2018 Finalist Hoa Thi Tran, Ph.D. and the Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Hoa Thi Tran, Ph.D. and the Team Delivered emergency humanitarian relief to nearly 700,000 Rohingya refugees who fled violent persecution in Burma to find safe haven in neighboring Bangladesh
2018 Finalist Guy Demeter Management Excellence Guy Demeter Developed wide-ranging data management systems that enable FBI analysts to investigate criminal activity and identify threats more quickly
2018 Finalist Tim Schmit Science, Technology and Environment Tim Schmit Developed cutting-edge satellite technology for detecting and monitoring severe weather, helping protect people and property from approaching disasters
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 Jeffrey Elliott Wood Jr. and the North Shore Gang Task Force Safety, Security and International Affairs Jeffrey Elliott Wood Jr. and the North Shore Gang Task Force Led a record takedown of the notorious MS-13 gang, arresting more than 60 leaders and members of this criminal organization in the Boston region
2018 Finalist Jordan T. Manos Promising Innovations Medal Jordan T. Manos Improved the system used to assess flood damage from hurricanes and other major storms, helping residents receive aid more quickly and saving the government millions of dollars in appraisal costs
2018 Finalist Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D and Theodore C. Pierson, Ph.D. Promising Innovations Medal Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D and Theodore C. Pierson, Ph.D. Developed a promising vaccine now in clinical testing to prevent the Zika virus, which has caused serious birth defects in the children of women infected during pregnancy
2018 Finalist Soheila J. Maleki, Ph.D. Science, Technology and Environment Soheila J. Maleki, Ph.D. Led life-changing research on the causes, detection, prevention and potential remedies for peanut and tree nut allergies, which affect up to two million American children
2018 Finalist Mark L. Bathrick and the Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Mark L. Bathrick and the Team Built the largest civilian aerial drone fleet to help federal agencies fight forest fires, inspect infrastructure, monitor wildlife and natural resources, halt pollution, and conduct search and rescue operations
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
2018 Finalist Barbara G. Kutchko, Ph.D. Science, Technology and Environment Barbara G. Kutchko, Ph.D. Helped rewrite standards for the use of foamed cement in oil wells, to prevent blowouts and damaging oil spills and to better protect workers and the environment
2018 Finalist Dave Huizenga Safety, Security and International Affairs Dave Huizenga Managed numerous high-profile projects with foreign governments to secure large quantities of weapons-useable nuclear materials and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands
2018 Finalist Ariel Gold Management Excellence Ariel Gold Improved data-sharing to accelerate the adoption of new technologies that increase transportation safety and efficiency, including self-driving cars and vehicles that communicate with one another
2018 Finalist Andy Neal and the NFIP Reinsurance Program Team Management Excellence Andy Neal and the NFIP Reinsurance Program Team Persuaded private reinsurers for the first time to assume some flood damage liability, saving the National Flood Insurance Program $1 billion in claims in 2017
2017 Winner Phillip A. Brooks, Byron Bunker and Joshua H. Van Eaton Federal Employees of the Year Phillip A. Brooks, Byron Bunker and Joshua H. Van Eaton Halted a scheme by Volkswagen to evade emission standards, and helped secure a record $17.4 billion in legal settlements to reduce harmful pollution and compensate deceived car owners
2017 Winner Timothy P. Camus and the IRS Impersonation Scam Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Timothy P. Camus and the IRS Impersonation Scam Team Led a multiagency investigation and public awareness campaign to stop a massive fraud that conned thousands of Americans into paying millions of dollars in bogus tax bills
2017 Winner Rory A. Cooper Science, Technology and Environment Rory A. Cooper Designed innovative wheelchairs and other assistive technology equipment that has greatly improved the mobility and quality of life for hundreds of thousands of disabled veterans and other Americans
2017 Winner Flora M. Jordan Promising Innovations Medal Flora M. Jordan Designed new, lighter body armor that is just as protective as existing equipment and can be adjusted for smaller physiques, giving warfighters greater mobility and reducing long-term health effects
2017 Winner Courtney Lias, Stayce Beck and the FDA Artificial Pancreas Team Management Excellence Courtney Lias, Stayce Beck and the FDA Artificial Pancreas Team Paved the way for the first artificial pancreas device to receive FDA approval faster than expected, helping transform the lives of Americans with Type 1 diabetes
2017 Winner Alex Mahoney and the Middle East Crisis Humanitarian Response Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Alex Mahoney and the Middle East Crisis Humanitarian Response Team Led U.S. humanitarian relief efforts in war-torn Syria and parts of Iraq, delivering food, medicine, safe drinking water and other assistance to millions of people in desperate need of help
2017 Winner Surabhi Shah and the Urban Waters Team People's Choice Award Surabhi Shah and the Urban Waters Team Created public-private partnerships to clean up and revitalize urban waterways and surrounding lands, spurring economic development and reversing decades of neglect
2017 Finalist Brenda B. Smith and the Single Window Team Management Excellence Brenda B. Smith and the Single Window Team Led the development and implementation of a single, electronic portal for exporters and importers to submit information on shipments that cross U.S. borders, saving government and businesses time and money
2017 Finalist Thomas R. Davis and the Rental Assistance Demonstration Team Management Excellence Thomas R. Davis and the Rental Assistance Demonstration Team Generated $3.9 billion in private investments that have been used to rebuild or renovate public housing to make it safe and affordable for tens of thousands of low-income individuals and families across the U.S.
