Two mathematicians, a chemist, a mechanical engineer, and an economist from MIT are among the 126 American and Canadian researchers awarded 2015 Sloan Research Fellowships, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation recently announced.
New MIT-affiliated Sloan Research Fellows are: Jörn Dunkel, an assistant professor of mathematics; Emmy Murphy, an assistant professor of mathematics; Bradley Pentelute, the Pfizer-Laubauch Career Development Assistant Professor of Chemistry; Themistoklis Sapsis, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering; and Heidi Williams, the Class of 1957 Career Development Assistant Professor of Economics.
Awarded annually since 1955, the Sloan Research Fellowships are given to early-career scientists and scholars whose achievements and potential identify them as rising stars among the next generation of scientific leaders. This year’s recipients are drawn from 57 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada.
“The beginning of a one’s career is a crucial time in the life of a scientist. Building a lab, attracting funding in an increasingly competitive environment, and securing tenure all depend on doing innovative, original high-quality work and having that work recognized,” said Paul L. Joskow, president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, in a press release. “For more than 50 years the Sloan Foundation has been proud to celebrate the achievements of extraordinary young scientists who are pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge.”
Administered and funded by the foundation, the fellowships are awarded in eight scientific fields: chemistry, computer science, economics, mathematics, evolutionary and computational molecular biology, neuroscience, ocean sciences, and physics. To qualify, candidates must first be nominated by fellow scientists and subsequently selected by an independent panel of senior scholars. Fellows receive $50,000 to be used to further their research.
For a complete list of this year’s winners, visit: http://www.sloan.org/fellowships/2015-sloan-research-fellows/
For more information on the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, visit: http://www.sloan.org/
