Princetonians win early-career presidential science awards

Six current Princetonians and at least 14 researchers who were educated at the University are among the 2024 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), awarded by President Biden on Jan. 14. PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers. 

Established in 1996, "PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers," said the White House press release. "The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future." The recipients are nominated by one of 14 participating federal agencies.

Princeton's laureates are:

Nathaniel Ferraro, the managing principal research physicist in the theory department at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and a 2008 Ph.D. graduate of Princeton. Ferraro, who was nominated by the Department of Energy, researches magnetized fusion plasmas.  He came to Princeton in 2015.

Kelsey Hatzell, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Hatzell, who was nominated by the National Science Foundation, studies the fundamental processes underlying solid state batteries. She joined the Princeton faculty in 2021.

Aleksandra Korolova, an assistant professor of computer science and public affairs. Korolova, who was nominated by the National Science Foundation, joined the University in 2022 as part of 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 Russakovsky, an associate professor of computer science and the associate director of the Princeton Lab for Artificial Intelligence. Russakovsky, who was nominated by the National Science Foundation, investigates computer vision, including implications for fairness, accountability and transparency. She came to Princeton in 2017.

Leslie Schoop, a professor of chemistry and the director of the Princeton Center for Complex Materials. Schoop, who was nominated by the Department of Defense, works in both chemistry and physics, using chemical principles to find quantum materials. She is a 2015 Ph.D. graduate of Princeton and joined the Princeton faculty in 2017.

Marissa Weichman, an assistant professor of chemistry. Weichman, who was nominated by the Department of Defense, uses fundamental chemical physics and spectroscopy to investigate complex chemical systems and develop new ways to steer molecular processes using light. She came to Princeton in the summer of 2020.

These Princeton alumni and former postdoctoral researchers were also among this year's PECASE recipients:

• Daniel Amador-Noguez, a former postdoctoral researcher with Joshua Rabinowitz, professor of chemistry and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics;
• William Anderegg, a former visiting associate research scholar in the High Meadows Environmental Institute;
• Barry Bradlyn, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science;
• Tamara Broderick of the Class of 2007;
• Netta Engelhardt, a former Gravity Initiative Fellow;
• Tingyi Gu, a former postdoctoral researcher in the Princeton Center for Complex Materials;
• Andrew Hein, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Center for BioComplexity;
• Nadir Jeevanjee, a former Harry H. Hess Postdoctoral Fellow in the Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System; 
• Vedika Khemani, a 2016 Ph.D. graduate in physics;
• Kanaka Rajan, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Center for the Physics of Biological Function;
• Daniel Ruiz, a 2017 Ph.D. graduate in plasma physics;
• Lorenzo Sironi, a 2011 Ph.D. graduate in astrophysics;
• Melanie Matchett Wood, a 2009 Ph.D. graduate in mathematics; and
• Jie Yin, a former visiting scholar in Civil & Environmental Engineering.