Professor Ehsan Hoque has been awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers. The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future.

Hoque, a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science, is an expert in human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence. His previous accolades include being named an “emerging leader” by the National Academy of Medicine, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award winner, one of Science News’s “10 Scientists to Watch” in 2017, and one of MIT Technology Review’s “Innovators Under 35” in 2016.

He was nominated for the PECASE award for his work with the Army Research Office developing advanced multimodal AI systems that understand how different forms of human communication—from facial expressions and speech to body language and verbal content—interact, complement, and sometimes contradict each other. This research aimed to develop practical and ethical applications that benefit society while carefully preserving individual privacy and civil rights.​​​ He says that while the project was particularly challenging, he feels gratified to engage in such impactful work with exceptional research partners.

“I am incredibly fortunate to work with students who embraced this vision, persisting through countless rejections and setbacks before achieving our breakthrough,” says Hoque. “This award reinforces an important lesson: pursuing quick wins rarely leads to distinction. The real breakthroughs come when you aim high and persevere through the storms of rejection, self-doubt, and skepticism.”

Press release by UR: https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/2025-pecase-recipients-presidential-early-career-award-for-scientists-and-engineers-636132/

Press release by Whitehouse: https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/ostp/news-updates/2025/01/14/president-biden-honors-nearly-400-federally-funded-early-career-scientists/