Two Penn State engineering faculty have recently been named recipients of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. The prestigious NSF CAREER Awards provide five years of funding for researchers. They are designed to support junior faculty who have shown exceptional promise in teaching and research. Adam D. Smith, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, received a $400,000 award for his project titled "Rigorous Foundations for Data Privacy." Matthew Parkinson, assistant professor of engineering design and mechanical engineering, received a $400,000 award for his project titled "Foundation of Designing for Human Variability."

Two College of Engineering faculty members were among the seven assistant professors at Penn State who received Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) awards. This prestigious award is given to junior faculty for excellence in research and education. The CAREER awards provide funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for each researcher. The Penn State recipients from the College of Engineering are Sean Hallgren, assistant professor of computer science and engineering; and Jacob Langelaan, assistant professor of aerospace engineering.

Jacob Langelaan, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Career Development (CAREER) Program. Langelaan's five-year $439,750 grant, titled "Theory and Practice of Autonomous Soaring for Aerial Robots," aims to develop planning and control algorithms that will enable small and mini uninhabited aerial vehicles to extract energy from the surrounding atmosphere. Like hawks and eagles, these robotic aircraft will be able to soar, allowing them to remain aloft for extended periods without expending fuel.

Patrick McDaniel, assistant professor of computer science and engineering; Yuan Xie, assistant professor of computer science and engineering; and Sencun Zhu, assistant professor of computer science and engineering; have received grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Career Development (CAREER) Program for their proposals. According to the NSF, the Career Awards are highly selective grants to new faculty members believed to be the next generation of academic leaders. Awardees are selected on the basis of creative career development plans that effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their institution and build the foundation for a lifetime of contributions to their discipline.

Aman Haque, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has received a five-year, $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. The CAREER program is designed to help young engineers and scientists develop their research and teaching simultaneously as they begin their careers.