10 Purdue faculty chosen as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is recognizing faculty members who have been elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most distinct honors within the scientific community.
The honor, from the world’s largest general scientific society, recognizes members whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished. The Class of 2024 includes the highest number of Boilermakers in six decades.
“Having 10 Boilermakers named as fellows of the AAAS in one year underscores the high caliber of our faculty,” said Karen Plaut, Purdue’s executive vice president for research. “Congratulations to our new AAAS fellows on this recognition of their achievements.”
The new fellows from Purdue are:
Stephen L. Cameron, professor of entomology (College of Agriculture), is being honored for distinguished contributions to the field of insect evolutionary genomics, particularly using mitochondrial genomics to better understand insect evolution, systematics and genomic biology. Cameron’s research is in the areas of arthropod molecular biology and genomics, and environmental and evolutionary entomology.
Yong Chen, the Karl Lark-Horovitz Professor of Physics and Astronomy and professor of electrical and computer engineering (College of Science/College of Engineering), is being honored for distinguished contributions in the fields of condensed matter and atomic and molecular physics, particularly for the synthesis and studies of a wide variety of novel quantum matters, which range from two-dimensional and topological quantum materials to new types of ultracold molecules and atomic Bose condensates. Chen’s lab exploits quantum physics to manipulate electrons, atoms, spins and photons in various materials and artificial systems with the aim of uncovering novel quantum phenomena and new states of matter, and to explore applications in quantum devices, nanotechnology and energy.
Chris H. Greene, the Albert Overhauser Distinguished Professor of Physics (College of Science), is being honored for distinguished contributions to the field of atomic and molecular optics, particularly for theoretical predictions of few-body physics. The focus of Greene’s research is in ultracold few-body and many-body quantum systems, electron-molecule collisions and dissociative recombination, ultrafast laser interactions with atoms and molecules, photofragmentation of atoms and molecules, and novel Rydberg molecules and multichannel Rydberg atoms.
Matthew Huber, professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences (College of Science), is being honored for pioneering research on past and future climate dynamics, significantly advancing understanding of human-induced climate impacts and sustainability. His research is focused on past, present and future climate; the mechanisms that govern climate; the different forms that climates can take on Earth; and the relationship between climate change and life.
Ernesto E. Marinero, professor of materials engineering practice (College of Engineering), is being honored for distinguished contributions to the field of magnetic materials science with applications in energy conversion and storage, spin-based computing and magneto-plasmonics. His research at Purdue focuses on spintronics-based devices for spin-wave computing and the synthesis of nanomaterials for the development of all-solid-state energy storage devices.
Bryan C. Pijanowski, professor of forestry and natural resources (College of Agriculture), is being honored for distinguished contributions to documenting and interpreting the soundscape ecology of natural and human-dominated systems across the world. Pijanowski is an expert in soundscape ecology and biodiversity, using acoustic sensors, AI tools and big data mining techniques to understand how humans impact biodiversity.
Alex Pothen, professor of computer science (College of Science/College of Engineering) is being honored for distinguished contributions to and leadership in combinatorial algorithms for scientific computing. Pothen’s research interests are in applied and computational discrete algorithms, high-performance computing, data science, and bioinformatics.
Christie Sahley, professor and associate head of biological sciences (College of Science), is being honored for distinguished contributions to advancing excellence in science and engineering by supporting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in her department and institution, as well as regionally and nationally through action and advocacy. Sahley’s research is in neurobiology, with a focus on cellular and molecular analysis of learning and cellular response to neural injury.
Ramaswamy Subramanian, the Gerald and Edna Mann Director of the Bindley Bioscience Center, professor of biological sciences (College of Science) and professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering (College of Engineering), is being honored for seminal contributions to structural biology, enhancing atomic-level understanding of diverse biological processes, and for leading the development of scientific infrastructure in India and the U.S. Subramanian is an expert in structural biology and biophysics with an interest in understanding the relationship between atomic resolution structures and molecular function, with a focus on enzymes and membrane transporters.
Peide Ye, the Richard J. and Mary Jo Schwartz Professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (College of Engineering), is being honored for contributions to the understanding of semiconductor interfaces and technical development of transistor technology on novel channel materials. Ye explores novel semiconductor materials and device technologies to push the boundaries of modern electronics. His research focuses on high-mobility channel materials, two-dimensional materials and advanced transistors to improve performance, scalability and energy efficiency in future computing systems.
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Media contact: Mary Martialay, mmartial@purdue.edu