Florida State University Researcher Selected for Presidential Award

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President Barack Obama recently awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers to 102 of the nation’s top researchers including Florida State University researcher Dr. Young-Suk Kim. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. Dr. Kim, an Associate Professor of Education and researcher at the Florida Center for Reading Research, was recognized for her research in language and literacy development. She is one of only two award recipients honored by the U.S. Department of Education. She will receive the award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. later this year.

The following excerpt is from the White House press release:


“The impressive achievements of these early-stage scientists and engineers are promising indicators of even greater successes ahead,” President Obama said. “We are grateful for their commitment to generating the scientific and technical advancements that will ensure America’s global leadership for many years to come.”

The Presidential Early Career Awards embody the high priority the Obama Administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the Nation’s goals, tackle grand challenges, and contribute to the American economy. The recipients are employed or funded by the following departments and agencies: Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Interior, Department of Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Intelligence Community, which join together annually to nominate the most meritorious scientists and engineers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for assuring America’s preeminence in science and engineering and contributing to the awarding agencies' missions.

The awards, established by President Clinton in 1996, are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.


Dr. Kim’s primary research areas include language and literacy acquisition and instruction, including early literacy predictors, reading fluency and comprehension, and writing. Dr. Kim is currently a Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator of several studies funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Dr. Kim joined the FSU faculty and FCRR in 2007 after receiving her doctoral degree from Harvard University.