Awards Banquet 2024

The Washington Academy of Sciences hosted its Annual Awards Banquet on Friday May 17 at the beautiful headquarters of the National Academy of Sciences building on Constitution Avenue.  This annual gala event is a highlight of the year for the Washington DC science community.

Here are the members of the Board of Managers of the Washington Academy of Sciences for 2024-2025.  From left, they are Jerome Gibbon, Ram Sriram, Matt Humbard, Al Jones, Paul Cotae, Mala Ramaiah, Vijay Kowtha, David Torain, Mahesh Mani, Judy Staveley, Claudia Cotca, Paul Arveson, and Michael Cohen.  (Not shown are Anne Kornahrens, Mei Sun, and Ken Baclawski.)

A special feature of this event was the presence of large number of talented high school students from the DC area.    Here is a sample of some of the Academy board members, awardees and students at the National Academy of Sciences building.  In the front row are Ram Sriram, Geby Jaff, Ruzena Bajcsy, David Torain, Judy Staveley and Mahesh Mani.

The Academy has a special interest in STEM education for students of all ages.  Our Junior Academy partners with other volunteer  educators in the DMV to promote these services for our community.

Tributes to the Washington Academy of Sciences on its 125th Anniversary

In May 2023 The Washington Academy of Sciences celebrated its 125th Anniversary in conjunction with its Annual Awards Banquet.  Special highlights of this event included tributes to the Academy from four leading scientists in the Washington DC area.  Following are short videos of their presentations:

Dr. S. Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Dr. S. Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation, offers encouraging comments about the educational work of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 

Dr. William Phillips, National Institute of Science and Technology


Dr. Phillips won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997 for his development of techniques for the study of cold atoms.

Dr. Vint Cerf, Google Inc.


Dr. Cerf was one of the early developers of the internet. He has been a long-time member and supporter of the Washington Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Laurie Locascio, Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology


Dr. Locascio is the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). From 2017 to 2022, Locascio served as Vice President for Research at the University of Maryland.

The board members of the Washington Academy of Sciences are grateful for the recognition offered to the Academy by these leading science and management leaders from the DC area!

Past Presentations

 The Washington Academy of Sciences now includes on this website an archive of audio, video and slide presentations sponsored or submitted by members of the Academy.    Please visit our presentations page for a list of these fascinating presentations!