Congratulations to Valerie Eviner, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. She received the 2007 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers last Friday. Her research was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, according to a USDA news release
USDA nominated Eviner for her research in developing a creative method to manage rangeland and quantify its productivity. Eviner involved students, ranchers, research and extension centers, and environmental organizations to provide students with practical experience in using scientific research to answer to relevant management problems, the release said.
Commissioned by President Clinton in 1996, the Presidential Award honors and supports the achievements of young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers, according to the National Institutes of Health Web site. The Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.