Two UBC Vancouver faculty members have been elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.
- In the section of Psychology, Dr. Eric Eich (Distinguished University Scholar, Professor of Psychology, and Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic Affairs) is recognized by AAAS “for his penetrating theoretical and empirical insights into the effects of drug states, emotions, and physical environments of learning and memory”
- In the section of Geology and Geography, Dr. Sarah Gergel (Associate Professor, Landscape Ecology & Conservation, and Assistant Dean, Diversity & Inclusion, Faculty of Forestry) has been recognized “for greatly improving our understanding of the implications of human activities and landscape change on ecological processes and ecosystem services at the land-water interface."
Since 1874, the AAAS Fellows program has recognized researchers for their meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications. Among previous Fellows are astronomer Maria Mitchell, who discovered a comet that now carries her name; inventor Thomas Edison, whose creations included the incandescent light bulb; anthropologist Margaret Mead, whose field research on culture and personality attracted much acclaim; and molecular biologist James Watson, best known as the co-discoverer with Francis Crick, of the structure of DNA.
Election as a Fellow of AAAS is a lifetime honor bestowed upon members by their peers, in recognition of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. The class of 2018 includes 416 AAAS Fellows, most of whom (392) are based in the USA. The remaining 24 Fellows represent a diverse group of 11 countries, with Canada leading the way with six electees. Beginning with Professor Albert Hennings in 1921, and with the addition of Eich and Gergel, UBC’s roster of historic or active AAAS Fellows includes 80 faculty members.
This year’s Fellows, who represent a broad swath of scientific disciplines, were selected for diverse accomplishments that include pioneering research, leadership within their field, teaching and mentoring, fostering collaborations and advancing public understanding of science.
Drs. Eich and Gergel, and the other new Fellows, will be recognized at the 2019 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. on February 16th, where they will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin, the colors of which represent the fields of science and engineering respectively.