CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Eleven faculty members of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been awarded the distinction of AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Richard D. Braatz, Jeffrey D. Brawn, J. Gary Eden, William S. Hammack, Xuming He, Feng Sheng Hu, Schuyler S. Korban, Steven R. Leigh, Eric Oldfield, John A. Rogers and Patrick J. Weatherhead.
Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. This year 486 members were elevated to this rank because of their efforts to advance science or its applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.
“These faculty members represent the very best of the creativity, innovation and vision that are hallmarks of Illinois scholarship,” said Richard Herman, the chancellor of the Urbana campus. “They enrich the academic environment for our students, and they inspire their colleagues across campus and around the world.”
Braatz, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, was chosen for his contributions to the field of control engineering, particularly for the control of chemical, materials, and pharmaceutical processes.
Brawn, professor of natural resources and environental sciences and of animal biology, was recognized for his contributions to the field of avian population biology, specifically for studies in avian demography and comparative life history evolution in temperate and tropical birds.
Eden, professor of electrical and computer engineering, was selected for his seminal interdisciplinary contributions to ultraviolet lasers, photochemical vapor deposition, ultrafast spectroscopy and microcavity plasma devices.
Hammack, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, was honored for his contributions in communicating science, technology and engineering through American Public Media’s “Marketplace” radio program and through his service as a U.S. diplomat.
He, professor of statistics, was chosen for his contributions to the theory and applications in nonparametric and robust statistics, and for distinguished service to the profession as an editor and National Science Foundation program director.
Hu, professor of plant biology and of geology, was recognized for his contributions to the fields of paleoecology and paleoclimatology, notably for deepening our understanding of the development of boreal ecosystems through the Holocene.
Korban, professor of natural resources and environmental sciences, was selected for his contributions to the field of plant molecular genetics, biotechnology, and breeding, particularly for analysis and enhancement of disease resistance and fruit quality traits as well as for leading genome efforts in fruit species.
Leigh, professor of anthropology, was honored for his contributions to the field of biological anthropology, and particularly for innovative work in the areas of primate growth and life history theory.
Oldfield, professor of chemistry, was selected for his contributions to biological magnetic resonance, including chemical shift analysis and development of anti-malarial drugs.
Rogers, Founder Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, was recognized for his contributions to the science and engineering of unusual materials, patterning techniques and metrology methods for electronic and photonic systems.
Weatherhead, professor of natural resources and environmental sciences and of animal biology, was chosen for his distinguished contributions to the field of animal behavior and ecology, particularly empirical studies of reproductive behavior and sexual selection in birds and snakes.
The election of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. This year’s fellows will be recognized during the AAAS annual meeting in Chicago in February. AAAS, which publishes the journal Science, was founded in 1848; it is the world’s largest general scientific society.
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