The New York Academy of Sciences

Sometimes, a small act of kindness can make someone feel a little less alone.

That idea is at the heart of Kindness Ripple, the winning project of the Spring 2026 Junior Academy Innovation Challenge focused on Mental Well-being.

Developed by a team of students from the U.S., Jordan, and Lebanon, Kindness Ripple is an app designed to help young people build meaningful connections through anonymous messages of encouragement and acts of kindness. With moderated peer support and gamified features (including a virtual pet!) students created a space designed to make kindness and connection a habit.

What makes their approach especially powerful is how they built it: by listening directly to young people and designing around the realities of how teens seek support, connect with others, and navigate mental well-being.

🌎 Read the full story of Kindness Ripple and the students behind it:

Kindness Ripple This app uses messages of encouragement to reduce isolation and inspire kindness.

Meet one of the experts shaping the future of autoimmune disease treatment. 🧬

We’re pleased to welcome Brian Kim, MD, as a keynote speaker at Autoimmunity Meets Innovation: Drugs and Devices on April 1, 2027.

Dr. Kim is a leading researcher in neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation, with more than 190 peer-reviewed publications, multiple NIH grants, and experience advancing novel treatments from discovery to clinical trials and FDA approval.

As Director of the Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation and Lead of the Allen Discovery Center for Neuroimmune Interactions at The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, his work is helping uncover new connections between the nervous and immune systems - and what they could mean for the future of autoimmune disease treatment.

Join Dr. Kim and other leading researchers, clinicians, and industry innovators for a day of cutting-edge science, emerging therapies, and new perspectives on autoimmune disease.

Learn more and register: https://events.nyas.org/autoimmune2?utm_source=facebook_social&utm_medium=image4&utm_term=autoimmune2027

Looking to grow your network and gain practical career insights? 🌟

Join us for STEM Career Networking Night on September 16 - an interactive evening designed to help you build meaningful connections and learn from accomplished women across STEM.

Choose from breakout discussions on topics including:
🔹 Career transitions
🔹 Leadership
🔹 Professional visibility
🔹 Networking
🔹 Creating impact across industries

Whether you're exploring your next career move or looking to expand your professional community, you'll leave with fresh perspectives, actionable advice, and new connections.

Register now and select the breakout discussions that interest you most: https://events.nyas.org/stemnetworking26?utm_source=facebook_social&utm_medium=image2&utm_term=stemnetworking26

How can AI strengthen - not replace - the human side of healthcare?

Meet Tether, the Bio-Acoustic Sentinel: an AI-powered post-surgical care tool designed by students in The New York Academy of Sciences' Spring 2026 Junior Academy Innovation Challenge.

Created by a team of young innovators spanning four countries, Tether helps patients recover safely at home through voice-based monitoring, multilingual support, and clear, accessible discharge guidance, all while keeping clinicians informed and patients' privacy protected.

Their solution tackles a critical healthcare gap: preventable post-discharge complications that affect millions of patients and contribute to billions in avoidable healthcare costs each year. More importantly, it demonstrates what’s possible when the next generation designs technology with empathy, equity, and real human needs at the center.

Read how this team turned a global challenge into a human-centered AI solution with the potential to transform recovery after surgery:

Tether, The Bio-Acoustic Sentinel Students developed an AI-powered tool that improves post-surgical care and keeps clinicians informed.

🎙️ New episode of Shaping Science with Nick Dirks!

In the latest episode, Nick Dirks is joined by author and professor Thomas Levenson for a fascinating conversation exploring the musical history of science, Einstein’s life in Germany between the two World Wars, and Levenson’s latest book, A Pox on Fools, published earlier this year by Penguin Random House.

🎧 Listen now: https://www.nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts/thomas-levenson-on-the-impact-of-storytelling-in-science-the-three-major-scientific-revolutions-of-the-current-era-and-the-case-for-vaccinations-in-the-age-of-misinformation/

We're growing our team at The New York Academy of Sciences.

If you're passionate about advancing science, innovation, and STEM education, we invite you to explore our current career opportunities. We're seeking talented professionals across a range of disciplines, including marketing, awards administration, development, facilities, and audiovisual production.

Current openings include:
• Brand Marketing Manager
• Director, Awards
• Program Manager, Awards
• Vice President, Development
• AV Technician (Part-Time)
• Facilities Assistant (Part-Time)

Explore our open positions and apply today:

Job Openings - NYAS A listing of currently open positions The New York Academy of Sciences is seeking to fill.

“If we were a little less focused on outcomes, and accomplishments, and goals. And a little more focused on the experience of doing things, we would all be better off.”

Read more:

Focusing on “the Experience of Doing Things” Ian Bogost suggests we break the “efficiency loop” in favor of meaningful experiential learning opportunities.

💡🔎 Did you know it was during an Academy conference in 1964 that the health dangers of asbestos were believed to be presented to the public for the first time?

Learn more about the Academy's role in abating the use of this dangerous carcinogen:

The asbestos problem is worse than we thought How asbestos ended up everywhere, and why we’re still using it toda...

The Academy is mourning the loss of Martin Leibowitz, PhD, whose life was “defined by intellectual curiosity, integrity and devotion to family.”

With hundreds of scholarly articles and several books to his name, his “pioneering research helped transform modern fixed-income investing and influenced generations of institutional investors.” Dr. Leibowitz served on the Academy’s Board of Governors from 1991 to 2000, including one year as Chair:

MARTIN LEIBOWITZ Obituary (2026) - New York, NY - New York Times View MARTIN LEIBOWITZ's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.