CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Six 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: Gary S. Dell, Andrew A. Gewirth, Donald R. Ort, Thomas B. Rauchfuss, Philippe Tondeur and Huimin Zhao.
Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. This year 531 members were elevated to this rank because of their efforts to advance science or its applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.
“These six new AAAS fellows affirm the high caliber of scholarship here at Illinois,” said Robert A. Easter, interim chancellor of the Urbana campus. “We are proud of all they have accomplished and all they will achieve in the coming years. They inspire all of us, including our students.”
Dell, a professor of psychology, was chosen for his groundbreaking work on the production of language using an array of methodologies, including behavioral studies, computational modeling and neurosciences.
Gewirth, a professor of chemistry, was recognized for distinguished contributions to electrochemical surface science and for his work as the director of the School of Chemical Sciences at Illinois.
Ort, a professor of plant biology, was selected for research accomplishments in the area of photosynthesis, ranging from molecular mechanisms to ecosystems scale responses, and for leadership through service in professional societies.
Rauchfuss, a professor of chemistry, was honored for distinguished contributions to inorganic and organometallic synthesis, particularly for the elucidation of new reaction pathways for metal sulfido complexes.
Tondeur, an emeritus professor of mathematics, was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the geometry of foliations and geometric applications of partial differential equations, and for his sustained, dedicated service to the profession.
Huimin Zhao, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, was honored for pioneering directed evolution technologies for use in industrial biocatalysis, gene therapy and the production of renewable feedstocks.
The election of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. This year’s fellows will be recognized during the AAAS annual meeting in San Diego in February. AAAS, which publishes the journal Science, was founded in 1848; it is the world’s largest general scientific society.
