Four IU scientists and a journalist elected fellows of the AAAS
Five Indiana University faculty members will be elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at the society's annual meeting in Boston on Feb. 16, 2008. AAAS's newest fellows are listed in the Oct. 26 issue of Science.
Election as a AAAS fellow is among the highest honors in American science. Scholars are selected by their peers for "scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications," according to election administrators.
IU's 2007 fellows are School of Medicine biologist Howard J. Edenberg, IU Bloomington biologists Miriam E. Zolan, Thomas Kaufman and Michael Wade, and IU School of Journalism professor S. Holly Stocking.
Following are brief descriptions of the work AAAS credits as cause for each faculty member's election.
Howard J. Edenberg -- For characterization of the alcohol dehydrogenase genes and for identification of other genes and alterations in gene expression that also affect alcoholism risk. Edenberg is a Chancellor's Professor and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of medical and molecular genetics at the IU School of Medicine.
Thomas Kaufman -- For distinguished contributions to developmental biology, particularly for elucidating developmental gene action and evolution, and facilitating Drosophila research through leadership in stock collections and databases. Kaufman is a Distinguished Professor of biology at IU Bloomington, adjunct professor of medical genetics and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
S. Holly Stocking -- For outstanding teaching in science writing and journalism ethics, for influential research on scientific ignorance and uncertainty, and for work that has enhanced the scientist/journalist interaction and public understanding of science issues. Stocking is an associate professor at the IU School of Journalism in Bloomington.
Michael Wade -- For distinguished contributions to evolutionary biology, especially for theoretical and empirical work in evolutionary genetics, sexual selection and the levels of natural selection. Wade is a professor of biology at IU Bloomington.
Miriam E. Zolan -- For sustained and important research in meiosis and for outstanding contributions to genetics education. Zolan is a professor of biology at IU Bloomington.
The elections bring IU's current total of AAAS fellows to 33, more than any other institution in the state of Indiana.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal Science (www.sciencemag.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals.
