Dec. 17, 2009

Two School of Natural Resources and Environment professors were among 10 University of Michigan faculty elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dan Brown and Ivette Perfecto joined 530 scientists and researchers elected as part of an annual process conducted ty the AAAS.

Professor Brown, who joined SNRE in 1999, was recognized for contributions to the understanding of the consequences of land-use change on ecosystems and human vulnerability via the innovative blending of social and ecological analysis.

Professor Perfecto, who joined SNRE in 1989, was recognized for contributions to preserving biological diversity, particularly in demonstrating the importance of incorporating agricultural systems in models for conservation of biodiversity.

The tradition began in 1874, with fellows elected by peer AAAS members chosen because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. New fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin Feb. 20 at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2010 AAAS Annual Meeting in San Diego.

This year's fellows will be announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science  Dec. 18. The other new U-M AAAS fellows are:

• Dr. James Baker, Jr., director, Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, for contributions to the study of autoimmune diseases and nanomolecular materials in biomedical applications, his work in nanotechnology, and his public service on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Baker is also the Ruth Dow Doan Endowed Professor in Biologic Nanotechnology, professor of internal medicine and chief of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
• Michael Boehnke, the Richard G. Cornell Distinguished University Professor of Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, the director for the Center for Statistical Genetics and directorí‚  of the Genome Science Training Program, for contributions to the analysis of human genetic data, particularly to the application of statistical methods to human gene mapping.
• Mary Anne Carroll, professor of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, College of Engineering, for sustained research and service in atmospheric chemistry and creative teaching in earth system science. Carroll has appointments in chemistry and geological sciences, both in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
• Peter van Keken, professor of geophysics, for contributions to the fields of geophysics and geodynamics, particularly in using calculations of mantle deformation to reconstruct Earth's thermal and chemical evolution.
• Robert Megginson, professor of mathematics and associate dean for undergraduate and graduate education in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, for sustained excellence as a scholar, mentor, and academic administrator whose pragmatism and hard work have fostered opportunities for those underrepresented in mathematics and science.
• Joyce Penner, Ralph J. Cicerone Distinguished University Professor of Atmospheric Science in the College of Engineering, for her research in identifying and quantifying the role of atmospheric aerosols in changing the Earth's climate, and for the link associating aerosols with human activities.
• Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, professor of chemistry and biophysics, for contributions to the development and applications of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, particularly to study the atomic-level structure and function of proteins associated with the cell membrane, antibiotic peptides, amyloid proteins, bone and nanomaterials.
• Sarah Grey Thomason, the William J. Gedney Collegiate Professor of Linguistics, College of Literature, Science and the Arts, for contributions to the understanding of how languages change, and for groundbreaking work on change through contact with speakers of other languages.

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 AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.

The council is the policymaking body of the Association, chaired by the AAAS president, and consisting of the members of the board of directors, the retiring section chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.