President Barack Obama has proclaimed six Indian-American researchers among 106 individuals as recipients of the highly coveted Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest U.S. government distinction bestowed to young independent researchers.

 

The recipients will accept their awards at a ceremony that will be held in Washington, D.C. this spring.

President Obama said, “These early-career scientists are leading the way in our efforts to confront and understand challenges from climate change to our health and wellness.” He added, “We congratulate these accomplished individuals and encourage them to continue to serve as an example of the incredible promise and ingenuity of the American people.”

The Presidential Early Career Awards put into the limelight the key role that the administration plays in motivating and fast-tracking American innovation to further sustain economic and hurdle our greatest challenges, according to a White House announcement.

Founded by President Bill Clinton way back in 1996, the awards identifies the pursuit of innovative research in the field of science and technology and recipients’ dedication to community service as demonstrated via scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.

The six Indian-American awardees are:

Milind Kulkarni, an associate professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. His research is centered on Programming Languages and Compilers that backstop effective programming and high performance on fast-developing complex architectures.

Kiran Musunuru, assistant professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University. His research is centered on the genetics of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Sachin Patel, is an assistant professor of psychiatry, and molecular physiology and biophysics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The overall research aim of Patel is to determine the role of neuronal cannabinoid signaling in brain function that is significant to psychiatric disorders.

Vikram Shyam, is a member of the Turbomachinery and Heat Transfer Branch at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Glenn Research Center.

Shyam had conducted research on computational and experimental analysis of and concept development in unsteady engine flow physics, energy harvesting, biomimetics, active and passive flow control, flow visualization and water purification.

Rahul Mangharam, is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Mangharam specializes in real-time scheduling algorithms for networked embedded systems with applications in automotive systems, power-efficient buildings, medical devices and industrial wireless control networks.

Shwetak Patel is a gifted professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington, where he spearheads his Ubicomp Lab research group. His research is centered on areas of human-computer interaction, universal computing, sensor-enabled embedded systems, and user interface software and technology. He specializes on sensing systems, energy and water sensing, mobile health, and creating new interaction technologies.