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Today’s Hours

Outstanding Young Scientist & Outstanding Young Engineer

2019 Recipients

2019 Outstanding Young Scientists

Dr. Yiefo Moisan, Ph. D.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park

Professor Mo belongs to the new breed of theoretical scientists who wield the tools of quantum mechanics and the first principles calculations to tackle everyday problems such as how long batteries can last in laptops and how to extract more electricity from solar cells. Professor Mo has spearheaded a new research group in advanced renewable energy materials, including next-generation fuel cells and Li-ion batteries, making a mark as a preeminent materials scientist addressing the pressing issue of designing novel energy storage materials. His publications have appeared in the highest impact factor journals including Nature, Nature Materials, and Nature Communications. Two of his papers have been recognized by Thomson Reuters as among the top 1%most cited papers in the entire field of materials science.

The Maryland Academy of Sciences at the Maryland Science Center is pleased to present Dr. Yiefo Moisan the 2019 Outstanding Young Scientist Award in the Academic sector.

Learn more about Dr. Yiefo Moisan’s work in this video.

 

Dr. Samantha Maragh, Ph.D.

Lead for the Genome Editing Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Dr. Maragh recognized the need for, established and is now leading theNational Institute of Standards and Technology Genome Editing Consortium. In this highly competitive field, each company and institute was attempting to address daunting measurement challenges independently but did not have the resources or ability to do so. By establishing the Genome Editing Consortium, Dr. Maragh has brought together competing entities in the public, private and academic arenas to address measurement challenges that are insurmountable by any one institute alone. Dr. Maragh was one of only 25 U.S. experts invited by the Director of the National Institutes of Health to discuss if NIH should develop a program to support accelerating genome editing therapies into the clinic. NIH has since moved forward with the $190 million NIH Somatic Cell Genome Editing program that is collaborating with the NIST Genome Editing Consortium led by Dr. Maragh.

The Maryland Academy of Sciences at the Maryland Science Center is pleased to present Dr. Samantha Maragh the 2019 Outstanding Young Scientist Award in the Non-academic sector.

Learn more about  Dr. Samantha Maragh’s work in this video.

2019 Outstanding Young Engineers

Dr. Muyinatu Bellis, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Bell is carving new research directions in photoacoustic imaging, ultrasound imaging and image-guided surgery. Her research in photoacoustic-guided surgery has significant potential to introduce new technology that will reduce the risk of death during surgery.

Her research breaks new ground in the fundamental understanding of technology designs, image quality requirements and innovative light delivery systems that attach to surgical tools to transmit laser energy directly to the surgical site. Dr. Bell was recognized by MIT Technology Review as one of the world’s top 35 innovators under the age of 35, and she was selected by the National Academy of Engineering to participate in the U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.

The Maryland Academy of Sciences at the Maryland Science Center is pleased to present Dr. Muyinatu Bellis the 2019 Outstanding Young Engineer Award in the Academic sector.

Learn more about Dr. Muyinatu Bellis’s work in this video.

Dr. Jason Hattrick-Simpers, Ph.D.

Materials Research Engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Dr. Hattrick-Simpers’ pioneering materials science research is aimed at the optimization of properties and processing of novel materials through the integration of machine-learning, artificial intelligence and high-through put experiment methodologies. Several critical technologies are currently materials-limited, awaiting novel materials solutions for advancement. Dr. Hattrick-Simpers is an outstanding researcher at the vanguard of the emerging Materials Genome Initiative paradigm which will enable a sea-change in the way materials research development and manufacturing will be carried out. He has been awarded three patents and has delivered about 40 invited talks and seminars. He is theAssociate Editor of ACS Combinatorial Science.

The Maryland Academy of Sciences at the Maryland Science Center is pleased to present Dr. Jason Hattrick-Simpers the 2019 Outstanding Young Engineer Award in the Non-academic sector.
Learn more about Dr. Jason Hattrick-Simpers’ work in this video.