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Six ������������ faculty members have received more than $4.4 million in National Science Foundation CAREER Awards to pursue groundbreaking research in materials science, psychology, high-tech manufacturing and more.

The awards are part of the NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development Program, which identifies academics who have the potential to serve as role models and leaders in research and education. ������������ faculty have received the most CAREER Awards of any SUNY school in 2025.

“The NSF CAREER Awards are an incredibly prestigious honor and distinction for early-career faculty,” said University President Harvey Stenger. “To have six faculty members receive these awards should instill the entire University community with a great deal of pride. I am impressed by the range and the scope of their work, which is undoubtedly going to continue to inspire their peers, our students and ������������’s alumni. My congratulations to the CAREER Award recipients and best wishes for their future successes.”

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald Hall expressed gratitude for the many contributions that these faculty members make to the University community.

“������������ is fortunate to add six new faculty members to a long list of those who have previously won NSF CAREER Awards,” he said. “This award routinely recognizes brilliant and hard-working faculty members who grow to become internationally respected leaders in their fields. These six individuals are going to make our world a better place through their research and scholarship.”

The Division of Research’s Office of Strategic Research Initiatives provides proposal support to faculty members submitting funding proposals (including NSF CAREER grants) and hosts the annual NSF CAREER Commit-to-Submit workshop series.

“These CAREER awards reflect the talent and drive of ������������’s early-career faculty,” said Michael Jacobson, executive director for the Office of Strategic Research Initiatives. “These projects will have significant social impacts, from improvements in people’s daily lives to the development of advanced technologies and processes that will support our nation’s industries. These awardees will also play a significant role in shaping the next generation of researchers through their STEM education and outreach efforts.”

Four of this year’s CAREER Award winners at ������������ are assistant professors at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, and two are assistant professors at the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences.

• Ana Laura Elias Arriaga (Physics) received $705,000 to perfect her method of “one-pot synthesis” that stacks super-thin layers to create new material properties. The materials could be used to build better microchips and batteries.
• Jia Deng (Systems Science and Industrial Engineering) was awarded more than $580,000 to develop a manufacturing process that uses a tiny tool to etch patterns on materials. The technology could enhance the performance of nano-electronics for a wide range of next-generation applications.
• Yincheng Jin (Computing) received nearly $600,000 to design wearable technology that can utilize facial recognition and artificial intelligence to improve how we learn American Sign Language in real time.
• Sung-Joo Lim (Psychology) was awarded more than $815,000 to explore different ways to promote language learning in adults. The findings could tap into a new pathway toward greater brain plasticity.
• Fuda Ning (SSIE) received almost $600,000 to create better tungsten alloys using extrusion-based sintering-assisted additive manufacturing — or more colloquially, 3D printing. It could lead to stronger materials in industries from outer space to medicine.
• Qianbin Wang (Biomedical Engineering) was awarded $600,000 to investigate what causes glaucoma and potential ways to detect and treat it early. He and his team have found that as glaucoma progresses, a certain type of neuron becomes overactive.

In addition to these winners, Jifu Tan — an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Watson College since fall 2024 — received a $506,000 CAREER Award while a faculty member at Northern Illinois University. He models the formation and rupture of blood clots in the bloodstream as part of a larger effort to combat cardiovascular disease.