Honorees

Federal Employee of the Year

Victoria Brahm

Restored the quality and safety of a broken health care center for veterans that had become notorious for unsafe medical practices, excessive opioid use and a toxic work environment

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

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Ryan Shelby, Ph.D.

Provided vital training and resources to help people in Haiti rebuild thousands of homes and roofs ripped apart by a Category 4 hurricane, making the structures safer and stronger to withstand future disasters

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Jamie Rhome

Created a new forecasting model and warning system that more accurately predicts the deadly storm surge caused by hurricanes, saving lives by alerting residents sooner of the approaching danger

Science, Technology and Environment

Daniel B. Jernigan, M.D.

Led response efforts for dozens of disease crises, including Ebola, SARS and West Nile virus, while greatly improving our country’s ability to identify, prepare for and respond to inevitable flu pandemics

Safety, Security and International Affairs

John P. Wagner

Reduced wait times for American citizens and a growing number of foreign travelers arriving at U.S. airports by expediting the clearance process while ensuring a high level of security.

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Kurt Yankaskas

Identified and implemented solutions to combat noise-induced hearing loss, which affects hundreds of thousands of sailors and Marines, and costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year in treatments for veterans

Science, Technology and Environment

W. Marston Linehan, M.D.

Discovered six different genetic origins of kidney cancer and provided the foundation for the development of targeted therapies that have saved thousands of lives

Management Excellence

Osama El-Lissy

Created a highly effective plan that led the United States to become the first and only country to eradicate the pink bollworm, saving cotton growers tens of millions of dollars annually

Shannon Sartin and Team

Led the development of digital tools to make it easier for Medicare patients to access their electronic health records and for doctors to receive payment for the quality, not the quantity, of the care they provide

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

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Emily Joy Haas, Ph.D.

Improved the health and safety of our nation’s mine workers by using behavioral science to influence the adoption of new technologies and practices that reduce their exposure to known hazards

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

Paul Shute, Christopher Aragao and David Enright

Dramatically cut the time and manpower needed to make decisions on service-related mental health claims for veterans, helping tens of thousands of individuals each year receive their benefits faster

Emily Banuelos and the Taxiway Tango Tiger Team

Designed and implemented enhanced surveillance technology that warns when commercial aircraft are lined up to land on a taxiway instead of the intended runway, averting the potential for catastrophic accidents

Science, Technology and Environment

McMahan “Mac” Louis Gray

Created a game-changing technology that removes carbon dioxide from power plant emissions and absorbs heavy metals, such as lead, from municipal water supplies

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

Science, Technology and Environment

Othmane Benafan, Ph.D.

Advanced the science and use of a special alloy that returns to its original shape after being heated, leading to groundbreaking technologies that enable safer, more efficient aviation and space exploration

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

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Kara L. De Castro

Led pivotal international programs to convert weapons-grade nuclear materials for civilian use and enhanced security cultures to guard against their mishandling and misuse

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Leticia Pibida, Ph.D.

Strengthened our nation’s defenses against nuclear and radioactive threats by developing performance standards and tests for detection systems that screen nearly 7 million cargo containers entering U.S. seaports every year

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Kristen P. Finne

Developed a system for first responders to quickly locate and assist 4.3 million Medicare beneficiaries who rely on electricity-dependent medical equipment and are at risk during prolonged power outages