President Biden Awards the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology & Innovation
[Music] distinguished guests the president of the United [Music] States welcome please have a seat this is a happy occasion we need some more happy occasions thank you thank you all for being here and welcome to the White House your house in 1921 Marie cure visited the White House with President Warren Hardy and presented him with a precious gift one gram of radium carefully stored and purchased the funds raised by thousands of American women to help continue her research that would transform everything from x-rays to cancer treatment to nuclear energy 24 years after that visit a girl was born in Syria she dreamt of being Madame cure moving to Paris and becoming a scientist then then a uh a family member with real wisdom told her that if you want to dream big dream about going to America that's where great science happens we're determined to return great science to America by we used to invest 2% of our GDP in in of uh in science and technology now we invest 7% of our GDP and uh but anyway she did come to America and her name is Dr ail she's here today Dr where are you there you are right in the [Applause] end stand up everybody can see thank you a groundbreaking scientist studying neurobiology and emotions we could use that badly and anyway she joined 20 other Americans receiving our nation's highest honors in science and technology the national medal of science is given for outstanding contributions to the knowledge to knowledge in the sciences and the national medal of technology and Innovation for outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology for the Improvement of the economic environmental social and social well-being of the United States with this year's recipients outstanding may be an understatement they're extraordinary delivering clean drinking water and fuele efficient heat sources to low-income countries growing crops that can withstand extreme weather deepening our knowledge of blood vessels nerve cells and molecules pointing the way toward new treatments for diseases like cancer Parkinson's and addiction transforming how we live work and communicate by being able by by helping create advanced manufacturing and expand access to the internet protecting our democracy by developing new technologies to protect the right to vote making our world more accessible by creating the Next Generation wheelchair technology expanding expanding our understanding of everything from the depths of the human eye to the depths of the universe and they have paved the way for a generation of other scientists and innovators to pursue their own discoveries to unlock our nation's full potential for all the honores thank you thank you thank you for your courage for your perseverance and maybe most importantly for your integrity and thank you as well to the family members and loved ones here today I want all the family members to stand come on thank you I'm being a little factious but you know what it must have been like growing up saying it's time for dinner he said what anyway thank you of long said America can be defined by a single word I was in the Tibetan Plateau with xiin ping I spent a great deal of time with him one onone back when I was vice president and since then and he looked at me and he said we just had simultaneous interpreters he said can you define America for me and I said I can one word I mean this sincerely possibilities possibilities the fact that several of today's honores immigrated from other countries is proof of the assertion that everything is possible you know there will be more techn technological change in the next 10 years maybe the next 5 years than in the last 50 years through the in large part of the sitting in front of us and I want America to lead to lead that change because of the greatness of a country is measured not only by the size of its economy and the strength of its military it's the strength of the nation is also measured by its boldness of its science quality of its research and the progress it helps bring forth for not only the country but the whole world and this Administration America will be the place where great science happens you know starting on day one in the middle of the pandemic we vaccinated a nation the greatest operational effort ever undertaken by this country operational and we did it with the strategy based on science not on politics now scientists are exploring whether the MRNA technology that brought us safe and effective Co vaccines can be used against cancer I brought together some of our nation tops Minds my Council of advisers on science and technology and I elevated the office of Science and Technology policy to a cabinet level position it's helping lead major initiatives on everything from artificial intelligence to rph to Advanced research projects agency and health for health that are going to drive breakthroughs in how we direct and treat cancer diabetes Alzheimer's and other diseases and this year we're investing $200 billion in research and development in addition I signed in law the chips and science Act and the inflation reduction act two of most significant Investments America has ever made to supercharge research Innovation and job creation already private companies have announced over $600 billion doll in investments in industries from clean energy to Advanced manufacturing right here in America right now NASA is leading the mission on Mars and our phones we can see images of the red planet that before we can only dream a seen we are further into space than ever before and the answer is the most fundamental question about how the universe began is not far away all of this and so much more has happened because America is leading the way and because the people in this room and the labs across the country are leading it matters it