2023 Winner Melissa Emrey-Arras Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Melissa Emrey-Arras Led investigations and proposed recommendations that have helped millions access federal student aid and have their student loans forgiven, while rooting out fraudulent student loan schemes.
2023 Finalist Carolyn Hightower Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Carolyn Hightower Empowered victims of crime, mass violence and terrorism by developing, implementing and overseeing landmark victim support programs and professionalizing the field of victim assistance.
2023 Finalist Michael Reardon Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Michael Reardon Successfully promoted a wide range of policies and practices to the states and businesses that have provided greater access to employment, transportation and technology for millions of people with disabilities.
2023 Finalist Dave Clark Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Dave Clark Managed 94 Navy aviation crash investigations worldwide over two decades that uncovered safety problems and led to important aircraft modifications that have saved countless lives.
2023 Finalist Ralph Roe Jr. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Ralph Roe Jr. Played an instrumental role during a four-decade NASA career in dramatically reshaping the agency’s safety culture to help ensure the successful exploration of the universe.
2023 Finalist Eric J. “Rocky” Feuer Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Eric J. “Rocky” Feuer Built a sophisticated system using statistical analysis to better understand and interpret national cancer trends, leading to significant prevention, screening and treatment options that have saved countless lives.
2022 Winner Dr. H. Clifford Lane, M.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Dr. H. Clifford Lane, M.D. Conducted pioneering work to combat HIV/AIDS that has saved countless lives, organized breakthrough clinical trials for Ebola in Africa and helped establish medical guidelines to treat COVID-19 during the pandemic.
2021 Winner Evan R. Kwerel, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Evan R. Kwerel, Ph.D. Pioneered the use of competitive spectrum auctions to allocate the public airwaves for sound, data and video transmissions, helping fuel the digital revolution while adding more than $200 billion to the government’s coffers.
2022 Finalist Rupa Bhattacharyya Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Rupa Bhattacharyya Managed three separate victim’s compensation funds during a lengthy federal career, most recently revitalizing the fund that provides payments to those harmed by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
2021 Finalist Anne Schuchat, M.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Anne Schuchat, M.D. As one of the nation’s leading infectious disease experts, has led numerous high-profile and consequential disease outbreak investigations to protect public health and save countless lives.
2021 Finalist C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D. Led the development of a satellite-based monitoring system that provides accurate forecasts and early warnings to environmental officials worldwide at a time when rising ocean temperatures threaten the health of coral reefs.
2022 Finalist Scott Busby Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Scott Busby Designed and oversaw landmark efforts to advance human rights overseas and hold violators accountable.
2022 Finalist Mitchell Zeller, J.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Mitchell Zeller, J.D. Directed federal efforts to regulate the marketing and accessibility of tobacco products that can cause death and disease, instituting policies that cut back on cigarette usage and saved lives.
2021 Finalist Paul Friday Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Paul Friday During six decades of federal service, invented, engineered and implemented systems that enabled the Census Bureau to more accurately tabulate and analyze data on paper census forms, speeding the process and saving millions of dollars.
2021 Finalist Gregory M. Ruiz, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Gregory M. Ruiz, Ph.D. Played a major role over three decades highlighting the environmental harm caused by the marine transport of invasive species, resulting in a federal reporting system, enforcement policies and improved shipboard management practices.
2022 Finalist Craig McLean Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Craig McLean Played a critical role for decades in the exploration and mapping of the oceans which has provided insights into climate change, helped improve weather forecasting and led to a better understanding of marine life.
2020 Winner Ira Pastan, M.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Ira Pastan, M.D. Discovered a new class of drugs that can successfully treat a rare form of leukemia and hold promise to be effective therapies for pancreatic and lung cancer as well as mesothelioma.
2020 Finalist Elizabeth J. Warner, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Elizabeth J. Warner, Ph.D. Engaged in groundbreaking, evidence-based research for two decades that has led to the adoption of new K-12 teacher training and recruiting practices, improving instruction for students in disadvantaged communities and throughout the nation.
2020 Finalist Claire L. Parkinson, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Claire L. Parkinson, Ph.D. Conducted cutting-edge scientific research over four decades documenting changes in the ice covers in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans and how they have played a significant role in climate change and adversely affected animal life.
