Buoyed by Georgia Tech’s interdisciplinary research on the origins of life and the possibility of it beyond Earth, three researchers from the Colleges of Engineering and Sciences are the lead organizers for astrobiology’s largest national conference.

The following members of the Tech community were honored at the 2022 Faculty and Staff Honors Luncheon on Friday, April 29. See photos from this year's event.

Georgia Tech Chapter Sigma Xi Awards

Best Faculty Paper Award

Roman Grigoriev
Professor, Physics

Nga Lee (Sally) Ng
Associate Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Young Faculty Award

Samuel Coogan
Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Diyi Yang
Assistant Professor, Interactive Computing

Sustained Research Award

Dimitri Mavris
Regents Professor, Aerospace Systems Design Lab

Institute Research Awards

Outstanding Achievement in Research Enterprise Enhancement

Michelle Wong
Assistant Director, Business Operations, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience

Outstanding Achievement in Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Research

Cassie Mitchell
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Outstanding Achievement in Early Career Research Award

Matthew McDowell
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Outstanding Achievement in Research Innovation Award

Natalie Stingelin-Stutzmann
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor Award

Manos Tentzeris
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Outstanding Faculty Research Author Award

Zhiqun Lin
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development Award

RADX TEAM (The Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics)

Oliver Brand
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Hang Chen
Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology

Sarah Farmer
Research Scientist I, Center for Advanced Communications Policy

David Gottfried
Regents Researcher, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology

David Ku
Regents Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Wilbur Lam
Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Amanda Peagler
Research Scientist II, Center for Advanced Communications Policy

Erika Tyburski
Program and Operations Manager, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology

ANAK Award

Carol Senf
Professor, Literature, Media, and Communication

Joi Alexander
Director, Health Initiatives

Staff Performance Awards

Acting With Ethics First Award

Terry Lee Grumley Bridges
Unit Director, Ethics and Compliance, GTRI

Cultivating Well-Being Award

Denise Ocasio Thomas
Assistant Director, Retention Initiatives, OMED

One Small Step Award

Shandra R. Jones
Public Services Associate Lead, Library

One Giant Leap Award

Office of The Arts

Justin Camp
Theater Production Assistant, Office of the Arts

Paul D. Cottongim
Theater Production Manager, Office of the Arts

Joe T. Davis
Stage Audio Technician, Office of the Arts

Ben A. Dosta
General Operations Manager, Office of the Arts

Dorcas Louise Ford-Jones
Senior Administrative Professional, Office of the Arts

Elizabeth B. Geiger
Communications Officer I, Student Engagement and Well-Being

Rachel C. Haage
Event Coordinator II, Office of the Arts

Almelida Rene Merriewether Baker
Patron and Event Services Assistant, Office of the Arts

Holley E. Mitchell
Box Office Coordinator, Office of the Arts

Twanesia Rucker
Box Office Assistant, Office of the Arts

Aaron David Shackelford
Director, Office of the Arts

Leadership in Action Award

Kevin M. Ellis
Assistant Director, Financial Operations, Aerospace Engineering

Samuel Evans III
Fleet Services Manager, Infrastructure and Sustainability

Leading By Example in Sustainability Award

Emma C. Brodzik
Campus Sustainability Project Manager, Infrastructure and Sustainability

Rising Wreck Award

Samba Diop
Senior Digital Learning Specialist, Office of Information Technology

Service to the Community Award

Richard A. Bedell
Electrical Engineer III, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Sarah Strohmenger
Student Life Program Director, Student Engagement and Well-Being

Putting Students First Award

Laura Tyler Paige
Academic Advisor II, Parker B. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience

ChBE Academic Advising Team

Adrienne Rice Hillman
Academic Advisor II, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Ellen Murkison
Academic Advising Manager, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Ami B. Waller-Ivanecky
Academic Program Manager I, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Excellence Award

Large-Scale Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic

Ina Collins
Nursing Manager, Stamps Health Services

Benjamin Royce Holton, M.D.
Senior Director, Stamps Health Services

John W. Scuderi
Director, Health Operations, Stamps Health Services

Theron Harold Stancil III
Assistant Director, Health Systems, Stamps Health Services

Nina Lee Thoman
Pharmacy Manager, Stamps Health Services

Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Gender Equity Award

Carol Colatrella
Associate Dean, Literature, Media, and Communications

Sybrina Atwaters
Academic Professional, Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Spirit of Georgia Tech Award

