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News Release 09-193

President Obama Presents 2008 National Medals of Science and National Medals of Technology and Innovation

President and First Lady also hosted Astronomy Night for students

Photo of President Obama, 2008 National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology awardees.

President Obama with the 2008 National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology awardees.


October 8, 2009

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

President Barack Obama honored the 2008 recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in an awards ceremony at the White House on Oct. 7, 2009.

National Medal of Science, National Medal of Technology and Innovation

Awarded annually and each year, administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation, the National Medal of Science celebrated its 50th anniversary since being created by statute in 1959. The Medal recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering, based on their advanced knowledge in, and contributions to, the biological, behavioral/social and physical sciences, as well as chemistry, engineering, computing and mathematics. This year, the medal was awarded to nine distinguished researchers:

  • Berni Alder, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Calif., and University of California Davis
  • Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health, Md.
  • Joanna Fowler, Brookhaven National Laboratory, N.Y.
  • Elaine Fuchs, the Rockefeller University, N.Y., and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Md.
  • James Gunn, Princeton University, N.J.
  • Rudolf Kalman, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
  • Michael Posner, University of Oregon, Ore.
  • JoAnne Stubbe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mass.
  • J. Craig Venter, J. Craig Venter Institute, Md. & Calif.

Also awarded annually, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation is administered for the White House by the U.S. Department of Commerce's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Next year it will celebrate its 30th anniversary, as its roots are a 1980 statute. For outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology, and for the improvement of the economic, environmental or social well-being of the United States, the following individuals and company received this year's National Medal of Technology and Innovation are:

  • Forrest M. Bird, Percussionaire Corp., Idaho
  • Esther Sans Takeuchi, University at Buffalo, SUNY, N.Y.
  • Team: John E. Warnock and Charles M. Geschke (Adobe Systems Inc., Va.)
  • Company: IBM Corporation, N.Y.

Astronomy Night

The President and First Lady also hosted an Astronomy Night on the White House South Lawn to highlight STEM education and to increase awareness of the field of astronomy. Joining the President and 150 local middle-school students, were two high school students who have already made notable astronomical discoveries, stargazers Lucas Bolyard and Caroline Moore.

Bolyard, a West Virginia high school sophomore, discovered a new astronomical object--a strange type of neutron star called a rotating radio transient. He made the discovery by analyzing data from a giant radio telescope while participating in a project in which students are trained to scrutinize data from the National Science Foundation's giant Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. The project, called the Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC), is a joint project of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and West Virginia University (WVU), funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Moore, a New York high school student, last year made a mark on astronomy with the discovery of Supernova 2008ha. Not only is she the youngest person to discover a supernova, but this particular supernova has been identified as a different type of stellar explosion.

Alex Filippenko, an NSF-funded researcher at the University of California at Berkeley who studies discoveries and rates of supernovae in nearby galaxies, was intrigued with Moore's finding, and in particular, the spectrum of the explosion that she observed. Moore's discovery has made experts question how stars die, since the current supernova models fall short of explaining the low luminosity and low energy of 2008ha. The discovery of her supernova has also shown how amateur astronomers can make a difference.

The event at the White House included more than 20 telescopes set up on the White House lawn focused on various objects. There were also interactive dome presentations and hands-on activities including scale models of the Solar System, impact cratering, and investigating meteorites and Moon rocks.

-NSF-


  • President Obama views Double-Double in Lyra with young stargazers Lucas Bolyard and Caroline Moore.
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  • NSF Director Arden Bement and Acting Deputy Director Cora Marrett with the 2008 Science medalists.
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  • Berni Adler received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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  • Francis Collins received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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  • Joanna Fowler received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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  • Elaine Fuchs received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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  • James Gunn received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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  • Rudolf Kalman received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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  • Michael Posner received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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  • Joanna Stubbe received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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  • J. Craig Venter received the National Medal of Science on Oct. 7, 2009, from President Barack Obama.
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Media Contacts
Lisa-Joy Zgorski, NSF, (703) 292-8311, email: lisajoy@nsf.gov
Dave Finley, National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), (575) 835-7302, email: dfinley@nrao.edu

Program Contacts
Mayra N. Montrose, NSF, (703) 292-4757, email: mmontros@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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