Shannon Rebolledo, Justin Uphold, Nancy Alcantara and the Packers Sanitation Investigation Leads Team
Discovered more than 100 children ages 13 to 17 illegally working on dangerous machinery in 13 meat slaughterhouses across eight states, leading to a large civil penalty and a new approach to child labor law enforcement.
Pete Guria, Steve Calanog, Tara Fitzgerald and the 2023 Maui Wildfires Emergency Response Team
Directed more than 300 Environmental Protection Agency personnel to remove tons of hazardous materials from the Maui wildfires while respecting local cultural norms and setting standards for federal response teams that followed.
Developed new technology tools for Patent and Trademark Office personnel and the public, and led efforts to establish the agency’s approach toward the use of artificial intelligence for inventions seeking patents.
Pioneered policies to improve government services and the customer experience in areas ranging from newborn care and disaster assistance to renewing passports online.
Marc Levitan, Long Phan and the Tornado Wind Loads Team
Created the world’s first tornado-resistant building codes, conducting groundbreaking research that will save lives and protect critical facilities like schools, hospitals and emergency centers from extensive property damage.
Revolutionized bee disease diagnosis and treatment, introducing cutting-edge technologies to detect virus pathogens and developing novel medicines to enhance bee health and prevent colony collapse.
Built an online platform containing video interviews and discussions with current and former members of Congress, government officials and subject matter experts to create a more informed electorate and greater civic engagement.
Darnita S. Trower, Wanda J. Brown, Gerald D. Johnson and the Paperless Processing Initiative Team
Developed a new system that will enable taxpayers to electronically submit all correspondence and non-tax forms to the IRS for the 2024 filing season, laying the groundwork for future advancements in paperless processing.
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.
Provided critical coordination as well as technical expertise that led to the reopening of a major interstate highway in Philadelphia less than two weeks after a fiery gasoline tanker crash destroyed a bridge over an exit ramp.
Led the drafting of a visa revocation policy for Haitians involved in criminal activity and human rights abuses while contributing to sanctions packages and a U.N. resolution that impose penalties against those undermining peace and stability in the Caribbean nation.
Christopher Johnston, Rachel Han, Ryan Thurlwell and the VA Mobile App Team
Developed an app that enables veterans to use their mobile phones or tablets to view and cancel health care appointments, manage claims, upload documentation, obtain vaccine records, message their doctor, locate Department of Veterans Affairs facilities and more.
Led teams at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create online services that help patients dispute unexpected medical bills and hospitals make their prices transparent to the public.
Led critical research projects that exposed gaps in vehicle safety features, and uncovered shortcomings in the reliability of the U.S. rail and highway systems.
Envisioned and led the development of a new inflatable heat shield for planetary entry, descent and landing that will enable spacecraft to deliver bigger payloads to distant planets, including during a future human mission to Mars.
Kaitlin Sahni, Kate Naseef, Nhan Nguyen and the Chemical Prosecutions Team
Investigated and prosecuted the first case against individuals supplying precursor chemicals to a Mexican drug cartel, disrupting methamphetamine and fentanyl production in Mexico and establishing a framework to build similar cases in the future.
Partnered with innovators to develop novel healthy processed food products that have reduced food waste and created jobs in high-unemployment areas, and now leads more than 1,400 employees in eight Western states.
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.
Spearheaded a cutting-edge investigation that led to the seizure and forfeiture of more than $3 billion worth of bitcoin, one of the largest financial seizures in the history of the U.S. government.
Played a leading role in streamlining burdensome government forms, shifting how federal agencies collect information and ensuring deserving recipients receive public benefits.
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.
Implemented a multibillion-dollar program to supercharge the U.S. semiconductor industry that will increase domestic production of chips that are vital to our everyday life and strengthen American manufacturing and national security.
Paul Nissenbaum, Gloria M. Shepherd, Maria S. Lefevre and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation Team
Helped craft and implement the $1 trillion infrastructure law that will modernize the nation’s highways, bridges, shipping ports, railroads and airports.
Brian Key, Scott Bellamy and The NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test Team
Managed the NASA team that successfully altered the orbit of an asteroid, providing the first-ever planetary defense test that could protect Earth from celestial threats.
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.
Joshua C. Mellor, Nicholas I. Cheviron, Stephanie Stevens and Operation Trojan Shield
Conceived and led a unique worldwide investigation using information from a government-controlled encrypted messaging service that resulted in the arrest of more than a thousand drug traffickers and members of organized crime syndicates.
