'Oscars of Government Service' Finalists Announced

Thirty-one federal employees are finalists for the 2013 Service to America Medals for their achievements in a range of fields including hurricane forecasting, medical advancements and green energy development.

“The Service to America Medal finalists remind us all about the true value and spirit of public servants,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, the organization behind the awards. “Too often we only appreciate our government workforce in times of emergency or when services are no longer available to us. The medals shine a spotlight on the important work they do each and every day.”

Winners receive cash awards ranging from $3,000 to $10,000.

The finalists will be honored at a ceremony Tuesday and the winners will be selected in October. The honorees’ accomplishments include:

• Development of hypersonic aircraft engines
• Overhaul of the IRS’ tax processing system, leading to quicker refunds
• Development of new forensic investigatory techniques to track down abusers of child pornography
• Expansion of safe use of alternative fuels to ensure energy independence for Air Force missions
• Coordination of a U.S. relief effort to help millions of people who faced starvation in the Horn of Africa
• Eradication of polio in India
• Leadership of the Curiosity rover mission to Mars
• First-ever use of genome sequencing to stop the spread of deadly hospital-acquired infection
• Stopping the release of more than 1 million tons of the world’s most potent greenhouse gas

A full list of the nominees is available here.

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