Clemson Professor Receives Presidential Award (11-6-97)
A Clemson University mechanical engineering professor has received the
highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists
and engineers beginning their careers.
Lonny Thompson is one of 60 young researchers President Clinton named
to receive the second annual Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists
and Engineers (PECASE). Thompson, a 35-year-old assistant professor of
mechanical engineering at Clemson, received the $500,000 award at a White
House ceremony last week.
His research work could lead to cheaper, better ultrasounds for testing
metal fatigue in aircraft, as well as biomedical uses in monitoring fetal
health and earlier more accurate detection of cancer. His innovative computational
models are a necessary step toward the development of "smart structures"
that can control noise in advanced aircraft of the future, as well as noise
suppression in automobiles, underwater vehicles and sonar tracking.
"I am excited by this opportunity for the College of Engineering
and Science at Clemson," said Thompson. "This project will afford
a great educational opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students
at Clemson to be directly involved in fundamental research at a national
level that is important not only for our state but also for the nation
as a whole."
The Presidential Awards were established by President Clinton in February
1996 and are intended to help meet the administration's goals of producing
the finest scientists and engineers for the 21st century and maintaining
U.S. leadership across the frontiers of scientific research. The awards
recognize young scholars' research contributions, their promise and their
commitment to broader societal goals.
"These gifted young professionals exemplify the best of our science
and technology community and will help set the scientific pace for the
United States and the world in the years ahead," President Clinton
said. "Their passion for discovery and their determination to explore
new scientific frontiers will drive this nation forward and build a better
America for the 21st century."
Thomas M. Keinath, dean of Clemson's engineering and science college,
said Thompson's work is an example of the way Clemson research brings new
and innovative answers to a host of challenges facing the nation.
"This national recognition of Lonny's work is a high honor for
both him and Clemson, and we are excited about his research's potential,"
Keinath said.
Thompson's research will directly benefit from the powerful computing
capability made possible by Clemson's recent acquisition of two high-performance
computers, the most powerful university-based computing system in the state.
Thompson was initially nominated by the National Science Foundation
for his scholarly work on predictive models for structural acoustics applicable
to noise suppression and sonar tracking and facilitating student involvement
in real-world engineering problems.
Ten government agencies join together annually to nominate promising
scientists and engineers for the awards. Those selected receive up to $500,000
over a five-year period to further their research and broadly advance science
for important government missions. The awards were presented in a White
House ceremony on Nov. 3.
Thompson received his Ph.D. in computational mechanics in 1994 from
Stanford University. Prior to attending Stanford, he worked as a structural
engineer at General Dynamics Space Systems Division. Thompson has received
several awards, including inclusion in the Marquis Who's Who in Science
and Engineering and a College Scientist Fellowship achievement award that
recognizes outstanding young researchers in their fields.
Twenty NSF-supported young scientists
and engineers receive Presidential Award (10-24-97)
President Clinton today named 20 young National Science
Foundation (NSF)-supported researchers, nine of whom are women,
and eight of whom are engineers, to receive the second annual
Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.
The presidential honor is the highest bestowed by the U.S.
government on outstanding young scientists and engineers who are
in the early stages of their independent research careers.
Sixty awards were announced overall, spread among eight
federal agencies.
The awards were established by President Clinton in
February, 1996, in order to meet the Administration's goals of
producing the finest scientists and engineers for the 21st
century while maintaining U.S. leadership across the frontiers of
scientific research.
"These gifted young professionals exemplify the best of our
science and technology community and will help set the scientific
pace for the U.S. and the world in the years ahead," said the
President. "Their passion for discovery and their determination
to explore new scientific frontiers will drive this nation
forward and build a better America for the twenty-first century."
Ten government agencies join together annually to nominate
the promising scientists and engineers who will receive up to
$500,000 over a five-year period to further their research. The
young scholars are recognized through these awards for their
research contributions, their promise and for their commitment to
broader societal goals. In addition, their work supports
advances in science for important government missions.
NSF selects its nominees for the presidential early career
awards from a group of its most meritorious Faculty Early Career
Development (CAREER) program scientists and engineers. They have
received NSF support because of exceptional research and
leadership potential in their fields, and their integrated
contributions to research and education.
