Early CAREER Celebration

The National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is the most prestigious and competitive award for faculty at the beginning of their academic and research calling. For 2024, five assistant professors at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering won a combined $2.75 million in funding and matched a previous school record for the number of CAREER awards in one funding cycle. 

The five recipients include: 

• Sarah Haig, Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Rajkumar Kubendran, Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Qihan Liu, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
• Nathan Youngblood, Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Ioannis Zervantonakis, Bioengineering

“The CAREER award is a launch pad for young faculty, and we have made pointed efforts to prepare them to be successful. Both my office and our Center for Faculty Excellence provide resources, mentorship and feedback to ensure that their proposals are highest quality, from the initial draft through submission,” noted David Vorp, senior associate dean for research and facilities, and professor of bioengineering. "Since 2016, 27 of our faculty have received CAREER awards, with almost a quarter of them winning on their first attempt. My congratulations to this year’s winners for this important early milestone, and my best wishes on successful execution of their innovative projects.”