The University of California announced on Apr. 2 that 50 of its researchers have been elected as fellows to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which is recognized as one of science’s highest honors.
The AAAS fellowship is awarded to scientists, engineers, and innovators for their achievements in service to society. The honor reflects significant cross-disciplinary accomplishments and requires approval by the AAAS Council. Being named a fellow is a lifelong distinction.
According to the university, more than one in ten—11 percent—of all newly elected AAAS fellows this year are affiliated with UC. The group includes faculty from each of UC’s ten campuses and two national laboratories: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In total, there are 449 new fellows across the country this year.
Famous current and past AAAS fellows include UC Nobel laureates Jennifer Doudna and Barry Barish, as well as historical figures such as Thomas Edison, W.E.B DuBois, Grace Hopper, and Maria Mitchell. This year’s list features honorees from a wide range of disciplines including agriculture, astronomy, biological sciences, chemistry, engineering, geology, information technology, linguistics, mathematics, medical sciences, neuroscience, physics and psychology.
The university said that federal funding has played an important role in supporting research by these scientists across every scientific field. “Without this investment and partnership from the federal government,” officials said in their announcement statement,”the nation would lose out on critical advancements—the very service to society AAAS fellowship honors.”
