Three Penn researchers have gotten off to the right start, according to the National Science and Technology Council.
Physics professor Marija Drndic and Medical School professors Tejvir Khurana and Kevin Volpp were among the 58 recipients of the 2004 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
The professors were honored at the White House on June 13 for their work in their respective scientific disciplines.
Rebecca Harmon, a spokeswoman for the Medical School, said, "The fact that two of our researchers received the award is a testament to the dedication and commitment that each of them has demonstrated to the advancement of a specialty field."
Khurana, a Physiology professor, was awarded the PECASE based on his studies of muscular dystrophy. Volpp, a professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, studies social policies and health-system design.
"We're very proud of our researchers and pleased that we were able to offer an environment to help stimulate their growth," Harmon said. She added that the award is "also a reflection of the School of Medicine's mission to teach and train the next generation of physician-scientists."
Volpp was pleased with the recognition that comes with the award, but said he will remain steadfast in his research mission.
"The award ... conveys a fair amount of visibility. It don't think it will fundamentally change the research I do," Volpp said.
Drndic was recognized for her work with nanoscale electronic devices and her outstanding performance as a lecturer on both the domestic and international scales.
The National Science and Technology Council, which funds the award, considers the PECASE to be "the nation's highest honor for professionals at the outset of their independent research careers." Established by President Clinton in 1996, the award is intended to honor and encourage the most promising young researchers in the nation within their fields.
Harmon said that Penn is the only Philadelphia-based school with faculty who were recipients of the award.
Eight federal departments and agencies annually nominate scientists and engineers at the start of their independent careers whose work shows exceptional promise for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the 21st century, according to the White House. Award recipients are granted up to five years of funding along with the honor.
