2020 Finalist Peter A. Briss, M.D. and the 2019 Lung Injury Response team Science, Technology and Environment Peter A. Briss, M.D. and the 2019 Lung Injury Response team Identified the chemical compound in vaping products that caused life-threatening lung injuries among young adults, communicating the danger to public health and saving lives.
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 Victoria Brahm 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
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 Winner Ryan Shelby, Ph.D. 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
2019 Winner Jamie Rhome 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
2019 Winner Robert Cabana and the Kennedy Space Center Senior Management Team Management Excellence Robert Cabana and the Kennedy Space Center Senior Management Team Transformed the historic Kennedy Space Center into a globally distinguished, multiuser launch site for government and commercial space exploration, helping preserve our country’s leadership in this important field
2019 Winner Daniel B. Jernigan, M.D. 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
2019 Winner Michael R. Bloomberg Spirit of Service Award Michael R. Bloomberg Public Servant, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
2019 Finalist John P. Wagner 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.
2019 Finalist Kurt Yankaskas 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
2019 Finalist W. Marston Linehan, M.D. 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
2019 Finalist Osama El-Lissy 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
2019 Finalist Shannon Sartin and Team Management Excellence 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
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 Emily Joy Haas, Ph.D. 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
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 Paul Shute, Christopher Aragao and David Enright Management Excellence 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
2019 Finalist Emily Banuelos and the Taxiway Tango Tiger Team Safety, Security and International Affairs 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
2019 Finalist McMahan “Mac” Louis Gray 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
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
