Two Berkeley Engineering professors earn NSF CAREER Awards

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has recognized Hannah Stuart, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Grigory Tikhomirov, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, with Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) awards.

These are among the NSF’s most prestigious awards, as they support early-career faculty “who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education,” according to the foundation’s website.

Stuart received a grant of $600,000 to fund the Embodied Dexterity Group’s work on wearable robotic assistance for people with severe weakness or partial paralysis of the hands and arms. This project seeks to advance the health and welfare of people with disabilities while increasing their ability to function independently.

“I’m thrilled that this grant is fueling the growth of our work at the intersection of robots and human assistance,” Stuart said. “This is a newer line of research for my lab, which we started after I came to UC Berkeley in 2018. This award confirms that it was worth taking the risk to start something new, and I think this research has real potential to impact people’s lives.”

Tikhomirov was awarded $545,430, which will go toward Ti Lab at Berkeley’s development of a new nanofabrication approach based on the self-assembly of nanoscale materials guided by DNA molecules. This new manufacturing process has a diverse range of applications, such as tiny sensors with unprecedented sensitivity.

“I feel grateful to my lab and colleagues — and temporarily relieved that we have funds to continue realizing our vision for a new, more versatile and sustainable nanotechnology,” Tikhomirov said.

This year, eight Berkeley faculty members have received CAREER awards from the NSF, including Gireeja Ranade and Yakun Sophia Shao from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.