Five Local Scientists Named AAAS Fellows

Oct 28, 09:11 AM

Current Headlines: By The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C.

Oct. 28--Three faculty members from Duke University and two from N.C. State University -- one with a dual appointment at UNC -- are among 471 scientists elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science this year.

The AAAS, publisher of the journal Science, elevates notable members to the rank of fellow to recognize their efforts toward research that is deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

The new Duke fellows are:

- Richard Kay, professor of biological anthropology and anatomy. His work focuses on the evolution of primates and mammals, especially in South America, and the use of anatomy to reconstruct the evolution and history of living and extinct primates.

Kay was named for his contributions to primate evolution through paleontological research and experimental and comparative study of primate anatomy, and for fostering research as a department chair and National Science Foundation program director.

- Bruce Corliss, professor of earth and ocean sciences at the Nicholas School of Environment and Earth Sciences. Corliss studies the history of climate change through evidence supplied by fossils of some of the ocean's smallest creatures, the foraminifera.

Corliss was named for his contributions to the study and teaching of paleoceanography and the deep sea.

- Larry Crowder, professor of marine biology at the Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort. Crowder, who develops maps and models for the movement of marine species such as loggerhead turtles and sea birds to inform fisheries policy, was named for his distinguished contributions as a marine ecologist, as a leader in the field of marine conservation science and as a mentor of young scientists.

The N.C. State fellows are:

- Steve Lommel, professor of plant pathology and assistant vice chancellor for research development. Lommel's research focuses on how plant viruses regulate gene expression and move throughout a plant, causing a systemic infection. The goal of this work is to understand the process of viral systemic infection in sufficient detail to design control strategies that prevent the establishment and spread of a viral infection.

- Roger Narayan, associate professor of biomedical engineering with a dual appointment at UNC.

Narayan is known for his innovative and industry-changing work with lasers in medicine. His research group has led internationally recognized efforts in the development of microstructured and nanostructured biomaterials using pulsed laser deposition, laser direct writing and two-photon polymerization.

The new fellows will be recognized on Feb. 16 at the AAAS annual meeting in Boston.

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