CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Three University of Illinois researchers were among 59 young researchers named today (Oct. 23) as recipients of the fifth annual Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the government on young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers.
The researchers will receive their awards Tuesday (Oct. 24) in a ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. CST in Washington, D.C.
The UI winners:
Youssef Hashash, civil and environmental engineering, for developing an integrated research and education project that addresses a novel interactive visualization development and learning environment for material constitutive relations, referred to as VizCoRe.
Barbara Minsker, civil and environmental engineering. The focus of her work is developing a risk-management model that provides a framework for identifying promising candidate designs while improving understanding of the critical factors involved in risk-based remediation of contaminated groundwater sites.
Randall S. Singer, veterinary pathobiology, for outstanding research in improving our understanding of the epidemiology and ecology of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials in farm animals.
"These extraordinarily gifted young scientists and engineers represent the best in our country," said President Clinton, who established the awards in February 1996. "Through their talent, ability, and dedication, they will quicken the pace of discovery and put science and technology to work advancing the human condition as never before."
The young scientists and engineers receive up to a five-year research grant to further their study in support of critical government missions. The federal agencies involved include the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation.