What's Trending | Dr. Supriyo De
Venerated journalist and former C‑SPAN CEO Susan Swain emceed the 76th annual Arthur S. Flemming Awards ceremony this November, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., where twelve federal employees were honored for exceptional civil service across science, leadership, law, and public policy. Howard University alum Dr. Supriyo De (National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging) was honored for his Leadership and Management.
The prestigious awards, presented by the Arthur S. Flemming Awards Commission in partnership with George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School and the National Academy of Public Administration, have recognized more than 700 recipients over the decades, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Neil Armstrong, and Elizabeth Dole.
The Flemming Awards trace their origins to 1948, when Dr. Arthur Sherwood Flemming urged recognition for federal employees during a speech to the Downtown Jaycees in Washington. Inspired by his vision, the Jaycees launched an annual program to honor excellence in government service, attract top talent, and retain the “best of the best.” Over time, the awards expanded into categories such as applied science and engineering, basic science, leadership and management, legal achievement, social science, clinical trials, and translational research. In 1971, Mary Elizabeth Hanford (later Elizabeth Dole) and Dr. Jacqueline Jia‑Kang Whang‑Peng shattered the glass ceiling as the first women honorees, and in 1997 stewardship of the program transitioned to GW’s Trachtenberg School, which now partners with NAPA to host the ceremony.
This year’s honorees represent agencies from the EPA and USDA to the NIH and Department of Justice, with achievements ranging from revolutionizing military space station‑keeping to advancing Alzheimer’s research and improving drinking water in Native communities. “They are true heroes,” said Dr. Kathryn Newcomer, president of the Flemming Awards Commission. James‑Christian Blockwood, CEO of the Academy, added that the winners embody “dedicated, innovative leaders seizing opportunity and rising to the challenge of everyday service.” Celebrating its 76th anniversary, the Flemming Awards remain the nation’s oldest and most prestigious recognition of government service given outside the government, continuing to inspire excellence in public service.
(Photo credits: George Washington University)