Nine Iowa State researchers working in agriculture, biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, psychology, and statistics are part of the latest class of AAAS Fellows.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the world's largest scientific societies and publisher of the journal Science, announced its class of 2024 fellows today. The recognition is considered "a distinguished lifetime honor within the scientific community," according to the association.
"We're proud and honored as an institution that the American Association for the Advancement of Science recognized nine bold innovators from Iowa State in their 2024 class of AAAS Fellows," said vice president for research Peter Dorhout. "These individuals represent the best of Iowa State research. Their work and tireless commitment to discovery helps us achieve our strategic aspirations of creating opportunities and forging new frontiers as collaborative partners seeking proactive and innovative solutions to the many challenges facing our world."
Here are Iowa State's members of the 2024 class of AAAS Fellows, their award citations and current research programs:
Andreotti
Amy Andreotti, the Roy J. Carver Chair and University Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, "For contributions advancing the discipline of chemistry related to molecular signaling events that control immune cell activation in response to infection and disease."
Andreotti and her co-workers strive to understand the molecular mechanisms that control the immune response. With an emphasis on protein structure and dynamics, they are highlighting regulatory features that can be exploited in the development of new therapeutics to treat cancer and immune dysfunction.
Fox
Rodney Fox, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering (chemical and biological engineering) and executive director of the Center for Multiphase Flow Research and Education, "For distinguished contributions applying computational fluid dynamics to chemical reaction engineering."
In collaboration with researchers at the University of Paris-Saclay and the Ecole Polytechnique in France, Fox is developing innovative hydrodynamic models and computer simulation codes for multiphase reacting flows. Predictive simulations of such flows are essential engineering tools for numerous environmental and industrial applications.
Gentile
Douglas Gentile, Distinguished Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences (psychology), "For distinguished contributions to the fields of social and developmental psychology, particularly for media effects and learning theory."
Much of Gentile's work examines positive and negative effects of mass media on people, with an eye to helping people maximize the benefits of media while minimizing potential harms. Recent work includes advancing learning theory with a meta-theoretical model as well as practical research advancing our understanding of gaming disorder.
Huang
Wenyu Huang, professor of chemistry and a faculty scientist for the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames National Laboratory, "For contributions to advancing the discipline of chemistry related to the development of heterogeneous catalysis to aid in reducing energy consumption and by improving sustainability."
Huang's current research program focuses on catalysis for efficient chemical conversions, with specific efforts in upcycling waste plastics, reducing carbon dioxide, and developing innovative catalysts using intermetallic compounds. Their work aims to enhance reaction efficiency and selectivity, leveraging advanced materials to address environmental challenges, making it a contributor to green chemistry and renewable energy.
Meissner
Christian Meissner, professor of psychology, "For distinguished contributions to the field of cognitive psychology, particularly for theoretical and practical insights on the conduct of witness interviews and suspect interrogations."
Meissner conducts research on the psychological processes involved in developing rapport and trust, understanding why people resist sharing information, how best to facilitate recollection, and best practices for assessing deception in investigative interviews.
Nettleton
Dan Nettleton, Distinguished Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences (statistics) and Laurence H. Baker Chair in Biological Statistics, "For outstanding research in statistical science, design, analysis of high-dimensional biological datasets, for extraordinary impact on applications in life sciences, and for distinguished leadership to the statistical profession and community."
Nettleton conducts research on statistical methods for the design and analysis of high-dimensional biological datasets. His most recent work focuses on quantifying uncertainty associated with predictions generated by machine learning algorithms.
Prozorov
Ruslan Prozorov, professor of physics and astronomy and senior physicist for the Ames National Laboratory, "For distinguished contributions to the fields of superconductivity and magnetism, particularly for significant advances in understanding basic properties of high-transition temperature cuprates, iron-based superconductors, and ferromagnetic nanoparticles."
Prozorov leads the SUPERMAGLAB (the Superconductivity and Magnetism Low-Temperature Laboratory). The lab's research is focused on unconventional superconductivity, magnetism and their coexistence in novel quantum materials. The goal is identifying and understanding emerging phenomena relevant for energy- and quantum-computing related technologies. This research requires very low temperatures, close to absolute zero, and, often, high magnetic fields.
Schulte Moore
Lisa Schulte Moore, professor of natural resource ecology and management and co-director of the Bioeconomy Institute, "For distinguished contributions to landscape ecology, particularly for creating more sustainable agricultural systems."
Schulte Moore's research supports the development of new agricultural practices and markets to meet farm and societal goals for sustainable food, energy, and materials, rural prosperity, healthy soil, clean water, abundant wildlife, and inspiring recreational opportunities.
Toth
Amy Toth, professor of ecology, evolution, and organismal biology and chair of the graduate program in ecology and evolutionary biology, "For distinguished contributions to the field of evolutionary biology, particularly for advancing insect sociogenomics and the understanding of the social biology of organisms."
Toth's research uses an integrative approach, blending ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, and genomics, to study insect sociality and pollinator declines. Her work has provided insights into the genomic mechanisms and evolution of social behavior, as well as deepened our understanding of the effects of environmental stress on bee health.
These nine Iowa State researchers join 462 other scientists, engineers and researchers in the newest class of AAAS Fellows. They will be recognized at a forum on June 7 in Washington, D.C., and featured in a March issue of the journal Science.
"This year's class of fellows are the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities," said Sudip S. Parikh, the CEO of AAAS. "At a time when the future of the scientific enterprise in the U.S. and around the world is uncertain, their work demonstrates the value of sustained investment in science and engineering."
