Three Purdue professors elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Three Purdue University professors have been awarded the distinction of fellow from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society.

The professors are being honored for their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

The fellows from Purdue are:

* Jianxin Ma, professor of agronomy, for distinguished contributions to the field of plant genetics and breeding, particularly for uncovering molecular networks underpinning key agricultural traits such as maturity and growth.

* James Ogg, retired professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, for his important role in establishing the international geologic time scale, particularly through major reference books and international commissions, and enabling access to Earth history.

* Nancy Pelaez, associate professor of biological sciences, for distinguished contributions to undergraduate science education, assessment, and faculty development, particularly on advancing competencies in biological experimentation.

The 2018 fellows will be announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the Thursday (Nov. 29) issue of Science, and they will be honored on Feb. 16 at the AAAS annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

The tradition of selecting fellows began in 1874. Members can be considered for the rank of fellow if nominated by the steering group of their respective sections, by three fellows or by the association's chief executive officer. Each steering group then reviews nominations within its respective section and forwards a final list to the association's council. The nomination involves all disciplines of science and engineering, which makes it broader than any technical society. Additional information is available online. 

Writer: Kelsey Schnieders Lefever, kschnied@purdue.edu 

Sources: Jianxin, Ma, maj@purdue.edu

James Ogg, jogg@purdue.edu

Nancy Pelaez, npelaez@purdue.edu