Lauren B. Evans
Program and Operations Manager, Honors Program

Robert William Hampson
Administrative Manager II, History and Sociology

Joshua E. Stewart
Communications Manager, Biomedical Engineering

Center for Teaching and Learning Award

Curriculum Innovation Awards

School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Fani Boukouvala
Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Martha Grover
Chair, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

A.J. Medford
Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

J. Carson Meredith
Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

David Sholl
School Chair, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Undergraduate Educator Award

Jacqueline Garner
Senior Lecturer, Scheller College of Business

Amit S. Jariwala
Senior Academic Professional, Mechanical Engineering

Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award

Michael Evans
Senior Academic Professional, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Christie N. Stewart
Senior Academic Professional, Biological Sciences

CTL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award

Katie Badura
Assistant Professor, Scheller College of Business

John James Blazeck
Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Neha Garg
Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Allen Hyde
Assistant Professor, History and Sociology

Natalie Khazaal
Assistant Professor, Modern Languages

Annabelle C. Singer
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Innovation and Excellence in Laboratory Instruction Award

Christy O’Mahony
Senior Academic Professional, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Faculty Award for Academic Outreach

James R. Sowell
Principal Academic Professional Physics

Innovation in Co-Curricular Education Award

Mary Hudachek-Buswell
Lecturer, Computing

Fisayo Omojokun
Senior Lecturer, Computing

Jake D. Soper
Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Teachinig Excellence Award for Online Teaching

Michael Evans III
Senior Academic Professional, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award

Emily G. Weigel
Senior Academic Professional, Biological Sciences

International Initiatives Award

Steven A. Denning Faculty Award for Global Engagement

Aris Georgakakos
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Faculty Honors Committee Awards

Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award

Junior Faculty

Cassie Mitchell
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Senior Faculty

Jaydev P. Desai
Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Outstanding Use of Educational Technology

Aselia Urmanbetova
Academic Professional, Economics

Class of 1934 Outstanding Service Award

Pinar Keskinocak
Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Class of 1934 Outstanding Interdisciplinary Activities Award

Thomas Orlando
Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Class of 1940 W. Roane Beard Outstanding Teacher Award

Brendan Saltaformaggio
Assistant Professor, School of Cybersecurity and Privacy

Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher Award

Carrie Shepler
Principal Academic Professional, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award

Marilyn Brown
Regents Professor, Public Policy

As the academic year nears its end, a season of celebration begins. Several students were recognized for excellence this year at the annual Student Honors Celebration on Thursday, April 21. See photos from the event on Flickr.

The following students were recognized at this year's event:

College of Computing

Donald V. Jackson Fellowship
Shoale Badr, Lohith Burra, Raj Sanjay Shah

Marshall D. Williamson Fellowship
Cole Anderson, Tricia Dang, Abrahim Ladha, Pengda Xie

Outstanding Graduate Head Teaching Assistant Award
Rusty Otomo

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Sam Jijina

Outstanding Undergraduate Head Teaching Assistant Award
Mitchell Gacuzana

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award
Anthony Zheng

Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

History and Sociology

The Bellon Award
Katie Marchese and Yihua Xu

Modern Languages

Excellence in Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies (ALIS) Award
Ella Tiller

International Affairs

International Affairs Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
Amelia Rousseau

International Affairs Online Teaching Assistant of the Year
Leslie Dwolatzky

International Affairs Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Brian Stewart

International Affairs Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award
Samuel Ellis

Economics

Outstanding Economics Student Award
Samantha Cameron

Public Policy

Outstanding Public Policy Undergraduate Student Award
Archa Amin, Kathryn Earles, Adam Lederer

College of Design

AIA Medal for Academic Excellence
Weston Byerly and Monica Rizk

AICP Outstanding Student Award
Freyja Brandel-Tanis

Alpha Rho Chi Medal
AnLi French

Industrial Designers Society of America Student Merit Award
Sophia De Lurgio

John and Joyce Caddell Student Merit Award
Blaine Allen and Naomi Censullo

Kim Scott Logan Award
Mir Jeffres

Stanley, Love-Stanley, P.C. Award
Breanna Rhoden and Christian Waweru

Scheller College of Business

Dow Chemical-P.C. McCutcheon Prize for Outstanding Student Achievement in Business
Cindy Qiu

Jennifer R. and Charles B. Rewis Award for Student Excellence in Accounting
Katherine Fishman and Vicky Yang

