Three Division of Physical Sciences Professors Named 2017 Sloan Research Fellows

February 21, 2017
By Kim McDonald

Three early-career faculty members in the Division of Physical Sciences have won prestigious 2017 Sloan Research Fellowships for achievements that mark them as the nation’s future leaders in science and technology.

Kamil Godula, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry; Tarun Grover, an assistant professor of physics; and Jérémie Palacci, an assistant professor of physics, were among six new fellows at UC San Diego who received the prestigious honor this year.

Sloan Research Fellowships were awarded this year to only 126 researchers from 60 colleges and universities. Each of the scholars will receive $60,000 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to use as they wish to further their research.

“The large number of Sloan Research Fellowships awarded this year to our faculty is a powerful confirmation of the quality of our university, scholars and research enterprise,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “I congratulate these young scholars on their achievements and I look forward to seeing them pave the way for our next generation of leaders.”

“The Sloan Research Fellows are the rising stars of the academic community,” said Paul L. Joskow, president of the Sloan Foundation. “Through their achievements and ambition, these young scholars are transforming their fields and opening up entirely new research horizons. We are proud to support them at this crucial stage of their careers.”

In addition to Godula, Grover and Palacci, this year’s UC San Diego Sloan Research Fellows include Daniel M. Kane, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering; Sergey Kryazhimskiy, an assistant professor of biology; and Siavash Mirarab, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering,

Past Sloan Research Fellows include many towering scientific figures, including physicists Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-Mann, and game theorist John Nash. Forty-three former fellows have received a Nobel Prize in their respective field, 16 have won the Fields Medal in mathematics, 69 have received the National Medal of Science and 16 have won the John Bates Clark Medal in economics, including every winner since 2007.

“Early-career recognition can make a significant difference in the life of a scientist,” said Daniel L. Goroff, vice president at the Sloan Foundation and director of the Sloan Research Fellowship program. “The rigorous selection process and the prominence of past awardees make the Sloan Research Fellowships one of the most prestigious awards available to young researchers.”

A full list of the 2017 Sloan Research Fellows is available at: https://sloan.org/fellowships/2017-Fellows