Two from Penn Arts & Sciences Honored with Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Two Penn Arts & Sciences faculty are among nearly 400 total recipients of the 2024 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, or PECASE. Bo Zhen, Jin K. Lee Presidential Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Allyson Mackey, Associate Professor of Psychology, join three other honorees from Penn in a testament to their early career successes.
 
Zhen, who joined the Department of Physics in 2018, is honored for experimental work in nano-photonics, with an eye toward addressing challenges in condensed matter physics and quantum electrodynamics. Mackey receives the award for her research into how changes in the brain drive shifts in the mind. She has been with the Department of Psychology since 2016. Zhen’s award is funded by the Army Research Office, Mackey’s through the National Science Foundation (NSF).
 
PECASE is the highest honor of its kind bestowed by the U.S. government. The award recognizes early career researchers in science and engineering who show significant promise and potential. Presented under the Biden Administration, PECASE is supported by 14 different participating federal agencies who contribute funding for recipients to cover up to five years of their research.
 
In acknowledging the faculty, the Biden Administration said that PECASE “recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology” and “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.”
 
In addition to the NSF and Department of Defense, participating agencies in PECASE funding include the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. Additional participants include the EPA, NASA, the intelligence community, and the Smithsonian Institution.