In Memoriam: Maxine Frank Singer, 1931-2024

Maxine Frank Singer, president emerita of Carnegie Science, passed away on July 9. She was 93 years old.

Dr. Singer focused her career on biochemistry research and was a pioneer in the field of molecular biology. She began her career in 1956 at the Laboratory of Biochemistry at the National Institutes of Health, where she studied nucleic acid. Nearly two decades later, she was appointed chief of the Nucleic Acid Enzymology Section within the Laboratory of Biochemistry at the National Cancer Institute. She was appointed as director of the laboratory in 1980 and served in the role for seven years.

In 1988, Dr. Singer was named the first president of Carnegie Institute of Washington, now known as Carnegie Science. During her 14-year presidency, she established the department of global ecology and created various STEM education programs for students and teachers in the Washington, D.C. area. She was an advocate for advancing diversity in STEM and was influential in creating policies aimed at providing equal opportunities for women and scientists from diverse backgrounds.

For her many contributions to biochemistry research and advancing diversity in STEM, Dr. Singer was honored frequently by public officials, professional organizations, and higher education institutions. She was the recipient of the 1992 National Medal of Science and was the first woman to receive the Vannevar Bush Award. She was an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as the American Philosophical Society. Her undergraduate alma mater, Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, honored her in 2019 with the establishment of the Maxine Frank Singer ’52 Hall, an on-campus center for biology, engineering, and psychology research.

Dr. Singer received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in biology from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Yale University.