The presidential early career awards will be presented in a
White House ceremony on November 3.
-NSF-
Editors: Eligibility criteria are described in the NSF program
announcement NSF 97-87, or see http://www.nsf.gov. On this site, select Crosscutting Programs, then, select again on Presidential
Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.
Attachment:NSF winners of the Presidential Early Career Award
for Scientists and Engineers.
| NAME/INSTITUTION | CONTRIBUTIONS
| Jill E. Bargonetti
Hunter College of City University of New York
| Scholarly work in cancer-related studies of cell growth and gene
expression and involvement of undergraduate, graduate, and especially minority students in the discovery process.
| Peter N. Belhumeur
Yale University
| Innovative concepts and student laboratories in appearance-based
modeling for computer applications, and forging interdisciplinary links
to physiology of human vision.
| Geoffrey E. Hill
Auburn University
| Original contributions to understanding evolutionary biology,
specifically avian sexual selection, and integrating a fundamental
research program with public science education.
| Daniel P. Lathrop
Emory University
(now at Univ. of Maryland)
| Innovative contributions to research and education of undergraduates in
non-linear properties of fluid interfaces relevant to understanding
turbulence, optical fibers, and black holes.
| Jon P. Longtin
State Univ. of New York at Stony Brook
| Research on laser-liquid interactions important in manufacturing, materials processing, and biological systems and outreach activities for high school
students and prospective teachers.
| Timothy A. McKay
University of Michigan
| Contributions to a major optical sky survey, particularly the
interpretation of gravitational lensing, and for involving the
public and students at all educational levels in research activities.
| Ann M. Sastry
University of Michigan
| Research on predictive models for selection and repair of fibrous
materials such as those used in structural design or human biology and introducing students to interdisciplinary team learning.
| Steven W. McLaughlin
Georgia Inst. of Technology
| Leadership in the development of optical recording systems capable of storing information in high-capacity non-binary formats and development of novel courses in communication theory.
| Renee J. Miller
Ohio State University
| Contributions to solving problems of schematic heterogeneity in
database-management systems and retaining women and minorities in
computer science.
| David P. Morton
University of Texas at Austin
| Innovative research on computational methods for large-scale systems
optimization and decision-making in the utilities industry, finance, and
manufacturing and helping students gain industrial experience.
| Linda K. Nozick
Cornell University
| Development of innovative solutions to problems associated with
transportation of hazardous waste and incorporating non-tradtional skills
into undergraduate transportation engineering courses.
| Katherine Okikiolu
University of California at San Diego
| Innovative research in geometric analysis, particularly the
determinant of the Laplacian under smooth perturbations, and developing
student workshops and mathematics curricula for inner-city children.
| Lori A. Setton
Duke University
| Leadership in education and research in understanding and restoring
biomechanical functions to tissue degenerated by injury or aging,
especially in the spine.
| Jaswinder P. Singh
Princeton University
| Contributions to computer engineering education and research
in the area of parallel architecture and software development, including
results applicable to protein structure determination.
| Eileen M. Spain
Occidental College
| Contributions to the synthesis of thin films essential to fabrication
of reliable semiconductor materials and providing laser laboratory
opportunities to high school students.
| Florence I. Thomas
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
| Interdisciplinary research on the impact of organisms on nutrient and
pollution flow in marine environments and development of an interactive display in a public aquarium.
| Lonny L. Thompson
Clemson University
| Scholarly work on predictive models for structural acoustics applicable
to noise suppression and sonar tracking and facilitating student
involvement in real-world engineering problems.
| Daniel W. van der Weide
University of Delaware
| Pioneering research on nanoscale-dimension electronic circuits and
development of a web-based virtual laboratory that provides student access to advanced scientific instrumentation.
| Patricia A. Van Zandt
Johns Hopkins University
| Contributions to cognitive research and education, especially in
development of mathematical and computer models for perception,
cognition and decision-making.
| Miguel Velez-Reyes
University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
| Contributions to engineering education and research on power
systems applicable to large systems that transfer power among multiple
suppliers in the electric power industry.
|
-L.L.Thompson
|
