CFCC faculty member Professor Ryan O’Hayre is named by President Barack Obama as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on young professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. The Presidential Early Career Awards embody the high priority the administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the nation’s goals and contribute to all sectors of the economy. Nine Federal departments and agencies join together annually to nominate the most meritorious young scientists and engineers — researchers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for strengthening America’s leadership in science and technology and contributing to the awarding agencies' missions.

"This is a tremendous honor, but it never could have been achieved without the fantastic support I've received from Mines, the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, and especially my colleagues at the Colorado Ceramics Center, the Colorado Fuel Cell Center and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory," said O’Hayre. "Having one of the best fuel cell research laboratories in the country and the Nation's top Renewable Energy laboratory in our backyard has played a huge role in allowing me to hit the ground running with cutting-edge research from day one at Mines. The recent addition of the National Science Foundation-Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center has only made our efforts in this area even stronger."

Professor O'Hayre will receive his award in the fall at a White House ceremony. For more information, see the White House web site.