matters I want to close with this last year I went to president Ken's library and Museum in Boston to deliver a speech about I referred was the cancer moonshot that my wife Jill and I reignited after we got to the White House you know I've said before there's one thing I wish as president I could do would be ending cancer as we know it for two reasons one America began to lose faith in its ability to do anything the one thing that would prove Americans that we can do anything is ending cancer there's more important things they're more as consequential but ending cancer we've never set our mind to a project we haven't accomplished if we do it together for those who have lost like many of us in this room and for the ones we can save I don't just hope we can do it I know we can do it I was uh in that library was Kennedy's daughter Caroline a dear friend she presented me with her father's framed speech answering the question of why he was sending Americans to the Moon Americans to the moon and here's what he said in the letter said President Kennedy said it was cot because the challenge is one we are unwilling we are willing to accept and one we're unwilling to postpone and one in which we intend to win that's the American attitude unwilling to postpone we are unwilling to postpone and we've been postponing a lot of things too long that's all of you here today you've been unwilling to postpone that's America at our best we just have to remember who in God's name we are we're the United States of America there's nothing nothing Beyond beyond our capacity if we set our mind to it and do it together so thank you very much and with that I'd like to invite the military aid to come up and read the citations before I present the medals thank you all for being here thank [Applause] you the recipients of the national medal of science Huda Akil the national medal of science is being presented to Huda Akil of the University of Michigan for pioneering contributions to our understanding of the brain biology of emotions her seminal discoveries of the molecular neural genetic and behavioral mechan mechanisms of pain substance abuse and depression have helped identify novel targets for treatments strengthening our nation's Public Health including the fight to end the opioid epidemic [Applause] Barry C beish the national medal of science has been awarded to Barry C beish of California Institute of Technology for exemplary service to science including groundbreaking research on subatomic particles his leadership of the laser interferometer gravitational wave Observatory led to the first detection of gravitational waves from merging black holes confirming a key part of Einstein's theory of rela relativity he has broadened our understanding of the universe and our nation's sense of wonder and discovery [Applause] gabisa aeta the national medal of science has been awarded to to gabisa aeta of Purdue University for outstanding contributions to the science of plant genetics by developing sorum strains that withstand droughts and parasites he has improved food security for Millions his advocacy for science policy and institutions as key to Economic Development Has Lifted The Fortunes of farmers and strengthened The Souls of Nations [Applause] Eve martyr the national medal of science has been awarded to Eve martyr of brandise university for her Paradigm shifting contributions to the understanding of neuronal circuit plasticity homeostatic regulation of neuronal excitability and individual variability her Visionary application of theoretical and experimental approaches to understanding neural circuits and her inspirational advocacy of basic science [Applause] Gregory Petco the national medal of science has been awarded to Gregory a PCO of Harvard Medical School and bringham and Women's Hospital for advancing our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases like ALS Alzheimer's and Parkinson's his role in founding structural enzymology along with his commitment to educating the public about brain health have empowered people around the world and raised the Ambitions of our regarding aging with [Applause] dignity accepting on behalf of Miriam cichic Philip cichic and Karen cichic the national medal of science has been awarded to Miriam cichic of the City College of New York for her seminal contributions to fundamental experimental studies of Mo molecular nanomagnets Quantum spin Dynamics and spin coherence in condensed matter systems at low temperatures for her tireless advocacy of Human Rights throughout the world and for serving as an inspirational role model for women in physics subra sish the national medal of science has been awarded to subra sish of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and brown of university for pioneering research across engineering physical sciences and Life Sciences a transformative educator he has advanced the study of Material Science and its application to other disciplines his commitment to research and collaboration across borders has demonstrated how science can for Forge understanding and cooperation among people and Nations [Applause] Shelly Taylor the national medal of science has been awarded to Shelley Taylor of the University of California Los Angeles for groundbreaking Research into mental health and the power of human connection her work showed that optimism self-esteem and strong relationships improve the health of people with cancer diabetes and other diseases helping establish the fields of social cognition Health psychology and social neuroscience and increasing our nation's well-being [Applause] Sheldon weine bomb the national medal of science has been awarded to Sheldon weim bomb of the City College of New York for pathbreaking research in biomechanics his models have driven innovation in physiology bone biology and blood flow in increasing our understanding of