Three University of Georgia faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious organizations dedicated to promoting science and engineering nationally. UGA now has 53 members within the exclusive group.
The new Fellows are Gerald Hart of the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Karl Lechtreck of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ department of cellular biology and Mark Tompkins of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
“We are so proud to add three more names to UGA’s collection of AAAS Fellows,” said Chris King, interim vice president for research. “Their scientific contributions speak volumes and have led to profound impacts on understanding disease, cellular development, public health and more. UGA’s service to the state and beyond has been made stronger by their contributions, and I congratulate each of them on this well-earned achievement.”
Gerald Hart
Hart was a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar at UGA who, in addition to his CCRC appointment, also served in the Franklin College department of biochemistry and molecular biology prior to his retirement last year. He studies how complex sugar modifications regulate cellular function and disease, focusing on glycosylation — when carbohydrate molecules, or glycans, attach to proteins or lipids — and how these modifications interact to control protein activity, gene expression and signaling pathways. His work adds to new understanding of conditions like diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
“AAAS is an outstanding organization that has supported research for many decades,” Hart said of the honor. “There has never been a more important time to support fundamental scientific research. We are on the precipice of great advances that will improve lives.”
Karl Lechtreck
A professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of cellular biology, Lechtreck studies cilia — microscopic, hair-like organelles that play critical roles in cell movement and signaling. His research focuses on intraflagellar transport, the miniature railway cells use to move proteins into and out of cilia. By tracking individual proteins moving inside cilia, researchers in the Lechtreck Lab study how cells regulate ciliary length, composition and function.
By uncovering these mechanisms, Lechtreck’s work has advanced understanding of ciliopathies, a group of disorders linked to conditions such as infertility, kidney disease and obesity.
“I have had the privilege and pleasure to work with dedicated students and caring mentors,” he said. “Their contribution and support are the basis for this recognition. Looking forward, our lab is enjoying exciting times as we are gaining ever better insights into how cells assemble cilia and control their length.”
Mark Tompkins
Tompkins, UGA Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in Virology and Immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and director of the Center for Vaccines and Immunology, studies how influenza and other emerging viruses evolve, spread and interact with host immune systems. His research focuses on virus-host interactions, cross-species transmission and the development of novel vaccines and antiviral therapies for respiratory diseases.
This work helps advance strategies to predict, prevent and treat infectious diseases that threaten global public health, agriculture and food systems.
“I am thrilled and honored to be named an AAAS Fellow,” Tompkins said. “This recognition celebrates the outstanding dedication and talent of my students, trainees and collaborators. Our work on emerging and reemerging pathogens and the development of countermeasures has flourished through collaboration, supported by UGA’s strong commitment to multidisciplinary science.”
The 2025 class of Fellows includes nearly 500 other scientists, engineers and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines. New Fellows have been invited to attend the annual Fellows Forum, which will be held on May 29 in Washington, D.C.