Golden State Today

Several faculty members from the University of California, Davis, have been recognized with prestigious presidential awards for their contributions to STEM mentoring and research. These awards were announced by the White House on January 13 and 14.

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, established by the White House in 1995 and administered by the National Science Foundation, acknowledges mentors who work with underrepresented groups to develop human resources in STEM fields. Aldrin Gomes, a professor at UC Davis, received this award. Gomes is known for his research on how drugs like ibuprofen affect the heart and has mentored over 220 undergraduate students during his tenure at UC Davis. He also directs programs aimed at supporting underrepresented STEM students.

The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers was established in 1996 to honor early-career scientists and engineers recommended by federal funding agencies. This year’s recipients from UC Davis include Joanne Emerson, James Letts, Kassandra Ori-McKenney, Tran Nguyen, Amanda Thomas, Andrew Wetzel, and Aliza Wingo.

Joanne Emerson studies viral communities' impact on ecosystems as an associate professor in plant pathology. James Letts focuses on electron transport chains within mitochondria as part of molecular biology research. Kassandra Ori-McKenney investigates microtubules' role in neurodevelopmental disorders as an associate professor of molecular biology.

Tran Nguyen's work as an atmospheric chemist involves studying aerosols' effects on air quality. Amanda Thomas uses seismic data to explore tectonics as a visiting professor of earth sciences. Andrew Wetzel generates simulations for cosmic structure formation as an astrophysicist specializing in galaxy formation.

Lastly, Aliza Wingo combines genetics with functional genomics to study psychiatric disorders and Alzheimer's disease as a psychiatry professor at UC Davis.

These awards highlight significant achievements across various scientific disciplines at UC Davis.