Four faculty members have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in recognition of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.
They are Raymond Bradley, Geosciences; Peter Hepler, Biology; Lynnette Leidy Sievert, Anthropology, and Vincent Rotello, Chemistry.
Bradley was recognized for “distinguished contributions to the fields of climatology and paleoclimatology, particularly in Arctic and alpine environments, and for international leadership in high-resolution paleoclimatology.” As the director of the Climate Science Research Center, Bradley has specialized in reconstructing how climates in the past differ from today, using natural archives such as lake sediments, ice cores, tree rings and other records. Focusing on Arctic and alpine environments, he has taken more than 35 expeditions to remote sites in Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, China and the high mountains of the tropics.
Hepler was cited for his contributions as “one of the most influential plant cell biologists, who has continuously and continues to achieve breakthroughs that have guided research directions of numerous plant scientists.” Hepler, a cell biologist and physiologist, explores cell growth and division using a variety of microscopic methods. By introducing reporter molecules into living cells, he examines the position and organization of underlying structures such as the cytoskeleton and membranous organelles, and the location and activity of fluxes and gradients of ions such as calcium and protons. The correlations of these data provide insight into the underlying control of cell growth and division.
Sievert was honored for “distinguished contributions to the biocultural study of women’s health, particularly for enhancing understanding of menopause and its relation to broader aspects of women’s lives.” A biological anthropologist, Sievert specializes in reproductive ecology and older women’s health, mostly focused on population variation in age at menopause, symptom experience at midlife and the evolution of menopause and post-reproductive life. She has carried out field work in the United States, Paraguay, Slovenia and Bangladesh. Sievert and colleague Gillian Bentley are now studying how Bangladeshi immigrants in London compare to women in Bangladesh in terms of age at menopause, hormone levels and symptom experience. Findings include symptom and hormonal differences between Muslim and Hindu women.
Rotello was recognized for “distinguished contributions to supramolecular chemistry, particularly the use of nanoparticles in self-assembly and sensing.” Rotello’s research has focused on how molecules interact and in particular, how nanoparticles can be engineered to provide advanced materials, therapeutics and diagnostics. He is a pioneer in polymer-mediated “bricks and mortar” assembly of nanoparticles. His efforts in therapeutics have generated nanoparticles for drug delivery and gene therapy. Most recently, Rotello is working on diagnostics, developing sensors that can not only detect cancer, but differentiate between different cancers, including metastatic and non-metastatic varieties.
Their names were released in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science on Dec. 18.
The new AAAS Fellows will each receive an official certificate and a rosette pin in a ceremony on Feb. 20 during the 2010 AAAS annual meeting in San Diego. According to AAAS, the tradition of electing fellows began in 1874.
December 18, 2009.