John R. Battle Award for Student Excellence
Ben Barnett and Kara Pomerantz

Naresh K. Malhotra Scholarship for Marketing Research
Clara McKay

College of Sciences

A. Joyce Nickelson and John C. Sutherland Prize
Sarah Eisenstadt

Cynthia L. Bossart and James Efron Scholarship
Sena Ghobadi

Larry S. O’Hara Fellowship
Jason Tsukahara, Youngho Yoo, Pedro Marquez Zacarias

Mehta Phingbodhipakkiya Undergraduate Memorial Scholarship
Nabojeet Das

Roger M. Wartell, Ph.D., and Stephen E. Brossette, M.D., Ph.D. Award for Multidisciplinary Studies in Biology, Physics, and Mathematics
Lila Nassar

Virginia C. and Herschel V. Clanton Jr. Scholarship
Griffin Wagner

College-Wide Award

Robert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship
Holly McCann and Soham Kulkarni

College of Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace Engineering Outstanding Senior Scholar Award
Anonto Zaman

Donnell W. Dutton Outstanding Senior in Aerospace Engineering Award
Stacey Tian

Biomedical Engineering

G.D. Jain Outstanding Senior in Biomedical Engineering Award
Kevin McCoy

Outstanding Academic Achievement in Biomedical Engineering Award
Adith Srivasta

S.K. Jain Outstanding Research Award in Biomedical Engineering
Mary Kate Gale

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Chair’s Award — Outstanding Chemical and Biomolecular Junior
Ethan Guglielmo

Chair’s Award — Outstanding Chemical and Biomolecular Senior
Christina Whetzel

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Buck Stith Outstanding Junior Award in Civil Engineering
Anthony Sanseverino

Buck Stith Outstanding Junior Award in Environmental Engineering
Aidan Labrozzi

Buck Stith Outstanding Senior Award in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Zoe Zhang

School Chair’s Outstanding Senior Award in Civil Engineering
Thomas Papageorge

School Chair’s Outstanding Senior Award in Environmental Engineering
Johanna Hall

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Research Award
Pradyot Yadav

Outstanding Computer Engineering Senior Award
Zachary Olkin

Outstanding Electrical Engineering Senior Award
Katherine Roberts

Industrial and Systems Engineering

Alpha Pi Mu Academic Excellence Award
Oscar Aguilar and Xufei Liu

Evelyn Pennington Outstanding Service Award
Hung Doan and Duncan Siebert

Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Excellence in Leadership Award
Dany Shwayri

Materials Science and Engineering

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Student Chapter Award for Graduating Senior
Alp Kulaksizoglu

School of Materials Science and Engineering Outstanding Senior Award
Alp Kulaksizoglu and Matthew Kuner

Mechanical Engineering

George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Scholar Award
Andrew Galassi

George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering School Chair’s Award
Joseph Stein

Richard K. Whitehead Jr. Memorial Awards
Julia Binegar, Blake Castleman, Sarah Chen, William Compton, Rebekah Travis

Nuclear and Radiological Engineering

Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award — Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Program, School of Mechanical Engineering
MaryEmma Hughes

College-Wide Awards

College of Engineering (COE) Honors Awards
Evan Beckley, Denzel Carter, Eliezer Zavala Gonzalez, Zhiyi Li, Matthew Liu,
Bain McHale, Kristina Malinowski, Jana Shade, Taryn Trigler, Sophia Ung, Nick Vu

Davidson Family Tau Beta Pi Senior Engineering Award
Zachary Olkin

Institute Awards

Alvin M. Ferst Leadership and Entrepreneur Scholarship Award
Adam Lederer and Chris Ozgo

Naugle Communication Center Assistant of the Year Award
Jose Miranda-Hernandez

Georgia Tech Faculty Women’s Club Scholarships
Alexander Emelianov, Kelly Haas, Ben Howard, Parth Parashar, Shiloh Emma Thomas-Wilkinson

Jordan Lockwood Peer Tutor of the Year Award
Emily Nguyen and Raneem Rizvi

Outstanding Learning Assistant Award
Aboubacar Barrie

Outstanding PLUS Leader Award
Jerry Schweiger

Outstanding Student Assistant Award
Vivi Tran

Outstanding Tutor Award
Raymond Copeland

Provost’s Academic Excellence Award
Kathryn Earles, Jocelyn Kavanagh, Emily Salmond, Conner Yurkon

Love Family Foundation Award
Yashvardhan Tomar

Thirteen College of Sciences students and alumni are among nearly 90 Georgia Tech students and alumni being awarded five-year fellowships and honorable mentions for their research in STEM disciplines through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

They are among 50 graduate student researchers at Georgia Tech and 39 Institute alumni being recognized by GRFP for research excellence.

