UO's Joe Thornton honored by President Bush

EUGENE, Ore. -- (Nov. 1, 2007) -- Joseph W. Thornton, professor of biology at the University of Oregon, was honored today at the White House as a recipient of a 2006 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) -- the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on young researchers at the outset of their careers.

Thornton, an evolutionary biologist, received the award in a White House ceremony. Thornton, whose work is supported by the National Science Foundation, was among 56 PECASE honorees -- and one of two from Oregon. In all, the winners came from 19 institutions in 15 states.

Thornton, who was among 20 NSF winners, is widely known for his work using advanced biochemical and computational techniques to resurrect ancient genes that existed hundreds of millions of years ago and determining precisely how they evolved modern-day functions.

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For more information on Thornton's research, read a short profile.

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The awards were presented in a ceremony presided over by John H. Marburger III, science advisor to the president and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Thornton was among the 54 winners who attended the event.

"We are delighted to learn that this prestigious national honor has been given to Joe Thornton," said President Dave Frohnmayer. "The award speaks both to his many accomplishments and to his potential as an evolutionary biologist and vital contributing member of our already outstanding biological research community."

According to the White House, Thornton was recognized "for innovative research on the evolution of complex molecular systems, for reconstructing and experimentally characterizing ancient genes, for elucidating the mechanisms by which hormones and their receptor proteins evolved, and for educating students and non-governmental organizations about issues at the interface of biology and public policy."

“I’m very grateful for NSF’s very strong support of the research that my students, postdocs and I do,” Thornton said. “It’s quite encouraging that the White House is giving this award to an evolutionary biologist, especially one whose work demonstrates how evolution assembled the so-called ‘irreducibly complex systems’ that Intelligent Design advocates say can’t possibly have evolved.”

Each year, the NSF recommends a small number of nominees from among recipients of its CAREER awards, which are large research and teaching grants given to extremely promising early-career scientists. Thornton’s CAREER award -- a $911,000 grant over five years -- supports his laboratory’s research on the molecular evolution of the endocrine system, his work teaching students about issues at the nexus of evolution, molecular biology and politics, and his service as a technical adviser to environmental organizations on the effects of toxic chemicals on public health.

Thornton is a member of the UO Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He joined the UO faculty in 2002, after postdoctoral research and doctoral studies at Columbia University and the American Museum of Natural History. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English from Yale University and worked at Greenpeace for almost a decade as an environmental activist before pursuing advanced his advanced degrees in science.

Portland State University's Lisa M. Zurk, a professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, was the other Oregon PECASE winner. She also was nominated by the NSF, which had 20 nominations selected for the 2006 awards.

Other agencies submitting nominations for the awards were the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon’s flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of 62 of the leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. Membership in the AAU is by invitation only. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact: Jim Barlow, 541-346-3481, jebarlow@uoregon.edu

Source: Joe Thornton, professor of biology, 541-346-0328, joet@uoregon.edu

Links: Joe Thornton faculty Web page: http://www.uoregon.edu/~joet/; National Science Foundation news release: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=110588&org=NSF&from=news National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov; PSU's Lisa Zurk faculty page: http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~zurkl/; White House announcement: http://tinyurl.com/3csvhe

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