UI Scientist Among Young Scientists Honored Friday by President Bush
Friday, July 12 2002
July 12, 2002^UI Scientist Among Young Scientists Honored Friday by President Bush^WASHINGTON, D.C. – University of Idaho soil scientist Daniel G. Strawn was honored by President George W. Bush Friday at a ceremony to recognize the nation’s most talented young researchers.^Strawn was among recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers gathered at the nation’s capital. He was one of three researchers affiliated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to receive the honor.^President Bush noted that an earlier recipient of the award had later claimed a Nobel Prize, adding, “Maybe I’m looking at another Nobel Laureate or two here.”^“You need to know that the breakthroughs that you have made will make life better for all Americans,” the president said. “Your explorations will expand our understanding of the world, and that’s important. Your innovations will help America stay at the forefront of technological development for decades to come.”^Strawn was presented the award by John Marburger, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy director, and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman.^“I was happy and honored to receive the award,” Strawn said after Friday’s ceremony. Kelly Strawn accompanied her husband to the event in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building.^“After all the time we’ve spent in grad school, and in post-doc research, it was appropriate that she was there to share in the recognition,” he said.^“I think that many people in Idaho will be amazed that we have such talented and accomplished faculty members in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho,” said Michael J. Weiss, the college’s acting associate dean and Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences Department head.^“Dan is excellent in the laboratory, excellent in the classroom and has an excellent commitment to public service and the university. I’m just proud to work with him,” Weiss added.^In addition to his normal teaching duties, Strawn will launch a new class this fall in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy for workers at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory at Idaho Falls.^Strawn has conducted research at INEEL and also is working on a project near Twin Falls.^His research seeks to illuminate heavy metal and soil relationships that will be important to cleanups of contaminated sites and may be of particular importance along northern Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene River.^His project that received five years of support through the presidential award will study how lead and copper interact with clay particles.^Strawn joined the UI faculty in 2000 and is an assistant professor of environmental soil chemistry. His work was initially funded for four years for $176,000 through the National Research Initiative of the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.^CSREES Administrator Colien Hefferan noted Strawn is the product of three land-grant universities, the University of California at Davis, University of Delaware and the University of Idaho.^Strawn worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Berkeley before joining the Idaho faculty. He earned his doctorate at the University of Delaware in 1999 and his bachelor’s degree in soil and water science from UC Davis in 1994.^Contacts: Daniel G. Strawn, UI assistant professor of environmental soil chemistry, (208) 885-2713, dgstrawn@uidaho.edu; Michael J. Weiss, UI College of Agricultural and Life Sciences associate dean, (208) 885-7130, mjweiss@uidaho.edu; Bill Loftus, UI Agricultural Communications, (208) 886-7694, bloftus@uidaho.edu^-30-^BL–712/2002–PSES^
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