The program supports outstanding students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines through five-year fellowships, which include an annual stipend to each fellow, as well as a cost of education allowance for tuition and fees to their academic institutions. 

Georgia Tech Sciences students and alumni recognized this year hail from the Schools of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Physics, and the Georgia Tech Neuroscience program.

College of Sciences student researchers receiving GRFP awards and honorable mentions are:

• Mi Yen Do — Honorable Mention in Life Sciences (Biophysics)

• Claire Elise Elbon — Award in Geosciences (Biogeochemistry)

• Tatiana Marisol-Gomez Gibson — Honorable Mention in Geosciences (Geomorphology)

• Madeleine Ellen Hardt — Award in Geosciences (Paleoclimate)

• Emily Bronwyn Hughes — Award in Planetary Geology

• Tucker James Lancaster — Award in Life Sciences (Computationally Intensive Research)

• McKinley Kinard Paul — Award in Macromolecular, Supramolecular, Nanochemistry

Half a dozen College of Sciences alumni who received their undergraduate degrees at Tech and are now conducting graduate research at other universities and organizations, are also receiving 2022 GRFP Awards:

• Yasmine Bassil — Emory University, Life Sciences (Neurosciences)

• Ashley Marie Hanna — University of Maryland, Geosciences (Geochemistry)

• Hannah Verboncoeur — Colorado School of Mines, Geosciences (Glaciology)

• Holly Lynn Nichols — University of Wisconsin-Madison, Life Sciences (Evolutionary Biology)

• Jadyn Sethna — Sea Turtle Conservancy, Life Sciences (Organismal Biology)

• Charles Cardot — University of Washington, Physics and Astronomy (Solid State Physics)

Hardt, a Georgia Tech Stamps President's Scholar, and Verboncouer are also prior recipients of the Rutt Bridges Undergraduate Research Initiative Award for Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) students. Gibson, an AGU Bridge Fellow, and Elbon, a Georgia Tech President’s Fellow, also hail from EAS. Hanna, who majored in chemistry at Georgia Tech, also conducted undergraduate research in EAS. 

More information on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program can be found here.

This feature by Tony Rehagen was first published in Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine.

Of all earth's ecosystems, the biggest might be the one about which we know the least. Our oceans cover more than two-thirds of the planet’s surface, and yet more than 80% of that is uncharted. Scientists estimate that 91% of ocean life has yet to be classified. But what little we do know might be the key to solving some of land-dwellers’ most vexing problems.

Julia Kubanek is vice president for Interdisciplinary Research and a professor in the School of Biological Sciences and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She and her team study how ocean organisms, such as crabs and mollusks, use chemicals to feel out their environment and communicate with each other. This work has not only produced insight on how humans use chemical cues but also led to discovery of chemicals that can be used to create drugs that treat human disease. “Some of these molecules that function as cues in animals and algae can be useful to us too,” says Kubanek.

“For instance, usually toxins are considered bad, but you can use them to explore human cells,” she says. “You can also use paralytic toxins for neuroscience. We’ve even discovered molecules that function as natural antibiotics in the water and co-opted those functions that are applicable in medicine.”

Kubanek and her team have examined certain types of seaweed found on coral reefs, which are usually sites of intense competition. Yet the seemingly defenseless seaweed there grows a healthy, vibrant red without any sign of attack from predators or microorganisms. Upon further study, Kubanek and company discovered dozens of molecules that protect the plant from fungal attacks—some of which also have been found to kill the parasite that causes malaria. Additional study of molecules from other sponges and seaweed has revealed molecules with antiviral properties, including one currently under review that appears to be able to kill the virus that causes Covid-19.

“These compounds can be models for new drugs,” says Kubanek. “Chemists can mimic the natural products and create derivatives that are better for human application and drug discovery.” Kubanek’s study of chemical cues is also leading to discoveries of how organisms use chemicals to protect themselves from predators and competition, as well as disease. The possible applications for humanity, beyond just conservation, are as limitless as the sea.

Wild Tech

We often think of nature as an obvious source of inspiration, especially when it comes to art. Countless paintings, photographs, symphonies, books, and films have either directly or indirectly taken cues from the wild world around us. But artists aren’t the only ones who see Mother Nature as a muse. Increasingly, scientists and engineers are looking to flora, fauna, and even our own biological building blocks to find answers to humanity’s biggest mysteries.