Laura K. Cooper and The Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Policy team
Created the structure for a nimble, meaningful response by the U.S. and its allies to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s unprovoked aggression and deliver military supplies at an unprecedented pace.
Played integral roles in the release of 11 American prisoners wrongfully detained in Russia and Venezuela, contributing to creative diplomatic strategies and delicate negotiations while showing compassion to the families and keeping them informed.
Sarah O’Donnell, Allison Hutchings, Megan Meacham and the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Team
Created a major initiative that provides grants for prevention, treatment and recovery services to help millions of people suffering from opioid use in rural communities across the country.
Anne Lord Bailey, Caitlin Rawlins and the VA Immersive Team
Built a cutting-edge nationwide immersive technology network to empower front-line staff and enable the treatment of veterans for a wide range of medical issues such as anxiety, depression, pain management, spinal cord injuries and more.
Empowered victims of crime, mass violence and terrorism by developing, implementing and overseeing landmark victim support programs and professionalizing the field of victim assistance.
Leads and has expanded a government campaign to help aviation personnel identify potential victims of human trafficking and report their suspicions to law enforcement.
Michelle Daniels, Charles D. Eldridge, Ryan E. Jones and the Office of Public and Indian Housing Foster Youth to Independence team
Created an innovative program offering housing assistance and social services to young people aging out of foster care to prevent them from becoming homeless and to provide an opportunity for self-sufficiency.
Adam M. Phillippy, Sergey Koren, Arang Rhie and The Telomere-to-Telomere Team
Conducted the first complete assembly of the human genome, sequencing the most difficult, final part of our genetic makeup, advancing our understanding of our biological blueprint and opening up scientific frontiers that could revolutionize the treatment of a multitude of diseases.
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.
Shadrach Ludeman, Terah Yaroch, Brooke Harding and the Office of Transition Initiatives Ukraine Team
Provided critical assistance to the Ukrainian people following the 2022 Russian invasion, partnering with local organizations to help Ukrainians evacuate to safety and deliver food, clothing, power generators and other supplies to those in need.
Engaged in pioneering work that deploys insects as natural predators against other bugs that damage crops such as apples and pears, limiting the use of harmful pesticides, saving farmers money and protecting the environment.
Sarah L. Nelson, Samantha L. Calkins and the National Ignition Team
Managed a complex scientific enterprise that for the first time produced a fusion reaction that created a net energy gain, a breakthrough in the decades-long, multibillion-dollar quest that could lead to advancements in national defense and clean energy.
Hila Hanif, Umid Khikmatov and the Afghanistan Policy Team
Organized the successful evacuation of more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and NATO partners during the chaotic American military withdrawal from Afghanistan during two weeks in August 2021.
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.
Developed innovative and highly effective new cotton-based medical gauze and dressings for trauma and chronic wound patients that are now in use by hospitals and first responders.
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.
Reduced the lengthy backlog of disability appeals for veterans by 87% in two years, providing long-awaited decisions on benefits to thousands of individuals.
Transformed and revitalized a national survey on children’s physical, emotional and developmental health, providing timely and insightful data to state and federal policymakers.
Played pivotal role in responding to radiological threats caused by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as securing the relocation of Department of Energy partners in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
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.
Nathan R. Newbury, Ian Coddington, Ph.D., Kevin Cossel, Ph.D. and team
Developed a revolutionary system to detect methane gas leaks from oil and gas production facilities as well as identify other pollutants that are major contributors to global warming.
Initiated critical clinical research to understand the medical implications of COVID-19 on underserved populations, including pregnant women, children and people with disabilities.
Led a technology transformation at the Department of Agriculture, dramatically increasing efficiency, productivity and security, and improving service to the public.
Ian Brownlee and the Interagency COVID Repatriation team
Created and managed a State Department-led task force that repatriated more than 100,000 Americans who were stranded in countries all over the world when borders were closed and airports shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Laid the groundwork for strict scientific regulatory standards used for the rapid development, testing and approval of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines amid a deadly, once-in-a-century pandemic.
Coordinated the federal initiative to supply community health centers nationwide that assist underserved populations with life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, antiviral medications, testing kits and protective face masks.
Guided Voice of America through a tumultuous period of political upheaval, restoring the integrity and independence of its news operations while providing strong support for the workforce.
