James Iatridis, associate professor in the School of Engineering in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, has been selected to receive the distinguished and highly competitive Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). As one of only 12 awardees to represent the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Iatridis joins a select group of premier science and engineering scholars to be invited to Washington, D.C. for the PECASE awards ceremony and reception at the White House later this month. "Our nation applauds your accomplishments and awaits your future contributions," stated John H. Marburger, III, science adviser to the president and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the official notification letter sent to Iatridis from the Executive Office of the President. "Your discoveries and intellectual leadership provide an example and will help shape the future." The PECASE award is made to scholars showing excellence in innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology, and for community service through scientific leadership and community outreach. OSTP — the Executive Office charged with advising the U.S. President on the effects of science and technology in both domestic and international affairs — receives nominations from across the country each year and must choose only a top few scientists and engineers for the honor of a PECASE award. "It is an honor to have a scholar of the caliber of Dr. Iatridis on our faculty. He is well known in the scientific community for his innovative work in spinal bioengineering and disc repair," says Domenico Grasso, dean of the UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. "We had only recently congratulated him on another award — a prestigious grant from the AO Foundation for his work with NIH colleagues on enhanced intervertebral disc repair. Research of this caliber reflects the excellence of our faculty and reflects our College's vision for innovation in service to our global community." Information: Professor Iatridis' website.