Professor Zhi-Li Zhang, Computer Science and Engineering, was one of twelve Year 2000 recipients of the University of Minnesota Graduate School's McKnight Land-Grant Professorship. The goal of this program is to advance the careers of the most promising junior faculty at a crucial period in their professional lives. Recipients are honored with the title McKnight Land-Grant Professor, an endowed chair which they will hold for two years. The award consists of a $25,000 research grant in each of two years, summer support, and a research leave in the second year.

Winners were chosen for their potential for important contribution to their field; the degree to which their past achievements and current ideas demonstrate originality, imagination, and innovation; the potential for attracting outstanding students; and the significance of the research and the clarity with which it is conveyed to the non-specialist.

Professor Zhang's research focuses on the development of new network architectures and mechanisms to transform the current Internet into a multimedia network. The Internet is the driving force behind the information revolution today. Its potential to integrate multiple media types in a seamless fashion offers exciting new possibilities, with many challenging problems.

Click here for additional information about the McKnight scholarship.

Vicki Interrante was one of 60 individuals nationwide who received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) on March 14, 2000, at the White House.

The Presidential Awards are intended to recognize some of the finest scientists and engineers who, while early in their research careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the twenty-first century. The awards foster innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, increase awareness of careers in science and engineering, give recognition to the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhance connections between fundamental research and national goals, and highlight the importance of science and technology for the nation's future.

The Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. The awards are conferred annually at the White House following recommendations from participating agencies. To be eligible for a Presidential Award, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident. Each Presidential Award will be of five years duration. Individuals can receive only one PECASE award in their careers.

For additional information, please visit: www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/press/00/pr0022.htm