In 1996, President Bill Clinton commissioned the National Science and Technology Council to create an award celebrating emerging researchers in the fields of science and technology at the outset of their careers.

The result was the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The PECASE award is given annually to a group of researchers who 'show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the twenty-first century.'

While working on a story that appears in the upcoming issue of NC State magazine on NC State's Center for Marine Sciences and Technology in Morehead City, N.C., we discovered that three Wolfpack alumni now working in various departments at the neighboring National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's lab in Beaufort have been honored with the award. Each was cited for his award and attended an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., the following year. We caught up with the winners to tell us about their research, their award experience and what their honors say about NC State.