Joe DeSimone is one of 17 recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, which was given to him by President Barack Obama in a ceremony Thursday.

“The real reason we do this, as I’ve said before, is to teach our young people that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl or the NCAA Tournament that deserves a celebration,” Obama said. “We want the winners of science fairs. We want those who have invented the products and life-saving medicine and are engineering our future to be celebrated too.”

DeSimone was recognized for his work with cancer research and 3D-printing.

His work has impacted a number of fields including medicine and manufacturing.

DeSimone is part of a joint program, where he is a professor of chemistry at UNC and chemical engineering at NC State.

“This is a world-class honor,” said chair of the UNC Board of Trustees Dwight Stone. “Highest honor our nation gives. Joe and his staff should be commended for all the work they do.”

UNC chancellor Carol Folt also made the trip to Washington to support DeSimone.

“One of the exciting thing about Joe’s work is that it’s so cross cutting,” she said. “He works in medicine, he works in manufacturing. He has inventions in so many fields. He’s involved in every way that you can imagine making it stronger here.”

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