President Obama Honors Top U.S. Scientists & Innovators

Image: Courtesy of the White House

Dr. Shirley A. Jackson and Dr. Cato Laurencin  (MIT Alumni) were among the 17 honorees to receive the prestigious National Medal of Science & National Medal of Technology and Innovation awards (respectively) at the White House in Washington, DC on May 19th.  These awards are the nation's highest honor for achievement bestowed by the President of the United States.

Aru Pande

Voice of America (VOA)
May 19, 2016 8:42 PM

For Pakistani-American Mark Humayun, his grandmother who went blind from diabetes inspired him to develop a computer chip that goes into the eye to restore sight - otherwise known as the "bionic eye."

"I am happy to report that that is an approved product in the U.S. and Europe in helping many people worldwide," the ophthalmologic surgeon told reporters at the White House Thursday.

For scientist Jonathan Rothberg, it was his newborn son who was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems nearly two decades ago that led him to become a pioneer in genetic sequencing technology.

"I am gratified today because not only did the president say my family was beautiful, but my (now) 16-year-old son had a smile on his face," Rothberg said.

Seventeen recipients of National Medals of Science & National Medals of Technology & Innovation speak to reporters at White House. (A. Pande/VOA)

The two are among 17 recipients of this year’s National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation, awarded annually for outstanding contributions to science and engineering.

"The amount of brain power in this room right now is astonishing," President Barack Obama said Thursday as he presented each of the men and women with their medals in the East Room of the White House.

Obama said bestowing the honor is particularly significant in inspiring the next generations to enter science and technology.

"We want those who have invented the products and lifesaving medicines and are engineering our future to be celebrated," Obama noted. "Immersing young people in science math engineering - that’s what’s going to carry the American spirit of innovation through the 21st century and beyond."

The president noted that many of the recipients came from humble or ordinary beginnings, but were inspired by something or someone along their life’s journey.

"Because they lived in an America that fosters curiosity and invests in education and values science as important to our progress, they were able to find their calling and do extraordinary things," Obama said.

Young Science Advisors

During the ceremony, the president announced the launch of a kids science advisers campaign aimed at soliciting ideas from young people on shaping the future of science and technology in the United States.

The cause is an important one for National Medal of Science recipient Shirley Ann Jackson.

The Washington D.C. native is the first African American to earn a doctorate in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the second woman to do so in the United States.

Standing alongside her fellow honorees after the ceremony, Jackson outlined the reasons young people should go into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), including the ability to make a positive impact on humanity.

"It is important to inspire and encourage and invite young people early. Because the people here who are being recognized have worked over decades, and they started early, but, with that, the sky’s the limit."

National Medal of Technology and Innovation recipient Chenming Hu, a pioneer in semiconductor technology for developing the first three-dimensional transistors, offered this encouragement to kids who might be discouraged by math.

As shared from VOA

A Legacy of Change

In the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.....

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.....

The legacy of Dr. King beats within all of us. It lives within the hearts, minds, and souls of those that truly embrace, reference, and follow in his wake. One cannot be a leader unless they are able to follow in the footsteps of those before them. Dr. King's words are remnants of his civil rights work in the global sphere.....

A modern legacy is born every moment... One such soul is Dr. Shirley A. Jackson... She will be honored by President Obama in January 2016 with the nation's highest honor in science and technology.

The Daily Gazette

December 22, 2015

Schenectady, NY

TROY, NY — Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will receive the National Medal of Science, the highest scientific achievement given out by the U.S. government.

President Barack Obama will honor Jackson with the award at a ceremony in January 2016. The award recognizes scientists “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical or engineering sciences.”

Jackson was the first black woman to earn a doctorate from the fabled Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She worked as a researcher in some of the most famous labs across the globe, including the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Bell Labs. She later became the first woman to head the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, under President Bill Clinton.

“I’m not done yet,” Jackson said at event in Troy earlier this month when asked about the biggest accomplishment in her career. “There are different phases in your career, and you try to leave something behind and do something meaningful in each phase.”

Jackson became the 18th president of RPI in 1999, again the first woman and African-American to hold the position. As president, she has led major fundraising initiatives and has expanded the campus’ physical footprint. She has also turned the school’s academic focus to merging disparate scientific fields.

During a talk with the Troy-area Chamber of Commerce this month, she discussed the school’s focus on bringing students and researchers across disciplines together to address large challenges. She also stressed the importance of a well-rounded education for budding doctors, engineers and scientists.

“With today’s problems there is no progress if one doesn’t bring people together from all disciplines ...” she said. “You can’t do anything if you don’t know anything, so we make sure our students have strong roots.”

The National Medal of Science was established by Congress in 1959 and has been awarded to 487 scientists and engineers since. Each year a panel of 12 scientists appointed by the president evaluate nominees for the award.

Jackson is no stranger to the White House. From 2009 to 2014, she served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. In 2014, Obama appointed her to co-chair his Intelligence Advisory Board, which assesses the nation’s intelligence activities.

But she still calls Troy home and seems intent on continuing the work of strengthening RPI’s reputation as one of the nation’s elite schools for science and engineering.

“If you can educate those who are going to erect our future and support those who through their discoveries and innovations will also create our future, then that’s a privilege,” she said at the chamber event.

Shared from

The Daily Gazette

Zachary Matson

Schenectady, NY

Monumental Moment

Michael Artin and Shirley Jackson

win nation’s highest honor in science and technology...

Michael Artin and Shirley Ann Jackson

Photos: Donna Coveney (Artin) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Jackson)

Excerpt as reported by the MIT News Office

MIT Professor Emeritus Michael Artin and MIT Corporation Life Member Shirley Ann Jackson ’68 PhD ’73 are among 17 world-class researchers in the country who have been awarded the nation’s highest honors for scientists and innovators, the White House announced December 22, 2015.

President Barack Obama will present the National Medal of Science to Artin, professor emeritus in the Department of Mathematics, and Jackson, the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, at a ceremony early next year. With these awards, Artin and Jackson bring to 58 the number of MIT scientists who have won the National Medal of Science.

This year, the White House has awarded the National Medal of Science to nine recipients and named eight awardees of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

“Science and technology are fundamental to solving some of our nation’s biggest challenges,” Obama said in an announcement yesterday. “The knowledge produced by these Americans today will carry our country’s legacy of innovation forward and continue to help countless others around the world. Their work is a testament to American ingenuity.”