Sarah DeWitt
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2451
sarah.l.dewitt@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 11-323
NASA SCIENTISTS RECEIVE PRESIDENTIAL EARLY CAREER AWARDS
WASHINGTON -- President Obama has named four NASA scientists as
recipients of the 2010 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists
and Engineers (PECASE). The NASA recipients and 90 other federal
researchers will receive their awards in a ceremony on October 14 in
Washington.
The PECASE awards represent the highest honor bestowed by the U.S.
government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent
careers. They recognize recipients' exceptional potential for
leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge, and their
commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific
leadership, education or community outreach.
"We are thrilled to honor these outstanding early-career scientists,
and will look forward to their ongoing contributions to the
exploration of our planet, our solar system, and our place in the
universe," said NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati. "The work of
these talented individuals will help us turn the dreams of today into
the reality of tomorrow."
The 2010 NASA recipients were nominated by the agency's Science
Mission Directorate:
- Jonathan W. Cirtain, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Ala., recognized for outstanding research on basic
physical processes observed in solar and space plasmas through
innovative engineering instrument designs.
- Ian M. Howat, The Ohio State University in Columbus, recognized for
outstanding contributions to the field of glaciology -- in
particular, improvements to understanding glacier dynamics and their
contributions to sea level rise.
- Gregory G. Howes, University of Iowa in Iowa City, recognized for
outstanding contributions to improve understanding of the dissipation
of turbulence and the resulting heating of heliospheric plasmas, and
for leadership in education and outreach activities.
- Benjamin A. Mazin, University of California, Santa Barbara,
recognized for outstanding contributions to the development of
ultra-sensitive, low-temperature detector arrays that provide energy
resolution and arrival timing for photons from X-rays to the near
infrared.
The PECASE awards were created to foster innovative developments in
science and technology; increase awareness of careers in science and
engineering; give recognition to the scientific missions of
participating agencies; enhance connections between fundamental
research and many of the grand challenges facing the nation; and to
highlight the importance of science and technology for America's
future. Sixteen federal departments and agencies nominated scientists
and engineers for the 2010 PECASE awards. For a complete list of 2010
award winners, visit:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
