Scientific Report 2005
In Tribute to Faye C. Austin, PhD, and William M. Corbett, Jr.
Supporting the work of Dana-Farber's investigators as they push the boundaries of knowledge is a task requiring vision and finesse. Two individuals — Faye Austin and Bill Corbett — helped guide the Institute's research mission for many years, and their departures leave a gap, as well as an opportunity to salute their contributions.
Faye C.Austin,PhD, Senior Vice President for Research
The seven years that Dr. Austin helped lead Dana-Farber's research activities were marked by tremendous growth in their size, scope, and complexity. Joining the organization in 1998 after more than two decades with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), she guided an upsurge in funding, faculty recruitment, collaboration, and the translation of discoveries into improved patient care. "We are enormously grateful to Faye for her outstanding service," said Dana-Farber President Edward J. Benz Jr., MD. "We would never have been able to successfully compete for — and achieve renewal of — the innovative but complicated Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) grant without the dedicated work of Faye and her staff."
In addition to promoting DF/HCC, which brings together approximately 900 cancer scientists at seven Harvard-affiliated institutions, Dr. Austin helped expand Dana-Farber's research infrastructure in such areas as safety and quality of clinical trials, faculty development, and technology ventures. Dr. Austin, who stepped down as of April 2006 and returned to Washington, DC, is known as a staunch advocate for staff members and patients. Senior Vice President for Experimental Medicine Lee Nadler, MD, met her in 1980 when they were postdoctoral fellows. "From that first minute, Faye demonstrated selfless commitment to patient-oriented research and teamwork," he remembered. "She had the vision, work ethic, honesty, drive, compassion, and commitment necessary for building Dana-Farber and DF/HCC." Institute President Emeritus David G. Nathan, MD, who had chosen Dr. Austin for the administrative role, expressed his appreciation in a heartfelt note upon her announcement: "Your wisdom, patience, and just plain decency made it possible for us to move forward to a new era."
William M. Corbett Jr., Director of Research Administration
When Bill Corbett stepped down in late 2005 after nearly 30 years at Dana-Farber, he left his mark as an astute, demanding, but fair manager who knew the nuts and bolts of administering grants and awards critical to DFCI's research efforts. As director of Research Administration since 1988, Corbett was instrumental in the grant-writing process that led to the approval of DF/HCC as an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2000, and the equally rigorous renewal process in 2005. "No other cancer center of this magnitude has been put together," Dr. Austin said at Corbett's farewell party, which drew admirers from as far away as Albuquerque, New Mexico.
During Corbett's tenure, Dana-Farber's portfolio grew from a handful of grants to $182.5 million in externally funded research in 2005; Corbett also supervised an expanding number of core facilities that support investigators at Dana-Farber. Corbett earned respect for his expertise, as well as his calm demeanor and ability to offer practical solutions to problems. "There were numerous times when Bill had to mediate between a principal investigator's needs and the Institute's best interests," noted Director of Grants and Contracts Matthew Meyer. "I was continually amazed at his ability to deal with difficult situations in a manner that focused on how to achieve success."
