistry. “My hope is that people will see the show as Boston’s version of Austin City Limits,” Shea says. WGBH President Jon Abbott recently named Shea the 2014 WGBH Becton Fellow. The fellowship, which is supported by the Becton Fund and named in honor of WGBH’s former president and current Vice Chair Henry Becton, Jr., recognizes promising WGBH producers and content creators whose work is emblematic of WGBH’s mission. Shea also specializes in short-form video—for the Web and TV—for WGBH’s Antiques Roadshow, Masterpiece, and American Experience, and has produced videos for 99.5 WCRB and the WGBH Music YouTube Channel. “Henry’s leadership and creative energy have been—and continue to be—a huge part of WGBH’s success,” Shea says. “To receive a fellowship in his name is a real honor and source of inspiration.” Check out Front Row Boston online at frontrowboston.wgbh.org.
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New Class
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ew Board of Overseers Chair w ill tho r n d ike, who previously served as Vice Chair, welcomed our latest class of Overseers to WGBH this past spring. Will’s own ties to WGBH run deep. The great-nephew of WGBH founder Ralph Lowell, Will serves on multiple WGBH committees, including Technology and Finance. He is the founder and Managing Director of Housatonic Partners and the author of The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success. “Our Board of Overseers is a dynamic group of civic-minded leaders,” Will says, “as our newest members so amply demonstrate.” kirstan barnett of Boston is a Partner at Bracebridge Capital, a private investment fund, and the Founder and Chairman of the Board of SheGives, a newly created collective philanthropic foundation that financially supports a portfolio of Greater Boston charities. marcia blenko of Wellesley is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company, where she co-founded and led its Global Organization Practice for a number of years. She has written numerous articles on organization, decision effectiveness, and leadership that have appeared in The Harvard Business Review, The Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal. She also co-authored Decide and Deliver: Five Steps to Breakthrough Performance in Your Organization. She earned an MBA from Stanford University and a BS from Brown University. karen levy of Wellesley Hills is one of the Vice Chairs of the Handel and Haydn Society Board of Governors. She also serves
on the boards of Facing History and Ourselves, From the Top, and The Jewish Women’s Archive. She earned a BA from Wellesley College and a MAT in teaching from Harvard University. jeremy seidman of Wellesley is a Director at Credit Suisse, a global financial services company. He currently serves on Credit Suisse’s Advisory Counsel of Excellence, a 14-person leadership team in Private Banking Americas. jason talbot of Cambridge is a co-founder of Artists for Humanity, a nonprofit youth arts and enterprise organization based in South Boston, and the previous Co-Chair of the WGBH Community Advisory Board. Jason was featured in a WGBH impact campaign, where he talked about how public television helped him learn about the world beyond his neighborhood. The Boston Business Journal named Talbot one of its 2014 40-Under-40 honorees.
New Rey Producer: Heather Goldstone
A Heartfelt Bequest to
The Masterpiece Trust
When heather goldstone was pursuing her PhD in ocean science, she realized a life in the lab was not for her. “I enjoy thinking, talking, and writing about science—the big ideas, the passionate people—a lot more than actually doing it,” Goldstone says. Soon after receiving her doctorate from the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography, Goldstone made the short walk—just two buildings away from the lab where she was working—to WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR Station.
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he call came out of the blue in 2011, soon after WGBH announced the launch of the Masterpiece Trust to ensure the iconic drama series’ future on television and online. “sudi [susan] cum m ings was one of the first people to contact us,” recalls WGBH’s Ericka Webb, director of Gift Planning. “She told me she wanted to leave a bequest to the Masterpiece Trust in her will. She was passionate about the transformative power of great drama. And she drew on that power over the next few years as her health declined.” Cummings quickly acted on her intention, adding a generous, six-figure bequest to her will in September of 2011, along with a note to Ericka. “For 40 years, whatever my geographical location or life circumstances, WGBH and Masterpiece have been a constant for me—a kind of intellectual and cultural endorphin rush,” Cummings wrote. “WGBH Boston was my original exposure to high-quality television, and its ‘best-of-breed’ reputation and special place in my heart continue today from a thousand miles away.” A native of Providence, RI, who went on to earn a BA from Smith College in 1967 and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Cummings enjoyed a successful career in finance before progressively serious health issues forced her to retire to warmer climes: Deerfield, Florida. Cummings passed away in August 2014. During her final years, Cummings streamed Masterpiece programs on her laptop. “How marvelous it is,” she wrote, “that the Masterpiece Trust was created to ensure that a new generation can enter the worlds of Downton Abbey or Inspector Lewis not just via TV, but online and on the go.” There have been nearly 100 bequests/bequest intentions made to the Masterpiece Trust since Cummings first stepped forward in 2011. And they are making a difference. “We are tremendously grateful to Sudi,” says Ericka, “and the other generous individuals who have made the Trust part of their legacies.” For more information about how you can include the Masterpiece Trust in your estate plan, contact Ericka Webb, Director of Gift Planning and Endowment, at WGBH: ericka_webb@wgbh.org or 800.220.7122.
“I walked in, introduced myself, and offered whatever services I could provide,” she says. “The rest is history.” As science editor for WCAI (a service of WGBH) and WGBH News, Goldstone explores the intersection of science and culture on WCAI’s weekly Living Lab on The Point. She also appears regularly on 89.7 WGBH and WGBH TV’s Greater Boston, reporting on environmental issues and trends in science. This November Goldstone was named the 2014-15 Margret and Hans Rey/Curious George Producer. The producership was established in 2001 by a bequest to support work that reflects Margret Rey’s lifelong interests in science, public affairs, arts, health, and children’s programming. During her producership year, Goldstone will focus on expanding Living Lab’s audience across platforms. “I see science as being connected to everything in our lives—from medicine and the environment, to art and religion,” Goldstone says. “It’s extremely rewarding to have my broad interests celebrated.”
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Downton Abbey Season 5 on Masterpiece premieres Sunday, January 4, at 9pm on WGBH 2
t Nova, u o h it W . e c n ie est love for sc t a e r g e h t e en m “ Nova has giv rten (I am a g r e d in k e c watched sin which I have I am today. o h w e b ’t n ld ade), I wou now in 8th gr the point o .t .. s g in h t n and I lear I watch Nova nits. I am u e c n ie c s e ir out of ent where I quiz h and science t a m a g in d n atte planning on theoretical a g in m o c e b nd high school, a thank for it .” o t a v o N e v a Ih A fAN physicist, and - A young NOV
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Winifred Lenihan Vice President for Development WGBH One Guest Street Boston, MA 02135 617-300-3804 win_lenihan@wgbh.org
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P H OTO CR E D I TS • COVER: © 360 DEGREE FILMS/S.INGLETON. • INSIDE FRONT COVER: ANTHONY TIEULI/WGBH; © CRAIG HUMPHRIES. • PAGE 3: COURTESY DUBOSE AND NANCY MONTGOMERY; WEBB CHAPPELL 2009. • PAGE 4: WGBH/LISA ABITBOL; COURTESY JEANMARIE ROBERTS; COURTESY MEREDITH NIERMAN. • PAGE 5: WGBH/ LISA ABITBOL; COURTESY VANYA TULENKO. • PAGE 6: WGBH/MEREDITH NIERMAN; WGBH/LISA ABITBOL; COURTESY WILL THORNDIKE. • PAGE 7: COURTESY SUSAN CUMMINGS; COURTESY HEATHER GOLDSTONE. • BACK COVER: NASA/JPL-CALTECH; © NICK BRIGGS/CARNIVAL FILM & TELEVISION LIMITED 2014 FOR MASTERPIECE. © 2014 WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION 150309