Two faculty members at the University of California, Davis, have been presented with Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the nation’s highest honor for professionals in the early stage of their independent scientific research careers.

Valerie Eviner, a rangeland ecologist in the Department of Plant Sciences, and Zhongli Pan, an associate adjunct professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, along with 65 other researchers from throughout the United States, received the awards Dec. 19 during special ceremonies in Washington, D.C.

Pan and Eviner, both selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, were among seven University of California researchers to receive these prestigious awards. The other five UC recipients are from the Berkeley, Merced and Santa Cruz campuses.

The Presidential Early Career Awards were established in 1996 to honor the most promising researchers in the United States within their individual fields. Each year, nine federal agencies nominate scientists and engineers, “whose work shows exceptional promise for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge.” The participating federal agencies provide the award recipients with up to five years of funding to help finance their research in support of “critical government missions.”

Valerie Eviner, 36, came to UC Davis in 2006 as an assistant professor from the Institute of Ecosystems Studies in New York. She applies her understanding of plant-soil interactions toward improving management of various ecosystems. She currently leads a USDA-funded project focused on better understanding the role of plant seedling dynamics in rangeland ecosystems. She is the youngest scientist ever nominated by the USDA for this award.

“We are extremely proud of Dr. Eviner and her research accomplishments in the area of rangeland ecology,” said Neal Van Alfen, dean of UC Davis’ College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “It is gratifying to see that the merit of her work is being recognized and rewarded at the federal level. It is also quite telling that two out of the three Presidential Early Career Awards in agriculture came to faculty members here at UC Davis.”

Award recipient Zhongli Pan, 47, has been a member of the UC Davis faculty since 1995. He also serves as a research engineer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ARS Western Regional Research Center. His research focuses on enhancing the value of agricultural products -- as well as better ensuring food quality and safety -- by improving postharvest processing technologies. One of his current research projects is directed at developing infrared radiation heating technology for drying, blanching, disinfecting, and removing pests from fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. He also studies rice milling and new uses for the byproducts of rice processing.

“Professor Pan’s focus on research that is fundamentally important to health and well-being holds the promise of improving food quality and safety through better postharvest and processing technology,” said Bruce White, incoming dean of the UC Davis School of Engineering. “His work is dedicated to the core purpose of engineering research and innovation to make life better for everyone. We are extremely pleased that he is being recognized in this way.”

A complete listing and photo of the new Presidential Early Career Award recipients, who are referred to as 2007 award winners, is available in the Dec. 19 White House news release at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/12/print/20081219-10.html.

About UC Davis

For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from five professional schools: Education, Law, Management, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine. The UC Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis Medical Center are located on the Sacramento campus near downtown.