President Biden also recently presented the nation’s highest civilian honor to two scientists, as well as prestigious awards for energy sciences.
Last week, President Joe Biden announcement the latest recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nation’s highest honors in science, engineering and technology. Both awards were presented in a joint ceremony on January 3. The awards were once annual traditions but went unrewarded for nearly a decade until 2023, when Biden presented them for the final time.
Biden too Understood two scientists among the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The Enrico Fermi Presidential Awards, another prestigious award in science and technology, were announcement in December.
National Science Medal
Geochemist R. Lawrence Edwards of the University of Minnesota received the award for his work developing modern uranium-thorium dating methods, which allowed him to create a climate history of the Earth dating back to prehistoric times. Richard Alley, a geoscientist at Penn State, was recognized for his research on melting glaciers and ice sheets, raising “new urgency to address the climate crisis,” according to Kei Koizumi, senior deputy director for science, the society and policy at the House of Representatives’ White Office of Science and Technology Policy, which announced the awards.
Wendy Freedman, an astronomer at the University of Chicago, has been recognized for her research measuring the Hubble constant and advancing the understanding of the expansion of the universe. Astrophysicist Keivan Stassun of Vanderbilt University received the award for his research on star formation and exoplanets.
Ingrid Daubechies, a mathematician at Duke University, was honored for her development of wavelet theory, which improved signal processing and image compression in the fields of medical imaging, digital media and data compression. Aeronautical engineer John Dabiri of the California Institute of Technology has been recognized for his research in fluid mechanics and biomechanics, particularly in the design of more efficient wind turbines.
Other honorees were Bonnie Bassler, Angela Belcher, Helen Blau and Teresa Woodruff in the fields of biology and bioengineering; environmentalist David Tilman; computer scientist Cynthia Dwork; Emery Brown, computational neuroscientist; and political scientist Larry Bartels.
The National Medal of Science was established in 1959. Recipients are selected by the National Medal of Science Committee, appointed by the President and administered by the National Science Foundation.
National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation included leaders in the fields of communications, imaging, nanotechnology and bioengineering.
Inventor Martin Cooper received the award for leading the development of the first cell phone at Motorola. Victor Lawrence, a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, has been recognized for his contributions to fiber optic communications technology.
Eric Fossum, an engineer at Dartmouth College, received the award for his invention of the CMOS image sensor, which significantly improved the image quality and power efficiency of digital cameras and smartphones. Electrical engineer Kristina Johnson, former president of Ohio State University, received the award for her research in photonics, nanotechnology and optoelectronics. MIT chemical engineer Paula Hammond was honored for her advances in nanotechnology and materials science, particularly in drug delivery systems.
Other recipients were biochemists Jennifer Doudna and Feng Zhang and bioengineers David Walt and Paul Yock, as well as the companies Moderna and Pfizer for their development of COVID-19 vaccines.
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was established in 1980. Finalists are recommended by the National Medal of Technology and Innovation Review Committee, an independent committee appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.
Presidential Medal of Freedom
On January 4, Biden presented the nation’s highest civilian honor to several high-profile public figures, whom he called “truly extraordinary people who have made sacred efforts to shape the culture and cause of America.” . Ash Carter, who began his career as a physicist and then served as US Secretary of Defense from 2015 to 2017, received this award posthumously. Bill Nye, a science educator known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, also received the award.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established in 1963 to recognize individuals who have made “especially meritorious contributions” to the security and national interests of the United States, world peace, or cultural or other endeavors. Biden’s 2025 honorees range from politicians and philanthropists to artists and athletes.
Enrico Fermi Presidential Prize
In December, three scientists from the Ministry of Energy received the Enrico Fermi Presidential Prize, which encourages excellence in research in energy science and technology. Cornell University chemist Héctor Abruña was honored for his advances in developing batteries, fuel cells and energy materials via electroanalytical chemistry. Nanoscientist and University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos was recognized for his work producing nanocrystals and polymers with controlled size, shape, connectivity and topology. Finally, John Nuckolls received the award for his leadership in the fields of inertial confinement fusion and high energy density physics, his outstanding contributions to national security, and his leadership at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab at the end of the cold war.
The Fermi Prize was established in 1956 in memory of Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi and his work in the development of nuclear energy, and the DOE has administered the prize since 1977. Winners receive honoraria of $100,000.