Dr. Peter Gruss, president of the German-based Max Planck Society and chairman of the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI), was honored on Tuesday, March 25 with an award of recognition from Palm Beach County.
Palm Beach County Mayor Priscilla Taylor presented the award at the Dixon Education Building at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach in front of an audience of more than 200 people. The award recognized the significant contributions Gruss has made in establishing the MPFI in Palm Beach County.
“We feel very strong support from the local community, and it’s much more than financial in nature. The people of Palm Beach County are behind us. They understand what we’re trying to accomplish through studying how the brain works, and they show tremendous appreciation for the educational outreach we provide in return,” Gruss said. “Palm Beach County has given us so much, and the world’s knowledge of neuroscience is advancing as a result.”
Gruss is visiting from Munich. Prior to receiving his award, he presented a fascinating lecture titled “Get the Picture: The Art of Imaging and the Image of Art in Science” to the sold-out crowd.
“We want to show the community that science and art are not separate entities,” MPFI Scientific Director & CEO Dr. David Fitzpatrick said. “Each thrives off the other. When science advances, art advances, and vice versa. In tandem, they expand our view of the world.”
The lecture was accompanied by a musical performance from MPFI Scientific Director Dr. Ryohei Yasuda on piano and his 17-year-old son, Taisuke Yasuda, on violin.
MPFI formally established its presence in Jupiter in 2010 with a temporary facility on the MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University. In 2012, the institute opened the doors of its own 100,000-square-foot facility. Gruss was a driving force behind establishing the Florida facility, the first and only Max Planck institute in the United States.
For more information, visit www.maxplanckflorida.org.
ABOVE: Dr. Peter Gruss accepts his award.