2017 Finalist Elizabeth Angerman and the Unified Shared Services Team Management Excellence Elizabeth Angerman and the Unified Shared Services Team Created standards and methods for federal agencies to consolidate common administrative functions more easily, allowing government leaders to focus more of their time and resources on mission-related responsibilities
2017 Finalist Jon R. Smibert Safety, Security and International Affairs Jon R. Smibert Helped Albania revise its constitution and reform its criminal justice system to rid the country of decades of corruption and organized crime, and set a path for this strategic U.S. ally to gain membership in the European Union
2017 Finalist Nat Wood and the IdentityTheft.gov Development Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Nat Wood and the IdentityTheft.gov Development Team Created an easy-to-use online resource to help victims of identity theft quickly report the crime, stop additional fraudulent activity and begin the recovery process
2017 Finalist Vincent Tang and the SIGMA Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Vincent Tang and the SIGMA Team Developed an innovative, mobile and low-cost system to detect the smallest traces of radiological and nuclear materials, offering cities worldwide a new tool to identify and stop terror threats
2017 Finalist Justin C. Sanchez Science, Technology and Environment Justin C. Sanchez Oversaw research to develop life-like prosthetic arms with near-natural dexterity that enables amputees to pick up small or fragile objects, and is managing efforts to restore the ability for brain-injured soldiers to form new memories
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 Bryan Drake and the Fata Investigation Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Bryan Drake and the Fata Investigation Team Investigated and prosecuted a doctor who is now serving a 45-year prison sentence for giving false diagnoses and unnecessary cancer treatments to hundreds of patients in order to steal millions from Medicare
2018 Finalist Blake Douglas Rowe Safety, Security and International Affairs Blake Douglas Rowe Established sophisticated forensic exploitation laboratories to investigate terrorist activities, contributing to thousands of convictions and thwarting attempts to attack Americans overseas and in the U.S.
2017 Finalist John Pilotte and Heather Grimsley Management Excellence John Pilotte and Heather Grimsley Improved patient care and saved $1.3 billion through a new health care delivery system that compensates doctors and hospitals for the quality of medical outcomes as opposed to the quantity of patient services
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 Finalist David J. Lipman and the GenBank Team Science, Technology and Environment David J. Lipman and the GenBank Team Built and heads the world’s largest and most influential repository of genetic sequence data now being used by biomedical researchers around the world, including those studying infectious, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases
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 Mark Skoog Safety, Security and International Affairs Mark Skoog Spearheaded the development of a revolutionary flight control system the Air Force uses to prevent ground collisions when pilots become disoriented or lose consciousness, saving lives and the loss of fighter jets
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 Patricia Dehmer Management Excellence Patricia Dehmer Transformed and expanded the Energy Department’s state-of-the-art research laboratories to meet our nation’s long-term energy needs, leading to breakthroughs in superconductivity, nanotechnology, X-ray imaging and more.
