---
title: 4 UMD Researchers Receive White House Honor
date: 2025-01-27T05:30:00-05:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/4-umd-researchers-receive-white-house-honor"
section: Articles
---
# 4 UMD Researchers Receive White House Honor

*January 27, 2025* — by [Bailey Bedford, Robert Herschbach and Tom Ventsias](/author/bailey-bedford-robert-herschbach-and-tom-ventsias)


> Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Recognizes Exceptional Potential

*Sundial Snow 01062025 SC 9617 1920x1080 — Four UMD faculty members recently received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on up-and-coming researchers.*

Four University of Maryland researchers are among nearly 400 scientists and engineers nationwide [honored earlier this month by outgoing President Joe Biden](https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/ostp/news-updates/2025/01/14/president-biden-honors-nearly-400-federally-funded-early-career-scientists/) for their exceptional potential for leadership and novel research undertaken early in their scientific careers.

Damena Agonafer, Clark Faculty Fellow and associate professor of mechanical engineering, Zohreh Davoudi, associate professor of physics, Soheil Feizi, associate professor of computer science with an appointment in the [University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies](https://www.umiacs.umd.edu/) (UMIACS), and Justyna Zwolak, a National Institute of Standards and Technology mathematician working in several areas on the UMD campus, received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on up-and-coming researchers.


*Agonafer headshot — Agonafer*


*Davoudi headshot — Davoudi*


*Feizi headshot — Feizi*


*Zwolak headshot — Zwolak*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Artificial Intelligence](https://today.umd.edu/topic/artificial-intelligence), [Computer Science](https://today.umd.edu/topic/computer-science), [Machine Learning](https://today.umd.edu/topic/machine-learning), [Mechanical Engineering](https://today.umd.edu/topic/mechanical-engineering), [Physics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/physics), [Quantum Science](https://today.umd.edu/topic/quantum-science), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [A. James Clark School of Engineering](https://today.umd.edu/topic/james-clark-school-engineering), [College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-computer-mathematical-and-natural-sciences), [University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies](https://today.umd.edu/topic/university-of-maryland-institute-for-advanced-computer-studies)