2020 Finalist Cecilia M. Coates Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Cecilia M. Coates Created and runs a state-of-the-art global supply chain management system that provides $10 billion worth of goods and services every year to diplomats and other federal employees serving the United States overseas.
2020 Finalist Jon Michael Seward Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Jon Michael Seward Successfully brought lawsuits for nearly 30 years against banks to ensure that tens of thousands of people living in underserved and minority communities could gain access to credit.
2019 Winner Ann McKee, M.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Ann McKee, M.D. Revolutionized scientific research and our understanding of the long-term effects of concussions, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy, in veterans and athletes
2019 Finalist William K. Boyes, Ph.D Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement William K. Boyes, Ph.D Conducted important research on the harm that commonly used chemicals have on eyesight and the central nervous system, leading to new standards to protect the public from overexposure to these toxic substances
2019 Finalist Venkatachalam “Ram” Ramaswamy, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Venkatachalam “Ram” Ramaswamy, Ph.D. Developed a state-of-the-art modeling system to enhance understanding and prediction of global climate and provide earlier and more accurate forecasts of severe weather events, helping save lives and property
2019 Finalist Michael G. Kozak Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Michael G. Kozak For nearly five decades, helped shape foreign policy to protect U.S. interests abroad and advance democracy and human rights around the world
2019 Finalist Arthur A. Allen Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Arthur A. Allen Pioneered and perfected a modeling program that predicts where people lost at sea will be found, cutting search and rescue times and saving thousands of lives during a 35-year career
2018 Winner Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, M.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, M.D. Pioneered research to understand the prevalence of autism and other developmental disabilities, influencing the expansion of health, social and educational services for children with special needs
2018 Finalist John J. Sammarco, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement John J. Sammarco, Ph.D. Led game-changing research over three decades that improved lighting in mines, advanced rescue techniques and reduced accidents and injuries
2018 Finalist Judith Lynn Allaire DesHarnais Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Judith Lynn Allaire DesHarnais Directed major flood-protection projects that have saved lives and prevented more than a billion dollars in property damage
2018 Finalist Gerald Ankley, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Gerald Ankley, Ph.D. For three decades, established techniques and standards to identify dangerous chemicals and prevent them from contaminating America’s lakes and waterways
2018 Finalist Allen R. Hefner Jr., Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Allen R. Hefner Jr., Ph.D. Developed the “Hefner model” for power semiconductor devices that revolutionized manufacturing of power conversion systems that millions of people use today, leading to trillions of dollars in energy savings worldwide
2017 Finalist Joseph J. Seebode Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Joseph J. Seebode Oversaw the $2.1 billion deepening of navigation channels for the Port of New York and New Jersey, as well as restoration and recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy and the 9/11 terrorist attacks
2017 Finalist Jitender P. Dubey Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Jitender P. Dubey For more than three decades, has led life-saving research on parasitic diseases that devastate livestock and sicken millions of people around the world
2017 Winner Tedd V. Ellerbrock Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Tedd V. Ellerbrock Played a vital role in building, expanding and improving the U.S.-led program that provides medicine and assistance to 11 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS
2017 Finalist Hanwant B. Singh Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Hanwant B. Singh Pioneered research for more than 30 years that revealed harmful pollutants in the atmosphere, how long they last, how far they travel and their impact on the climate and human health
2016 Winner Kathleen Hogan Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Kathleen Hogan Developed and expanded a series of pivotal national energy efficiency initiatives that have greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions and saved American consumers and businesses billions of dollars.
2016 Finalist Thomas Gordon Morris Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Thomas Gordon Morris Overhauled an SBA program that now generates $6 billion in private investments annually to build businesses, create jobs and stimulate the economy at no cost to the federal government.
2016 Finalist Hongwei Hsiao Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Hongwei Hsiao Improved the safety of construction workers, truck drivers, firefighters, police and others in high-risk professions by researching and designing a new generation of personal protective equipment and industrial apparatus.
2016 Finalist James McFadden Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement James McFadden For nearly 50 years, has been the bedrock of the nation’s hurricane hunter program, flying airplanes into hundreds of violent tropical storms to gather information for more accurate weather forecasts.
2016 Finalist Allen Wilcox Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Allen Wilcox Pioneered the epidemiologic study of human reproduction, fundamentally changing both scientific and public understanding of fertility and pregnancy.
