SACNAS Announces 2024 Distinguished Awardees

For immediate release:
October 3, 2024
Contact: Eben Lindsey, MA – SACNAS Senior Director, External Affairs
eben@sacnas.org

Awardees to be honored at SACNAS' 2024 National Diversity in STEM Conference in Phoenix, Arizona 

SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 SACNAS Distinguished Awards. This year’s two awardees have exemplified the SACNAS mission by showing exceptional dedication to excellence in STEM, research, and mentoring. These outstanding individuals were nominated by those who have been impacted by their work and selected by a committee of their peers. Awards will be presented during a Keynote Session as part of the 2024 SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference. 

Since the SACNAS Distinguished Awards program was initiated in 1997, the Society has honored over 132 scientists, educators, and program directors for their commitment to and personification of the spirit of the SACNAS mission: to foster the success Chicano/Hispanic and Native American scientists, from college students to professionals, in attaining attain advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM. 

We are honored to present the 2024 awardees: 

2024 SACNAS Distinguished Scientist Award

Joseph L. Bull, Ph.D. (Delaware Tribe of Indians)

Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science
Portland State University 

Dr. Joseph Bull is the Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University, and enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the first Native American dean of engineering in the country. His current research focuses on biofluid mechanics and ultrasound and includes theoretical and computational modeling as well as in vitro and in vivo experiments. Dr. Bull's work primarily centers on the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, related biomedical devices, and edema, addressing fundamental biofluid mechanics problems that may enable new clinical therapies or diagnostics. His research impacts include areas of gas embolotherapy, tissue compression and intra-tissue flow, artificial lungs and dialysis, liquid ventilation, and biological microfluidic devices. 

Before joining Portland State, he served as the Associate Dean for Research, Faculty Affairs and Graduate Studies in the School of Science and Engineering at Tulane University, where he held the John and Elsie Martinez Biomedical Engineering Chair, was a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and the Interim Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.  Prior to moving to Tulane, he was Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. He has a substantial history of working to improve racial equity and diversity. His work in this area was recognized by the Raymond J. and Monica E. Schultz Outreach and Diversity Award from the University of Michigan. 

Dr. Bull received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University. In 2014, he was appointed as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and, among other honors, was named a Sequoyah Fellow of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.

2024 SACNAS Distinguished Mentor Award

Eugene Stephane Mananga, Ph.D. 

Professor 
The City University of New York - BCC and Graduate Center 

Dr. Eugene S. Mananga is a Tenured Full Professor of physics and nuclear medicine at The City University of New York (BCC & Graduate Center), an Adjunct Professor of applied physics at New York University, and a Visiting Scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He is currently a selected Fellow at KAVLI Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) at the University of California Santa Barbara. His research spans a range of topics in condensed matter physics, materials science, and computational science.

Dr. Mananga has published more than 80 peer-review scientific articles and is the recipient of several distinguished awards including the 2017 Henry Wasser Award in physics from The CUNY Academy for Humanities and Sciences, the 2018 Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Chemical Society (New York Section), the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from VDGOOD Professional Association in India, the 2022 CUNY Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering (JFRASE) sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and more recently the 2023 President’s Award for Excellence in Research from the President of BCC of The City University of New York for Excellence in Research, Creative Activities, Outstanding Dedication, Hard Work, and Passion for Education. Prof. Mananga has been selected to several Visiting Faculty Fellowships from the US Department of Energy to perform research in major US National Laboratories including Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Professor Mananga completed his Ph.D. in Physics from The City University of New York under the supervision of the CUNY Distinguished Professor and SACNAS Lifetime member Dr. Steven Greenbaum, his Postdoctoral studies in Nuclear Medicine at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, and he holds more than 8 additional graduate degrees and training from various institutions including Harvard Medical School. He was a Research Fellow in the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory of USA and in the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA-SACLAY).

 Awardees will be presented and give acceptance speeches at the 2024 NDiSTEM Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Learn more and register for the conference at sacnas.org/conference. 

About SACNAS

For over 50 years, SACNAS has served as an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicano/Hispanics & Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership within STEM. Today, the organization serves a growing community of over 20,000 supporters including nearly 10,000 members, and 150 student and professional chapters throughout the United States including Guam and Puerto Rico. SACNAS influences the STEM diversity movement through STEM outreach & advocacy, the promotion of STEM leaders, and The SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference.  Learn more about SACNAS at sacnas.org, Facebook, or Twitter.