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Honorees

  • Category: Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
2024 Winner
Christopher Mark 

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Christopher Mark 

Devoted a lengthy federal career to preventing fatalities from roof falls and other underground mining disasters, saving countless lives.

2024 Finalist
Janet Woodcock

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Janet Woodcock

Transformed the Food and Drug Administration’s drug review process to expand access to generic medicines and promising medications to treat severe, life-threatening diseases.

2024 Finalist
Robert J. McGaughey

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Robert J. McGaughey

Developed open-source software that converts voluminous aerial data into detailed information that enables better management of forestlands.

2024 Finalist
Thaddeus A. Ryba Jr.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Thaddeus A. Ryba Jr.

Played a critical diplomatic and scientific role in international negotiations that led to the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria and Libya, contributed to the final destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile and enabled the banning of deadly nerve agents.

2024 Finalist
Matthew S. Borman

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Matthew S. Borman

Led pivotal efforts to impose export controls on U.S. adversaries to deny them access to critical American technology that could be used for military purposes.

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.

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.

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 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.

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
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Honoree Pager

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