Congratulations, Dr. Zhai!
We would like to congratulate Shengjie Zhai, Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and past recipient of a Nevada NASA EPSCoR Rapid Response Research (R3) NOFO award, for receiving the Jason Geddes Rising Researcher Award, in recognition of his research accomplishments and potential for future contributions.
Formerly known as the Nevada Regents’ Rising Researcher Award, it was renamed in 2024 in honor of Regent Emeritus Jason Geddes, a longtime advocate for education and research within NSHE, who passed away that year. The renaming commemorates his legacy and dedication to mentoring young scholars and advancing research across the state.
When congratulated by Dr. Eric Wilcox, statewide director for the Nevada NASA programs, Dr. Zhai highlighted the impact of his previous work: “I truly believe that my experience with the previous NASA R3 project titled Strategic Approaches in Space Medicine: Assessing Human Immune T-Cell Responses to Radiation Exposure, funded by the Nevada NASA EPSCoR program, played a significant role in securing this award. I’m deeply grateful for your continued support and guidance.”
Congratulations once again to Dr. Zhai on this prestigious honor!