Barack Obama selects 4 Indian-American scientists for presidential awards

President Barack Obama on 10 January 2017 chose four Indian-American scientists for the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). In total, 102 scientists and researchers are selected for the prestigious award.

The four Indian-American scientists are Kaushik Chowdhury, Pankaj Lal, Manish Arora and Aradhna Tripati.

About the awardees

Kaushik Chowdhury: He is chosen from the Northeastern University. He directs the Next Generation Networks and Systems (GENESYS) Lab. In 2015, he was awarded the NSF CAREER award. He is also the recipient of the Office of Naval Research Director of Research Early Career Award.

Pankaj Lal: He is chosen from the Montclair State University. At present, he works as an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies at Montclair. He has been working on environmental economics and economic geography, policy and climate change, natural resource conservation and human dimensions of ecosystem management.

Manish Arora: He is chosen from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is an environmental epidemiologist and exposure biologist. He is renowned for his work on biomarkers that utilise human deciduous and permanent teeth to reconstruct the timing of exposure to various harmful chemicals and essential nutrients. His study revolves around effects of prenatal and early childhood chemical exposures on life-long health trajectories.

Aradhna Tripati: She is chosen from University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on climate change, and the transfer of carbon between the biosphere, atmosphere and oceans.

About Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers

• The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is the highest honour bestowed by the US Government.

• It is given to scientists and engineers in the early stages of their research careers for keeping the US ahead by their innovations.

• The awards are conferred each year at the White House following recommendations from participating agencies.