2016 Finalist Mariela Melero and the Customer Service and Public Engagement Directorate Citizen Services Mariela Melero and the Customer Service and Public Engagement Directorate Made immigration resources more accessible and user-friendly, including a cutting-edge online tool that can answer 90 percent of questions posed by those seeking U.S. citizenship or residency.
2016 Winner Thomas A. Mariani, Steven O’Rourke and Sarah D. Himmelhoch Safety, Security and International Affairs Thomas A. Mariani, Steven O’Rourke and Sarah D. Himmelhoch Secured a record $20.8 billion legal settlement against BP for the devastating 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, providing funds to help a five-state region recover from massive environmental disaster.
2016 Winner Lisa M. Jones Citizen Services Lisa M. Jones Helped low-income communities gain access to investment capital to fund health-care centers, charter schools, day-care centers, housing, small business development and commercial real estate projects.
2016 Finalist Lilia McFarland Emerging Leaders Lilia McFarland Led an interagency initiative to help build the next generation of farmers and ranchers, creating a strategy for easing access to critical federal resources and improving customer service.
2016 Finalist Kimya Lee and the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Team Management Excellence Kimya Lee and the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Team Turned a government-wide survey into an effective tool for managers to better understand employee views of the workplace, providing critical data for leaders to improve employee engagement, satisfaction and performance.
2016 Finalist Joseph J. Mueller Citizen Services Joseph J. Mueller Prevented the collapse of a major dam that threatened the lives and property of thousands of residents and business owners downstream, and could have disrupted New York City’s water supply.
2016 Finalist Jessica Hall Zomer Emerging Leaders Jessica Hall Zomer Helped craft and served as chief legal advisor on a major power plant regulation that will eliminate one-third of toxic heavy metals now dumped into the nation’s rivers, lakes and streams by regulated industries.
2016 Finalist Jenn Gustetic Emerging Leaders Jenn Gustetic Tapped into citizen knowledge and expertise to solve pressing national problems by promoting the use of crowdsourcing, challenges and prizes across government.
2016 Finalist David A. Hindin Science, Technology and Environment David A. Hindin Spearheaded the EPA’s use of advanced pollution monitoring technology to increase compliance with federal environmental laws, provide more public transparency and reduce harmful pollutants in our air and waterways.
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 John Pallister and the Volcano Disaster Assistance Team Safety, Security and International Affairs John Pallister and the Volcano Disaster Assistance Team Strengthened volcano readiness and warning systems worldwide, helping countries forecast eruptions, save lives and reduce economic losses while enhancing America’s ability to respond to domestic volcanoes.
2016 Finalist Richard May Safety, Security and International Affairs Richard May Employed underutilized authorities to expose drug cartels, transnational criminal organizations and others who launder money in the U.S. through high-end real estate, fashion and electronics transactions.
2016 Winner Kirk Yeager Safety, Security and International Affairs Kirk Yeager As the FBI’s premier bomb expert, leads U.S. and foreign law enforcement to determine how terrorist-made explosives work, and finds new ways to detect and stop them.
2016 Winner Edward Grace and the Operation Crash Team People's Choice Award Edward Grace and the Operation Crash Team Led a national investigation to arrest and prosecute numerous individuals who profited from smuggling and illegally selling rhino horns and elephant tusks.
2016 Finalist Thomas O’Toole Citizen Services Thomas O’Toole Created two nationwide programs to help high-risk, high-need homeless veterans receive the comprehensive medical care, housing assistance and social services they need to get off the street and reclaim their lives.
2017 Finalist Paul R. Ohodnicki, Jr. Promising Innovations Medal Paul R. Ohodnicki, Jr. Created advanced sensor technology to monitor the nation’s energy generation, transmission and distribution systems, improving their reliability, efficiency and safety
2017 Finalist Sarah Jovan and Geoffrey H. Donovan Promising Innovations Medal Sarah Jovan and Geoffrey H. Donovan Led the first-ever study using tree moss to detect air pollution in a major city, including cancer-causing heavy metals, prompting enforcement actions and offering a new, cost-effective way to identify threats to public health
2011 Finalist Kim Nazi and the Blue Button Initiative Team Citizen Services Kim Nazi and the Blue Button Initiative Team Established a simple process that allows veterans and beneficiaries in the VA, Medicare and DOD health systems to download their personal health information, empowering them to take charge of managing their own care.
