María de las Mercedes Calbi, a physics professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is one of 100 up and coming scientists who were honored by the White House on Thursday as winners of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.

It is the highest honor the U.S. government gives to young professionals in the early stages of their research careers. Calbi is the first SIUC researcher to receive the award, which was first established by President Clinton in 1996. (UMSL physicist Sonya Bahar won it in 2007.)

The winners are chosen for their innovative research as well as for community service through scientific leadership, education and community outreach. Calbi was was one 20 researchers nominated for the award by the National Science Foundation.

Calbi, along with the other winners, will be honored at a White House ceremony in the fall. She became eligible for the award after receiving a $400,000 CAREER grant for beginning researchers from the NSF.

According to an SIUC news release, she used the grant to support her work in “developing theoretical models and methods for understanding how molecules and atoms gain access and bind to carbon nanotube bundles.” The research apparently has potential in areas such as gas separation, purification and storage.

(I’m not sure what all of that means, but it sounds impressive and important.)

“Most of the past presidential awardees have been from the most prestigious institutions in the country, so I was especially pleased that NSF was also recognizing the work we do here at SIUC, where our commitment to our mission as researchers and educators is as serious and intense as in any other place,” Calbi said in a news release.

Other award winners from the region include: Joy K. Ward from the University of Kansas, Ioannis Chasiotis from the University of Illinois, and Lynford L. Goddard, University of Illinois. To see the full list of honorees, click here to read the White House press release.

The Grade is the St. Louis region’s premier blog on education and child welfare. To read other recent posts, go to www.stltoday.com/thegrade.