Three Berkeley Lab Scientists Receive PECASE Award

Three scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) were among the nearly 400 scientists and engineers awarded by President Biden to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

Raúl Briceño is a faculty scientist in the Nuclear Sciences Division's Nuclear Theory Group and an assistant professor of physics at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on aspects of theoretical nuclear and particle physics using Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) to study fundamental nuclear reactions that may provide insight into phenomena ranging from the formation of nuclear matter to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model.

Ahmet Kusoglu, a staff scientist in the Energy Technologies Area, was recognized for his research on ion-conductive polymers and multi-functional materials for hydrogen technologies and electrochemical energy applications. Kusoglu's research focus encompasses structure-property characterization of ionomers and soft-hard interfaces, chemical-mechanical interrogation of ion-exchange membranes for improved performance and durability in fuel cells and electrolyzers , as well as understanding and developing material design guidelines for energy conversion and storage systems.

Stefan Wild, Director of the Applied Mathematics and Computational Research Division, was recognized for his work developing model-based algorithms and software to tackle complex numerical optimization problems and enable automated learning. His contributions span a variety of scientific and engineering fields, leveraging advanced computer simulations, intricate datasets, and physical experiments to tackle some of the most challenging problems in automated design and discovery.

In addition, Gary Moore, an affiliate faculty scientist in the Biosciences Area and Associate Professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University, was named an award recipient.

Established by President Clinton in 1996, PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers. The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation's future.

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab's expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab's world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 16 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.