Six Nigerian scientists have received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the United States government for outstanding contributions to research and development in science and engineering.
United States President Joe Biden has honoured 400 scientists and engineers with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest recognition bestowed by the US government for outstanding contributions to science and engineering.
Established in 1996 by former President Bill Clinton, PECASE celebrates early-career scientists and engineers demonstrating exceptional leadership and innovation in their fields.
Among the awardees were six Nigerians. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu congratulated the recipients and emphasized that their achievements demonstrate the potential of Nigerians to excel both locally and globally.
The Nigerian Awardees
1. Dr. Oluwatomi Akindele
Dr. Akindele is a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Her work focuses on applying basic physics to nuclear non-proliferation and safeguard applications. Currently, she is researching simulations and experiments to enhance the performance of kilo-ton detectors using water-based liquid scintillators.
• Education: Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley; B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University.
• Awards: Nuclear Science and Security Consortium Fellowship.
2. Prof. Azeez Butali
Prof. Butali is a Gilbert Lilly-endowed Professor at the University of Iowa’s College of Dentistry. He specializes in craniofacial genetics and has established research centers in Nigeria to study cleft lip and palate in African populations.
• Education: BDS from the University of Lagos; Ph.D. in Genetic Epidemiology; Certificate in Genetics and Genomics from Stanford University.
• Achievements: Director of the African Craniofacial Anomalies Network; recipient of the NIH Pathway to Independence Award.
3. Dr. Ijeoma Opara
Dr. Opara is an Associate Professor of Public Health at Yale School of Public Health and the founder of the Substance Abuse & Sexual Health Lab. Her research focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention, substance use, and creating interventions for Black girls in urban communities.
• Education: Ph.D. in Family Science & Human Development, Montclair State University; MPH in Epidemiology, New York Medical College; MSW, New York University; B.A. in Psychology, New Jersey City University.
• Awards: Recognized by the American Public Health Association and National Council on Family Relations.
4. Dr. Oluwasanmi Koyejo
Dr. Koyejo is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University. His work focuses on developing trustworthy machine learning systems, with applications in neuroscience and healthcare.
• Education: Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin.
• Awards: Best Paper Awards, Skip Ellis Early Career Award, Sloan Fellowship, Kavli Fellowship.
5. Dr. Abidemi Ajiboye
Dr. Ajiboye is the Executive Vice Chair of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. His research focuses on developing brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies to restore function for individuals with severe nervous system injuries.
• Education: Dual BS in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering, Duke University.
• Awards: Career Development Awards from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
6. Dr. Eno Ebong
Dr. Ebong is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at Northeastern University. Her research focuses on endothelial cell mechanotransduction and its role in cardiovascular diseases.
• Education: S.B. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT; Ph.D. in Biomechanics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
• Awards: NSF CAREER Award for her “EMBRACE STEM” initiative.
