Astral Light Award

Dr. Ellen R. Gritz: A Woman of Science Devoted to the Well-being of Her Fellow Man

CKW Luxe is proud to announce that Dr. Ellen R. Gritz is our honoree for the Astral Light Award. This award goes to a philanthropic woman who is inspiring and transforming lives through art, music, or science.

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“I think of myself as a Renaissance woman, in the sense that I have broadly diverse interests and activities, and draw my guiding philosophical principles from mul-tiple sources. For whatever one does, I think it is critical to live in the present moment fully, deeply and mindful-ly. The sayings “Carpe Diem” (from Horace), usually translated as “Seize the day,” and, “If not now, when” (from the Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers), em-brace that concept and also involve self-discovery and the development of values.”—Dr. Ellen R. Gritz

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Dr. Ellen R. Gritz is Professor Emerita at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Cen-ter. She was the founding Chair of the Depart-ment of Behavioral Science at MD Anderson and served in that position for 21 years, until her retirement. Dr. Gritz also held the Olla S. Stribling Distinguished Chair for Cancer Re-search. Prior to moving to Houston in 1993, Dr. Gritz was Professor at UCLA and Director of the Division of Cancer Control, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. She received her bachelor degree in psychology from Barnard College, Columbia University and her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, San Diego.