Georgia Tech researchers are at the forefront of this vast frontier of discovery. They’ve ventured outside of the lab and gone on safari, danced into the woods, dived beneath the ocean waves, and even turned the microscope inward on our own bodies to find clues on how to do everything from help us better communicate with robots to cure disease. Here are the stories behind some of Tech’s wildest innovations.

Learn how other Georgia Tech researchers are developing innovations inspired by nature.

Mark E. Hay, Regents' Professor and Teasley Chair in Environmental Biology in the School of Biological Sciences, has been elected a member of both the National Academy of Sciences, as well as the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. 

Hay is among 120 members and 30 international members elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. Scientists are elected by their peers to membership for outstanding contributions to research.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences was founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and others to honor exceptionally accomplished individuals and convene leaders in advancing the public good. Hay, an experimental marine ecologist known for his work on community and chemical ecology, is being recognized by the organization for decades of world-renowned research in the field. He is among 261 artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors who will be inducted in 2023.

“I am honored to be associated with a group that has shaped not only science and art — but the human experience and culture in general for more than two centuries,” says Hay. 

“Mark is an international leader in the field of marine chemical ecology,” says Susan Lozier, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair. “His work has helped build our modern understanding of marine ecosystems and has guided marine conservation efforts across the globe. Whether as a researcher, educator, mentor, advisor, or colleague — those who are fortunate enough to know Mark also know just how fitting these honors are for him.”

Hay founded and co-directed the Center for Aquatic Chemical Ecology, now merged with the Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection at Georgia Tech. His research has provided key insights into the conservation and restoration of coral reefs, and has challenged scientists' views of ecological and evolutionary processes affecting the establishment and impact of invasive species.

“Most organisms have neither eyes nor ears and so must use chemical cues to decide whether to attack, mate with, or escape from the organism next to them,” Hay says. “Learning and interpreting these chemical cues provides an instruction manual for the critical processes structuring Earth's populations, communities, and ecosystems. This deeper understanding then produces novel approaches for improving conservation, management, and restoration of threatened and collapsed natural systems.”

Hay is the 2011 recipient of Georgia Tech’s highest faculty award, the Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award, and is also a past recipient of the Cody Award in Ocean Sciences for “outstanding scientific achievement in oceanography, marine biology, and earth science.” 

“My research would not have been possible without an amazing group of students and postdocs who collaborated, innovated, and often led as much as followed in our explorations of nature,” says Hay. “They are the future of science — probably my greatest contributions to science — and they will make wonderful discoveries I can't predict or even imagine.”

Hay is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) and the Ecological Society of America, as well as a recipient of the International Society of Chemical Ecology’s Silver Medal, the organization’s highest honor. In 2015, Hay received the Lowell Thomas Award from The Explorers Club as a “Visionary of Conservation,” and in 2018 the Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal from the National Academy of Sciences. 

Following 17 years as a faculty member at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hay joined Georgia Tech in 1999 as recipient of the Teasley Chair.

Hay joins four current Georgia Tech faculty who are members of the NAS: Marilyn Brown, 2020; Randall Engle, 2020; Arkadi Nemirovski, 2020; and Mostafa El-Sayed, 1980. Those elected to the NAS today bring the total number of active members to 2,512 and total international members to 517. 

He is among 11 scientists recognized by the American Academy as new members in Evolution and Ecology, and joins eight other current Georgia Tech faculty who are members: Kaye Husbands Fealing, 2021; Charles Isbell, 2021; Susan Lozier, 2020; Randall Engle, 2018; Arkadi Nemirovski, 2018; Richard Lipton, 2014; Zvi Galil, 2005; and Mostafa El-Sayed, 1986. Robert Nerem (1937-2020) was elected in 1998, along with James Meindl (1933-2020) in 1992.

About the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences connects fields of human endeavor to examine new ideas, address issues of importance to the nation and the world, and work together, as expressed in the organization’s charter, “to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.” The Academy’s studies have helped set the direction of research and analysis in science and technology policy, global security and international affairs, social policy, education, and the arts and humanities. 

About the National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, nonprofit organization of the country’s leading researchers. The NAS recognizes and promotes outstanding science through election to membership; publication in its journal, PNAS; and its awards, programs, and special activities. Through the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the NAS provides objective, science-based advice on critical issues affecting the nation.