2015 Finalist Charles E. Milam Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Charles E. Milam Improved the lives of millions of service members and their families by instituting programs that help deployed soldiers stay in touch with loved ones, and increase health and wellness on military bases.
2015 Finalist Robert J. Kavlock Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Robert J. Kavlock Transformed how the EPA tests the toxicity of industrial and household chemicals, dramatically increasing the number that are assessed for potential health risks, while reducing the cost, time and need for animal studies.
2015 Winner Hyun Soon Lillehoj Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Hyun Soon Lillehoj Led influential research to decrease the use of antibiotics in commercial poultry, ensure the safety of this popular food and make the U.S. poultry industry more competitive overseas.
2014 Finalist E. Ramona Trovato Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement E. Ramona Trovato Helped transform national environmental health policy by focusing attention on the impact of pollutants on children, and by devising strategies to respond to contamination from a terrorist attack.
2014 Finalist Thomas Browne Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Thomas Browne Transformed drug prevention and addiction treatment programs in 70 countries around the world, providing special care and assistance to women and children.
2014 Winner Edwin Kneedler Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Edwin Kneedler Argued 125 cases and helped shape the government’s legal position on hundreds more before the Supreme Court, while setting a high standard for integrity and protecting the long-term interests of the United States.
2014 Finalist Scott Gerald Borg Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Scott Gerald Borg Directed a world-class research program in Antarctica that uncovered important scientific discoveries about climate change, the origins of the universe, previously unknown sea life and two new dinosaur species.
2014 Finalist Robert A. Canino Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Robert A. Canino Pioneered the use of civil rights laws to try human trafficking cases when criminal enforcement and labor laws proved ineffective in defending foreign-born and intellectually disabled workers who were abused and exploited.
2013 Finalist Philip Rosenfelt Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Philip Rosenfelt As a federal legal adviser and litigator for more than four decades, improved education and helped ensure equal access to education for all students.
2013 Winner Orice Williams Brown Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Orice Williams Brown Provided Congress with impartial analysis and oversight regarding the nation’s financial regulatory system, issuing warnings about potential risks and suggesting ways to improve the implementation of new laws and economic recovery programs.
2013 Finalist Michael Gottesman Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Michael Gottesman Throughout a four-decade career, led seminal studies in the treatment of drug-resistant cancer cells and played an instrumental role in improving the rigor of medical research.
2013 Finalist Mark DeMaria Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Mark DeMaria Pioneered models to better forecast the path and intensity of hurricanes during the past three decades to help communities and first responders prepare for the severe storms, saving countless lives, homes and businesses.
2013 Finalist William J. Borucki Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement William J. Borucki Led the design and operation of NASA’s Kepler space mission which discovered Earth-like planets as far as 1,200 light years away, adding an impressive capstone on a 50-year career that began with the Apollo program.
2012 Winner James Cash Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement James Cash For nearly three decades, has used his engineering expertise to extract information from airplane cockpit recorders and other devices to determine the causes of major transportation accidents.
2012 Finalist H. Allen Dobbs Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement H. Allen Dobbs Significantly improved the way disaster victims receive health care by creating electronic systems to track those receiving treatment, quickly assign emergency medical teams and assess emerging threats and resource needs.
2012 Finalist Patricia Hayes Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Patricia Hayes Spent a career breaking barriers and advancing the health-care needs of women in a male-dominated veterans health-care system.
2011 Finalist Sharon W. Bryson Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Sharon W. Bryson Provides assistance and comfort to traumatized survivors and family members of those killed in aircraft accidents and other transportation disasters.
2011 Winner Alfonso Batres Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Alfonso Batres Devoted his career to building a national network of small, community-based centers where veterans traumatized by combat obtain counseling, job assistance, medical referrals and other services.
2011 Finalist Matthew J. Friedman Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Matthew J. Friedman A pioneer in the field of traumatic stress disorders, who studied, treated and advocated for people psychologically affected by war or other tragedies.
2011 Finalist Lawrence Deyton Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Lawrence Deyton Spent three decades improving public health and treating veterans, pioneering ways to fight AIDS, hepatitis C and emerging health threats, and now leading the effort to reduce tobacco-related disease and death.
