image: A. Bolu Ajiboye
Credit: Case Western Reserve University
CLEVELAND—On Wednesday, Jan. 14, President Biden awarded nearly 400 scientists and engineers the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers. Four of the awardees are Case Western Reserve University engineering faculty: A. Bolu Ajiboye, Christine Duval, Burcu Gurkan and Steve Majerus.
“Having four faculty members named concurrently as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is an extraordinary honor for the Case School of Engineering,” said Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan, the Charles H. Phipps Dean of the engineering school. “To be among the select group selected nationwide for this honor highlights their exceptional talent, dedication and impact of their work. We are extremely proud of their contributions and are fortunate to have them as part of our faculty.”
Ajiboye, the Robert and Brenda Aiken Professor in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering and School of Medicine, also holds an appointment as a biomedical engineering scientist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. He develops brain-computer-interfaces that translate brain activity into commands to control devices for reanimating paralyzed limbs. He hopes to not only restore movement but also the sense of touch to people who have experienced severely debilitating injuries to the nervous system, such as spinal cord injury or stroke. His research is funded by the Veterans Administration (VA), the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and was featured on 60 Minutes in 2023.
“I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by the best people throughout my career,” Ajiboye said. “The research volunteers—with and for whom we work—make it possible for us to develop neurotechnology for restoring movement and sensation to people living with paralysis. It is on their behalf, as well as my colleagues and students, that I gratefully receive the PECASE award.”
Duval, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, develops membranes to isolate rare-earth metals and uranium from waste materials like phosphogypsum slag and used nuclear fuel. She also pioneers better and faster methods for purifying radionuclides used in nuclear medicine. The award is based on Duval’s 2020 Early Career Research Award funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop faster means to process accelerator-produced radionuclides to increase the national supply of radiotherapies for cancer treatment. In November, she was also recognized by as a young leader making an impact on Northeast Ohio and beyond as a member of Crain’s Cleveland Business “40 under 40” class of 2024.
“The PECASE award is easily the highest scientific honor of my career,” Duval said. “But what’s even more rewarding is the opportunity to work alongside our incredible team of students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators to bring these ideas to life. After the research awards are made, the real work begins in the lab.”
Gurkan, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, develops solvents that can capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from air and emission sources such as power plants. Gurkan’s PECASE Award was based on her 2018 Early Career Faculty Award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop a carbon dioxide removal system from cabin air. Gurkan has since extended her work to develop unconventional electrolytes for energy storage and electrocatalysis. She recently discovered functional electrolytes for reactive capture and electrochemical conversion of CO2 to other chemicals, which has the potential to be more selective while reducing energy consumption.
"I feel humbled to receive this recognition and want to thank my research team, colleagues, mentors, CWRU, and NASA for their support,” Gurkan said.
Majerus, an assistant professor of electrical, computer and systems engineering, is also a research scientist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. He develops implantable sensors for neuromodulation applications like blood pressure control or restoring bladder function. This approach promises to adjust treatment in real-time to the unique needs of each patient, and is especially relevant to individuals with spinal cord injury or neurological disorders. His PECASE award is based on research funded by the VA, NIH, and industry. Key technology invented by Majerus—catheter-free diagnosis of urinary incontinence—is currently being commercialized by a new startup.
“This work isn't an individual effort,” Majerus said. “I share the PECASE award with the students, collaborators, mentors, and staff who have all contributed. We should be inspired and re-energized by this recognition to continue to develop real-time sensor technologies for medical treatments, and importantly, to bring these technologies out of the lab and to the people who need them.”
The PECASE Award
Established by President Clinton in 1996, PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers. The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future.
PECASE at CWRU
The four 2025 awardees join five previous Case Western Reserve professors in receiving the awards while on the university faculty. Jennifer Carter, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at the engineering school and Philip Feng (now at the University of Florida) received the PECASE award in 2019. Jeffrey Capadona, vice provost for innovation in education, a professor of biomedical engineering and a senior research career scientist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, was awarded the PECASE 2012. Suchitra Nelson, professor and associate dean for clinical and translational research in the Department of Community Dentistry at the School of Dental Medicine, received the award in 2007, and Margot Damaser, (now senior rehabilitation scientist at Louis Stokes Cleveland VA) in 2000.
Additionally, Provost Joy Ward received the PECASE award in 2008 while she was on the faculty at the University of Kansas.
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