BIDEN AWARDS NATIONAL MEDALS

 

President Joe Biden revealed the newest honorees of the recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The laureates were honored during a prestigious ceremony at the White House last Friday. These esteemed awards celebrate groundbreaking contributions that have advanced knowledge, driven progress and tackled the world's most critical needs while underscoring the vital role of research and creativity in fostering a brighter, more sustainable future.

The National Medal of Science, established in 1959 by the U.S. National Science Foundation, recognizes outstanding contributions across scientific disciplines, celebrating groundbreaking discoveries and innovations that tackle humanity's most urgent needs. Similarly, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, created in 1980 by the U.S. Congress, honors visionaries whose advancements have revolutionized industries, driven economic growth and strengthened the nation's global competitiveness.

"As we celebrate these extraordinary recipients, we are reminded of the boundless potential of science and technology to transform lives and shape the future," said NSF Chief Science Officer Karen Marrongelle. "NSF is proud to have supported many of these trailblazers whose groundbreaking work demonstrates the power of curiosity, creativity and collaboration in driving innovation and addressing humanity's greatest challenges."

Among this year's honorees are several distinguished individuals with ties to NSF. John Dabiri, Feng Zhang and Jennifer Doudna are former recipients of NSF's prestigious Alan T. Waterman Award, which recognizes exceptional early-career scientists and engineers for their transformative contributions. Keivan Stassun, a current member of the National Science Board and a former member of NSF's Committee for Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering, has been a leader in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM.

These honorees exemplify NSF's enduring role in fostering groundbreaking research, nurturing talent and driving innovation across the scientific and engineering enterprise. Among the recipients, NSF has funded, at some point in their careers, all 14 recipients of the National Medal of Science and eight of the nine recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

The recipients are:

 

National Medal of Science

• Richard B. Alley, Pennsylvania State University.
• Larry Martin Bartels, Vanderbilt University.
• Bonnie L. Bassler, Princeton University.
• Angela Marie Belcher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Helen M. Blau, Stanford University.
• Emery Neal Brown, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Ingrid Daubechies, Duke University.
• Cynthia Dwork, Harvard University.
• R. Lawrence Edwards, University of Minnesota.
• Wendy L. Freedman, The University of Chicago.
• G. David Tilman, University of Minnesota.
• Teresa Kaye Woodruff, Michigan State University.
• John O. Dabiri, California Institute of Technology.
• Keivan G. Stassun, Vanderbilt University.

National Medal of Technology and Innovation

• Martin Cooper.
• Eric Fossum, Dartmouth University.
• Victor B. Lawrence.
• Jennifer Doudna, University of California, Berkeley.
• Kristina M. Johnson.
• Feng Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Paula Hammond, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• David R. Walt, Harvard University.
• Paul G. Yock, Stanford University.

National Medal of Technology and Innovation Organization Recipients

• Moderna Inc.
• Pfizer.

To read the complete article, see:
NSF congratulates recipients of the prestigious National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation awards (https://new.nsf.gov/news/nsf-congratulates-recipients-prestigious-national-medal)

• Martin Cooper for his work in advancing in personal wireless communications for over 50 years. Cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for making the first cellular telephone call, Cooper, known as the "father of the cell phone," spent much of his career at Motorola.
• Jennifer A. Doudna, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and the Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a pioneer of CRISPR gene editing.
• Feng Zhang, the James and Patricia Poitras Professor of Neuroscience at MIT and a professor of brain and cognitive sciences and biological engineering, was recognized for his work developing molecular tools, including the CRISPR genome-editing system.

To read the complete article, see:
Biden Names 25 Recipients Of National Medals Of Science, Technology (https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2025/01/05/biden-names-25-recipients-of-national-medals-of-science-technology/)

 
Jennifer Doudna

See also:
MIT affiliates awarded 2024 National Medals of Science, Technology (https://news.mit.edu/2025/mit-affiliates-awarded-national-medals-science-technology-0103)
Jennifer Doudna receives National Medal of Technology and Innovation (https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/jennifer-doudna-receives-national-medal-technology-and-innovation)

For more information on the medals, see:
The National Medal of Science (https://new.nsf.gov/honorary-awards/national-medal-science)
National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) (https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-programs-and-awards/national-medal-technology-and-innovation-nmti)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
AUGUSTUS SAGE'S CYRUS FIELD MEDAL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n26a22.html)
BIDEN AWARDS PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDALS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n01a23.html)
BIDEN AWARDS MEDAL OF FREEDOM (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n01a24.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web