cardiovascular disease and leading to life-saving treatments his exceptional teaching and mentorship underscore his lifelong advocacy for diversity and inclusion tapping into the full talents of our [Applause] nation the recipients of the national medal of technology and Innovation Mary Dell Chilton the national medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to Mary Dell Chilton of senta biotechnology for laying the foundation of modern plant biotechnology her breakthrough success developing the first genetically modified plant has led to the engineering of crops that can withstand insects disease extreme weather and climate change transforming agriculture protecting the planet and improving the health of people around the [Applause] world John chopi the national medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to John chopi of Stanford University and Asia for advancements that helped bring high-speed internet to the world the digital subscriber line that he helped invent ignited the growth of the digital age vastly increasing people's access to information reshaping the global economy and transforming how we work communicate and find community Rory Cooper the national medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to Rory a Cooper of the University of Pittsburgh and the US Department of Veterans Affairs for empowering the lives of millions of of Americans by inventing and developing cuttingedge wheelchair wheelchair Technologies and Mobility devices cultivating the next generation of Rehabilitation engineers and championing wounded veterans and students with disabilities he moves us closer to being a nation that is accessible for [Applause] all [Applause] asoke gadgil the national medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to asoke gadgil of the University of California Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for providing life sustaining resources to communities around the world his Innovative inexpensive Technologies help meet profound needs from drinking water to fuele efficient cook stoves his work is inspired by a belief in the Dignity of all people and in our power to solve the great challenges of our time [Applause] Juan Gilbert the national medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to Juan Gilbert of the University of Florida for protecting democracy his pioneering designs in elections technology aim to make voting more secure and accessible helping ensure that ours remains a government of by and for the people an advocate for diversity in computer science he makes this discipline stronger and more representative of of our [Applause] [Music] [Applause] nation Charles Hull the national medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to Charles W Hull of 3D systems for helping launch the groundbreaking 3D printing industry thanks to stereol lithography which he invented countless products can be prototyped faster and cheaper reshaping industries from Aerospace to healthcare to education he continues to drive innovation in advanced manufacturing critical to our nation's economy security and Global [Applause] Leadership Jang Kim the national medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to jeang H Kim of kisse mobile for advances in engineering and technology that transformed how we communicate his work on broadband Optical systems data Communications and wireless technologies have made communication faster and clearer including improvements in Battlefield Communications that strengthen our national security he exemplifies the power of American entrepreneurship and [Applause] innovation Steven Rosenberg the national medal of technology and innovation has been presented to Stephen A Rosenberg of the National Cancer Institute for transforming the way we treat cancer and advancing our progress toward ending cancer as we know it by Leading the development of the first effective immunotherapies he has saved countless lives lives and inspired a generation of scientists his work powerfully illustrates that we can do big things as [Applause] Americans Neil Gilbert seagull the national medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to Neil Gilbert seagull of the University of Southern California for technology that bolstered our nation's security economy and connectivity his creation of the digital battle field represented a new approach to combat operations integrating secure Communications and precise real-time data to minimize us casualties and protect allies and civilians today Technologies he invented are found in smartphones everywhere James Fujimoto Eric Swanson and David Wang the national medal medal of technology and innovation has been awarded to James Fujimoto and Eric Swanson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and David Wong of the Oregon Health and Science University for enhancing human Vision their invention of optical coherence tomography transformed Opthalmology by providing a detailed image of the retina for the first time their work is now the standard of care for the detection and treatment of eye disease giving Millions a new chance to see the world well [Applause] you all are so damn impressive I really mean it think of how you're literally changing the world for the better thank everybody and congratulations again to our standing laurates and their families and remember what America is all about you do possibilities possibilities that's who we are anything's possible we put our mind to it and with you all you've got Incredible Minds thank you what you've done so far youve saved people's lives you've changed the way we look at the world and you made it better I don't know maybe we could ask for anything more thank you thank you thank you and God bless you all distinguished guest please remain in your seats until the president and the recipients have departed thank [Music] you
2023-10-27 17:25
