Presidential Early Career Award

美国总统巴拉克•奥巴马（Barack Obama）提名地球与环境研究教授潘卡吉•拉尔（Pankaj Lal）为102名有资格获得著名的总统科学家和工程师早期职业奖的研究人员之一。 The award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on federally funded science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their careers.

In announcing the awards in January, Obama said, “These innovators are working to help keep the United States on the cutting edge, showing that federal investments in science lead to advancements that expand our knowledge of the world around us and contribute to our economy.”

“It is extremely gratifying to get presidential validation of the research I am undertaking and an absolute honor,” says Lal, who is also the associate director of the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies. “Personally, it gives me added confidence to continue on with my sustainable energy and resources research, which is one of the grand challenges facing modern society. Being awarded for what I enjoy doing is really awesome.”

Lal was nominated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has funded his collaborative, interdisciplinary research that contributes to the development of forest- and agriculture-based biofuel development as a fossil fuel alternative in Southern rural communities.

These innovators are working to help keep the United States on the cutting edge, showing that federal investments in science lead to advancements that expand our knowledge of the world around us and contribute to our economy.”