Six current Princetonians and at least 14 University-trained researchers are among the 2024 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), presented by President Biden on January 14. PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government for science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers.
Established in 1996, “PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential early in their research careers,” the White House press release said. “The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, raises awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, strengthens the connections between research and societal impacts, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future » Recipients are nominated by one of 14 participating federal agencies.
The Princeton winners are:
Nathaniel Ferrarosenior research physicist in the theory department of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and a 2008 Ph.D. graduate from Princeton. Ferraro, appointed by the Department of Energy, studies magnetized fusion plasmas. He arrived at Princeton in 2015.
Kelsey Hatzellassociate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Hatzell, appointed by the National Science Foundation, studies the fundamental processes underlying solid-state batteries. She joined the Princeton faculty in 2021.
Alexander Korolovaassistant professor of computer science and public affairs. Korolova, who was nominated by the National Science Foundation, joined the University in 2022 from Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy. She studies the societal impacts of algorithms and machine learning, including how to preserve privacy and fairness.
Olga Rusakovskyassociate professor of computer science and associate director of the Princeton Lab for Artificial Intelligence. Russakovsky, who was appointed by the National Science Foundation, studies computer vision, including its implications for fairness, accountability and transparency. She arrived at Princeton in 2017.
Leslie Schoopprofessor of chemistry and director of the Princeton Center for Complex Materials. Schoop, who was appointed by the Department of Defense, works in both chemistry and physics, using chemical principles to find quantum materials. She received her Ph.D. degree from Princeton in 2015 and joined the Princeton faculty in 2017.
Marissa Weichmanassistant professor of chemistry. Weichman, appointed by the Department of Defense, uses fundamental chemical physics and spectroscopy to study complex chemical systems and develop new ways to direct molecular processes using light. She arrived at Princeton in the summer of 2020.
These Princeton alumni and former postdoctoral researchers were also among this year’s PECASE awardees:
- Daniel Amador-Noguez, former postdoctoral researcher with Joshua Rabinowitz, professor of chemistry and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics;
- William Anderegg, former visiting research associate at High Meadows Environmental Institute;
- Barry Bradlyn, former postdoctoral fellow at the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science;
- Tamara Broderick from the Class of 2007;
- Netta Engelhardt, former Gravity Initiative fellow;
- Tingyi Gu, former postdoctoral researcher at the Princeton Center for Complex Materials;
- Andrew Hein, former postdoctoral fellow at the Center for BioComplexity;
- Nadir Jeevanjee, former Harry H. Hess Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cooperative Institute for Earth System Modeling;
- Vedika Khemani, PhD in 2016. degree in physics;
- Kanaka Rajan, former postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Physics of Biological Function;
- Daniel Ruiz, PhD in 2017. degree in plasma physics;
- Lorenzo Sironi, PhD in 2011. degree in astrophysics;
- Melanie Matchett Wood, 2009 Ph.D. degree in mathematics; And
- Jie Yin, former visiting researcher in civil and environmental engineering.