A record nine UGA faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an honor bestowed upon them by their peers for “scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.”
The UGA faculty members are among 531 new AAAS Fellows who will be honored Feb. 20 at the 2010 AAAS annual meeting in San Diego. AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society, and being named a Fellow is one of its most prestigious honors. The nine inductees are the largest group honored in a single year from UGA, and bring the total number of AAAS Fellows at the university to 57.
“Selection as a Fellow of the AAAS represents a major milestone in the careers of our most talented scientists and is an important recognition of their enduring contributions,” said David Lee, UGA vice president for research. “Their selection brings distinction to the University of Georgia, which is doubly proud to have a record number of faculty members selected as AAAS Fellows this year.”
The 2010 UGA AAAS Fellows, by school and college, are:
Arts and Sciences
Harry A. Dailey Jr., professor of microbiology, and biochemistry and molecular biology, and director of the UGA Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute: For distinguished contributions to the field of medical biochemistry, particularly in relation to a group of rare genetic disorders known as porphyrias;
Dorothy M. Fragaszy, professor of psychology, director of the UGA Primate Cognition and Behavior Laboratory, and chair of the Neuroscience and Behavior Program: For distinguished contributions to the study of primates and their behavior, and for leadership of the International Primatological Society;
James T. Hollibaugh, professor of marine sciences: For distinguished contributions to microbial ecology and the role of bacteria in the cycling of chemicals, especially nitrogen, arsenic and selenium, between the living and non-living parts of an ecosystem;
Duncan C. Krause, professor of microbiology and director of the UGA Faculty of Infectious Diseases: For distinguished contributions to the field of microbiology, particularly in the area of cell biology and in furthering the understanding of the bacterium that causes bronchitis and “walking” pneumonia;
Robert J. Maier, professor of microbiology and Georgia Research Alliance Ramsey Eminent Scholar of Microbial Physiology: For distinguished contributions in the field of microbiology, especially the processes that bacteria use to convert nitrogen into ammonia, metabolize hydrogen and sequester and store nickel;
Mary Ann Moran, Distinguished Research Professor: For distinguished contributions to microbial ecology and the use of genome science to understand the role of marine bacteria in the global cycling of nutrients between the living and non-living components of ecosystems.
Odum School of Ecology
J. Whitfield Gibbons, professor emeritus, senior research scientist and head of Savannah River Ecology Lab Environmental Outreach Program: For distinguished contributions to the field of population ecology of vertebrates, particularly for developing new theoretical and applied understandings of amphibians and reptiles in wetlands;
Catherine M. Pringle, Distinguished Research Professor: For distinguished contributions to the field of aquatic ecosystem ecology and conservation, particularly for her research on hydrologic connectivity and the effects of species loss on ecosystem structure and function in tropical streams; and
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Peggy Ozias-Akins, professor of horticulture: For distinguished contributions to the field of agricultural biotechnology, particularly in the areas of asexual propagation and peanut genetic engineering and molecular breeding.
The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of Fellow if nominated by the steering groups of the association’s 24 sections or by any three Fellows who are current AAAS members (so long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee’s institution), or by the AAAS chief executive officer. Each steering group then reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the policymaking body of the association, which votes on the aggregate list.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science as well as Science Translational Medicine and Science Signaling. AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals.
It is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education and more.