Five South Asians In Obama’s Early-Career Scientists Honor Roll

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President Obama named 102 scientists, and researchers, including five South Asians, Jan. 9 as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

“I congratulate these outstanding scientists and engineers on their impactful work,” President Obama said. “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,” Obama said, according to a White House press release.

The five south Asians include Manish Arora, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Pankaj Lal, Montclair State University; Nasia Safdar, Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Aradhna Tripati, University of California, Los Angeles and Kaushik Chowdhury, Northeastern University.

The Presidential Early Career Awards highlight the key role that the Administration places in encouraging and accelerating American innovation to grow U.S. economy and tackle the greatest challenges.

This year’s recipients are employed or funded by the various departments and agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation and Smithsonian Institution, among others.

These departments and agencies join together annually to nominate the most meritorious scientists and engineers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for assuring America’s preeminence in science and engineering and contributing to the awarding agencies’ missions.

The awards, established by President Clinton in 1996, are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the executive office of the President. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.