A Jackson State University alumnus has been selected to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring by President Barack Obama, the White House has announced.
Murty S. Kambhampati, now a professor of biology at Southern University at New Orleans, is one of only 14 individuals and one institution to receive the award, the White House said. He will receive the award at a White House ceremony later this year.
Kambhampati holds a Ph.D. from Jackson State University in Environmental Science.
“I came to Jackson State in 1990,” said Kambhampati, when he moved to the United States from his native India. He obtained a NASA grant while here and worked four years on it as program manager, earning his Ph.D. in 1999. He still remembers JSU fondly, and keeps up with former friends and faculty.
“I enjoyed working with the faculty and students. It’s a great institution, one of the finest HBCUs in the country,” he said.
“These educators are helping to cultivate America’s future scientists, engineers and mathematicians,” President Obama said, announcing the names of the award winners last week.
“They open new worlds to their students, and give them the encouragement they need to learn, discover and innovate. That’s transforming those students’ futures, and our nation’s future, too.”
The PAESMEM is awarded by the White House to individuals and organizations to recognize the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science and engineering — particularly those who belong to groups that are underrepresented in these fields.
In addition to being honored at the White House, recipients receive awards of $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.