The Outgoing US President Barack Obama has chosen four Indian-American scientists among 102 researchers for the US Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
These young Indian-American scientists are selected for the highest honour specified to science and engineering professionals in the incumbent stages of their research careers for keeping the US on the cutting edge by their innovations. Importantly, the PECASE award, established by President Bill Clinton in 1996 is the highest honour given by the US government to the budding science and engineering professionals. The awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at several frontiers of science and technology and appreciate the commitment to community service demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education or community outreach.
The list includes Mr. Pankaj Lal from Montclair State University (Department of Agriculture). He has been working on environmental economics and economic geography, natural resource conservation and policy and climate change, human dimensions of ecosystem management. Mr. Kaushik Chowdhury from Northeastern University (Department of Defense), he directs the Next Generation Networks and Systems (GENESYS) Lab. He is also the winner of the ‘NSF CAREER’ award (2015) and the Office of Naval Research Director of Research Early Career Award (2016). Mr. Manish Arora from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Department of Health and Human Services), he is an environmental epidemiologist and exposure biologist. His research focuses on effects of prenatal and early childhood chemical exposures on life-long health trajectories and Ms. Aradhna Tripati from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (National Science Foundation), her work includes understanding the climate change, oceans, and the transfer of carbon between the biosphere, atmosphere and oceans.
Congratulating the awardees, the outgoing President said, “I congratulate these outstanding scientists and engineers on their impactful work. These innovators are working to help keep the United States on the cutting edge, showing that Federal investments in science lead to advancements that expand our knowledge of the world around us and contribute to our economy”.