Several Receive Honors for Mentorship and Early-Career Work
Several faculty at the University of California, Davis, are among the recipients of presidential awards for excellence in STEM mentoring and research announced by the White House Jan. 13 and 14.
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring was established by the White House in 1995 and is administered by the National Science Foundation. The most prestigious mentoring award bestowed by the White House, it recognizes mentors who work with underrepresented groups to fully develop the nation's human resources in STEM.
The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers was established in 1996. It is awarded by the White House to outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers, based on recommendations from federal funding agencies.
Here are the recipients from the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis:
Presidential Early Career Awards in Science and Engineering
Amanda Thomas, visiting professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Thomas uses seismic data, geodetic data and other tools to unravel the complexities of active tectonics and other fundamental Earth processes. Currently a visiting professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Thomas will join the faculty at UC Davis this year. Her research interests include seismology, fault mechanics, seismic deployments, machine learning and earthquake and tsunami hazards, among other topics in the geosciences.
Andrew Wetzel, associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
A theoretical and computational astrophysicist and cosmologist, Wetzel generates simulations to model the formation of cosmic structures. Wetzel uses such simulations to study star and galaxy formation, stellar nucleosynthesis and the nature of dark matter. Wetzel has a special interest in the formation of the Milky Way galaxy and is a member of the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project, which aims to better understand the cosmological context of the formation and evolution of galaxies.
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