White House names Huff and Muliana PECASE winners

July 10, 2009

Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. on young scientists and engineers in the early stages of their research careers

Texas A&M Engineering’s Dr. Gregory Huff and Dr. Anastasia Muliana were among the 100 beginning researchers named by President Barack Obama as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on young professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

Huff and Muliana were among the 41 scholars nominated by the U.S. Department of Defense. The recipient scientists and engineers will receive their awards in the Fall at a White House ceremony.

Dr. Gregory Huff

Huff is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He joined the Texas A&M Engineering faculty in 2006, in the electrical and computer engineering department’s Electromagnetics and Microwaves group. He received his Ph.D., master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Recent honors include receiving the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award in 2009 and a Young Scientist Award from L’Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale (URSI), the International Union of Radio Science.

Huff’s research interests include biologically inspired mechanisms and dynamic material systems (microfluidics, nanoparticles, etc.) for electromagnetic, acoustic and IR agility; the theory, design and application of reconfigurable antennas and circuits (sensors, phase shifters, filters, etc.); multifunctional (structural, electromagnetic, etc.) RF, microwave and millimeter-wave radiating systems and smart skins; studying the role of reconfigurable/multifunctional antennas in spread spectrum digital communication techniques; multiple antenna techniques; and the placement and electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues arising from the conformal integration high speed devices and radiators into host chassis.

Dr. Anastasia Muliana

Muliana, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Muliana came to Texas A&M in 2004.She received her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology.  She is a member of the American Society of Composites and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She has authored numerous publications and in 2005 received the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation.

In 2008 Muliana received a grant as part of the Air Force’s Young Investigator Research Program. Her proposal for research was to develop a framework that integrates coupled thermal, electrical and mechanical responses of the constituents of composites to the overall responses of smart composites, with application to morphing structures. She also plans to investigate long-term responses of these smart composites. The proposed framework will enhance understanding of the multifunctional performance of smart structures under extreme environments and can support design optimization of intelligent aerospace vehicles, which can significantly reduce development cost and time.

The Presidential Early Career Awards embody the high priority the Administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the nation’s goals and contribute to all sectors of theeconomy. Nine Federal departments and agencies join together annually to nominate the most meritorious young scientists and engineers — researchers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for strengthening America’s leadership in science and technologyand contributing to the awarding agencies’ missions.

“These extraordinarily gifted young scientists and engineers represent the best in our country,” President Obama said. “With their talent, creativity and dedication, I am confident that they will lead their fields in new breakthroughs and discoveries and help us use science and technology to lift up our nation and our world.”

The awards, established by President Clinton in February 1996, are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected on the basis of two criteria: Pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and a commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.

Winning scientists and engineers receive up to a five-year research grant to further their study in support of critical government missions.

Submitted by Lesley Kriewald, lesleyk@tamu.edu

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