Highlights from NCER (Archive)

2009 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Recognized
Recipients of the 2009 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) were recognized in a ceremony on December 13, 2010. Included in the 85 scientists honored yesterday were the two 2009 U.S. Department of Education recipients, Dr. Catherine P. Bradshaw and Dr. Jennifer G. Cromley. Both of these researchers are supported by the Institute of Education Sciences.

Begun in February 1996, PECASE awards are the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. The awards recognize some of the finest scientists and engineers who, while early in their research careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the twenty-first century.

The White House, following recommendations from participating agencies, confers the awards annually. The U.S. Department of Education has participated in the PECASE program since 2006. The other participating agencies are: National Science Foundation, National Science and Technology Council, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services: National Institutes of Health, Department of Transportation, and Department of Veterans Affairs. A complete list of the recipients of the 2009 PECASE Awards, can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pressroom/11052010.

Dr. Bradshaw is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mental Health in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and holds a joint appointment in the School of Education. Her research has focused on understanding the development of aggressive behavior and preventing such behavior in schools. For more information about her IES funded project, please visit http://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/details.asp?ID=845. Dr. Bradshaw has worked with the Maryland State Department of Education to support the development and implementation of programs to prevent bullying and school violence, and to foster safe and supportive learning environments.

Dr. Cromley is an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at Temple University. She serves as a co-Principal Investigator on the IES-funded 21st Century Center for Cognition and Science Instruction. She has conducted ground-breaking work on how students understand diagrams and its relation to text comprehension and innovative research bridging reading comprehension and science learning. Her research has recently been expanded to include the role of cognition and motivation in retention of undergraduate science majors.

Previous Department of Education recipients are Dr. Katherine A. Rawson of Kent State University, Dr. Nonie Lesaux of the Harvard School of Education, Dr. Nicole McNeil of the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Gregory Fabiano of the University at Buffalo, Dr. Laura Justice of The Ohio State University, and Dr. Carol Connor of Florida State University.