Catherine Berdanier is one of three Penn State faculty members to receive a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the White House. Credit: Tyler Henderson/Penn State
Catherine Berdanier receives Presidential Early Career Award for scientists, engineers
The award represents the highest honor the U.S. government bestows on early-career scientists and engineers
Jan 24, 2025
Editor's note: A version of this news story originally appeared on Penn State News.
By Adrienne Berard
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Catherine Berdanier, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is one of three Penn State faculty members awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the White House announced on Jan. 14. The award is the highest honor the United States government bestows on early-career scientists and engineers. The awards are conferred annually following recommendations from federal funding agencies.
Berdanier specializes in engineering education research, with a particular expertise in characterizing and modeling mechanisms of engineering doctoral student attrition, persistence and thriving, with implications for educational policy and interventions. The two other Penn State researchers recognized are Margarita Lopez-Uribe, Lorenzo L. Langstroth Early Career Professor and associate professor of entomology, and Lauren Zarzar, professor of chemistry.
“Receiving the PECASE is a profound honor, as it represents our nation’s highest recognition for early-career scientists and engineers,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “This accolade acknowledges the dedication and research impact of Dr. Berdanier, Dr. López-Uribe and Dr. Zarzar, and underscores the power of public R1 institutions in building the next generation of scientific leaders. We are proud to support their journeys and excited to see how their work will shape our future.”
Established by then-President Bill Clinton in 1996, PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show potential for leadership early in their research careers.
“This recognition highlights the exceptional work of our faculty and underscores the importance of investing in innovation and discovery at every stage of a research career,” said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. “These outstanding members of our community shine as researchers and educators. The sky’s the limit for what they can achieve.”
Each award winner receives a citation, a plaque and up to five years of funding from their respective federal agency to advance their own research.
“The PECASE Awards are intended to 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 U.S. National Science Foundation said in a statement.
This year’s awardees are employed or funded by 14 participating agencies within the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the intelligence community, NASA, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution.
In addition to current faculty, three Penn State alumni were also honored: M. Ehsan Hoque, who earned a bachelor of science in computer engineering in 2004; Cara Lubner, who earned a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2011 and also served as a postdoctoral researcher; and Natasha Batalha, who earned a doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics in 2017.
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