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2020 Young Investigator Award Recipients

  • Dr. Kaushallya Adhikari, Louisiana Tech University
    Information Theoretic Design of Sparse Arrays and Adaptive Algorithms to Maximize Detection in Real Sonar Systems
    Program Officer: Dr. Michael Traweek, Maritime Sensing
  • Dr. Elaheh Ahmadi, University of Michigan
    Ultra-scaled Channel N-polar GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors on on-axis GaN and SiC Substrates for Next Generation of Wireless Technology
    Program Officer: Dr. Paul Maki, Electronic Devices, RF Semiconductors and Amplifiers
  • Dr. Turan Birol, University of Minnesota
    First Principles Study of Ferroelectricity in Novel Systems
    Program Officer: Dr. Wallace Smith, Acoustic Transduction Materials and Devices
  • Dr. Tal Cohen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Understanding Extreme Response and Damage of Biological Materials
    Program Officer: Dr. Timothy Bentley, Naval Force Health Protection
  • Dr. Jia Deng, Princeton University
    Symbolic Reasoning meets Deep Learning: Toward Building Machines that Think
    Program Officer: Dr. Behzad Kamgar-Parsi, Machine Learning, Reasoning and Intelligence
  • Dr. Anca Dragan, University of California, Berkeley
    A Unified Framework for Inferring Rewards from Diverse Types of Human Feedback
    Program Officer: Dr. Behzad Kamgar-Parsi, Machine Learning, Reasoning and Intelligence
  • Dr. Keary Engle, Scripps Research Institute
    Selective Alkene Functionalization as a Platform for Energetic Materials Development
    Program Officer: Dr. Chad Stoltz, Advanced Energetic Materials
  • Dr. Brendan Englot, Stevens Institute of Technology
    Distributional Reinforcement Learning for Safe Autonomous Navigation
    Program Officer: Mr. Marc Steinberg, Science of Autonomy
  • Dr. Pedram Hassanzadeh, Rice University
    Using Artificial Intelligence and Inexact Computing to Improve Modeling of Multi-scale, Multi-physics, Chaotic Dynamical Systems with Applications to Weather Predictions
    Program Officer: Dr. Reza Malek-Madani, Applied and Computational Analysis
  • Dr. Marta Hatzell, Georgia Institute of Technology
    Electric Eel Inspired Energy Generation to Enable Underwater Artificial Gills
    Program Officer: Dr. Sandra Chapman, Undersea Medicine and Performance
  • Dr. Adele Igel, University of California, Davis
    Microphysical Modeling and Detection of Marine Fog
    Program Officer: Dr. Ronald Ferek, Marine Meteorology and Space
  • Dr. Adam Kaufman, University of Colorado
    Scalable Metrologically-Useful Entanglement with Ytterbium Tweezer Arrays
    Program Officer: Dr. Roberto Diener, Quantum Information Science
  • Dr. Arka Majumdar, University of Washington
    NEO-PGA: Nonvolatile Electro-Optically Programmable Gate Array
    Program Officer: Dr. Brian Bennett, Electromagnetic Materials
  • Dr. Jacob McFarland, University of Missouri
    Droplet Breakup and Vaporization Effects in High-Speed Liquid-Fueled Combustion
    Program Officer: Dr. Steven Martens, Power, Propulsion and Thermal Management
  • Dr. Melissa Moulton, University of Washington
    Remote Sensing and Forecasting of Coastal Exchange for Battlespace Awareness
    Program Officer: Dr. Reginald Beach, Littoral Geosciences and Optics
  • Dr. Nikolaos Nikiforakis, Stony Brook University
    WebForecast: Analysis and Prediction of Web Application Updates
    Program Officer: Dr. Ryan Craven, Cyber Security and Complex Software Systems
  • Dr. Nicholaus Parziale, Stevens Institute of Technology
    Scaling and Structure in Transitional and Turbulent Hypervelocity Flows
    Program Officer: Dr. Eric Marineau, Hypersonic Aerothermodynamics, High-Speed Propulsion and Materials
  • Dr. Dobromir Rahnev, Georgia Institute of Technology
    Assessing and Improving Military Personnel’s Metacognitive Ability
    Program Officer: Dr. Ray Perez, Cognitive Science for Naval Adaptive Training
  • Dr. Lillian Ratliff, University of Washington
    Algorithmic Cooperation, Competition, and Collusion: Heterogeneous Multi-agent Learning
    Program Officer: Mr. Marc Steinberg, Science of Autonomy
  • Dr. Jonathan Rivnay, Northwestern University
    3D Assembly of Bidirectional Bioelectronic Scaffolds Towards Accelerated Tissue Repair
    Program Officer: Dr. Laura Kienker, Biomaterials and Bionanotechnology
  • Dr. Madeleine Udell, Cornell University
    DREAMI: Dimension Reduction for Efficient Automated Machine Intelligence
    Program Officer: Dr. Reza Malek-Madani, Applied and Computational Analysis
  • Dr. Baoxing Xu, University of Virginia
    Heat Transfer of Extremely Deformed Interface Nanomaterials
    Program Officer: Dr. Mark Spector, Thermal Science and Engineering
  • Dr. Michael Yartsev, University of California, Berkeley
    Neural Computations Underlying the Utilization of Sensory Information in Spatial Navigation
    Program Officer: Dr. Thomas McKenna, Computational Neuroscience
  • Dr. Andrea Young, University of California, Santa Barbara
    Topological van der Waals Metamaterials
    Program Officer: Dr. Chagaan Baatar, Nanoscale Computing Devices and Systems
  • Dr. Jie Zhang, University of Texas at Dallas
    Deep Learning-based Reliability and Resilience Enhancement of Future Navy Ships and Their Integration into Power Networks under Extreme Events
    Program Officer: Dr. Scott Coombe, Power & Energy Science and Technology
  • Dr. Peng Zhang, Michigan State University
    Multi-frequency High Power Microwave Generation and Amplification via Optically Gated Electron Beams
    Program Officer: Mr. Ryan Hoffman, Directed Energy Weapons: High Power Microwaves