Today, Rep. Adam Schiff  congratulated Dr. Frances Arnold of La Cañada, a professor at the California Institute of Technology, was chosen as one of eleven recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, and Dr. Solomon Golomb of La Cañada, a mathematician and professor of electrical engineering at the University of Southern California, was chosen as one of twelve recipients of the National Medal of Science.  Both were honored at a White House ceremony by President Barack Obama early this afternoon.

“Dr. Frances Arnold has worked her entire life to use biology to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Rep. Schiff. “She’s known as a prodigious worker – conducting thousands upon thousands of experiments during her time at Caltech. Dr. Arnold possesses a keen and curious mind, and has served as a role model for countless women looking to break into a field once dominated by men. Dr. Arnold’s work on ‘green fuel’ is particularly important and one of the reasons that President Obama rightly selected her as one of the top scientists across the country.

“For almost his entire career, Dr. Solomon Golomb has shaped the way we communicate with each other, including work on cell phones and communicating in deep space.  During his time with JPL, Dr. Golomb developed technology critical to the lunar and planetary missions.  He’s even the godfather of Tetris, creating polyominoes which served as the game’s inspiration.”