Rabat, Morocco (TMT)- Moroccan NASA researcher Dr. Othmane Benafan, native of Tangier, will be awarded this year the U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers who are beginning research careers.
Dr. Benafan specializes in smart materials and shape memory alloys. He is currently working at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
According to communiqué we received, Dr. Benafan, 4 other NASA researchers, “and 97 other federal researchers will receive their awards in a ceremony in Washington later this year.”
The PECASE awards are the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers who are beginning research careers. The award recognizes recipients’ potential in advancing the frontiers of scientific knowledge and their commitment to community service, as demonstrated through professional leadership, education or community outreach.
“These PECASE winners represent some of the brightest researchers that NASA supports,” said Deputy Chief Scientist Gale Allen at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“They were selected for what they have already accomplished, but more importantly, for where we expect they will lead the nation in the future,” Gale Allen further noted.
The PECASE awards were created to highlight the importance of science and technology for America’s future. These early career awards foster innovative developments in science and technology, increase awareness of careers in science and engineering, provide recognition to the scientific missions of participating agencies, and enhance connections between research and challenges facing the United States.
The Moroccan Times.
