Seven faculty members of U. or I.'s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have been awarded the distinction of AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Stewart H. Berlocher, Sydney A. Cameron, Akira Chiba, James M. Lisy, Todd J. Martinez, Mark E. Nelson, and Olga Soffer.
Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. This year 449 members were elevated to this rank because of their efforts to advance science or its applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.
"Illinois students are truly fortunate to learn from and work alongside professors such as these," said Richard Herman, the chancellor of the Urbana campus. "Through their research and teaching, these faculty members are pioneering the future of science, and passing on their knowledge and love of learning to a new generation of scientists."
Berlocher, a professor of entomology, was chosen for contributions to the understanding of evolution and speciation, particularly sympatric speciation in phytophagous insects.
Cameron, a professor of entomology and an affiliate of the Institute for Genomic Biology, was selected for contributions to evolutionary biology, particularly the innovative use of molecular systematics to give important new insights into the evolution of the bees.
Chiba, a professor of cell and developmental biology and a researcher at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, was recognized for contributions to neuroscience, in particular the cellular and molecular mechanisms of how synapses form during brain development.
Lisy, a professor of chemistry, was recognized for contributions to understanding the size-dependent properties of molecular, ionic and metal clusters using infrared spectroscopy.
Martinez, a professor of chemistry and a researcher at the Beckman Institute and at the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, was chosen for contributions to the development of the ab initio molecular spawning method, and applications to fundamental photochemical reactions where electron-nuclear separability breaks down.
Nelson, a professor of molecular and integrative physiology and a researcher at the Beckman Institute, was selected for contributions to neuroethology, particularly the neural mechanisms and computational principles that animals use to actively acquire sensory information in complex, dynamic environments.
Soffer, a professor of anthropology, was honored for contributions to the field of prehistoric archaeology, particularly the study of the lifeways of Paleolithic hunters and gatherers in Central and Eastern Europe.
Three other U. of I. faculty members were also appointed AAAS Fellows: Linda P.B. Katehi, who is the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs of the Urbana campus; Marc Snir, a professor and the head of the computer science department; and Robert L. Sprague, a professor of electrical and computer engineering.
The election of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. This year's fellows will be recognized during the AAAS annual meeting in San Francisco in February. AAAS, which publishes the journal Science, was founded in 1848; it is the world's largest general scientific society.
