Five Brown professors were elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science this December.
Professor of Medical Science Edward Hawrot, Professor of Geological Sciences Timothy Herbert, Professor of Medical Science Agnes Kane, Professor of Geological Sciences John Mustard, Professor of Biology Gary Wessel and the other 498 fellows honored this year were recognized for their "meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications," according to the association's website.
The association describes itself as an "international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world." It also produces Science, one of the world's most widely read science magazines. The association "facilitates and greases the wheels of science," Mustard said.
The association's Council elects fellows based on nomination by other members of the association.
"It is wonderful that these five faculty members have been selected as fellows of (the association)." Clyde Briant, vice president for research, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. "It recognizes them for the outstanding contributions that they made to their fields."
The five faculty members — who will be formally welcomed as fellows at the association's annual meeting Feb. 19 — all said the honor came as a surprise.
Being named a fellow is "more of an acknowledgement" than a new job, Wessel said.
Hawrot said it is a "great honor to be recognized for science over ones career."
He said the election of five professors puts the University on the national stage, and that the University should "receive some praise for the investments they have made for the high quality of research going on here."
Wessel researches sperm and how eggs are activated at fertilization. He also studies germlines, which eventually become a stemcell and then an egg or sperm.
"I love doing my job here," Wessel said. "Students are the background for research. The process of educating is two ways."
Hawrot, who is also the associate dean for the program in biology, focuses on understating the "structure-function relationship of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors," he said, the basis for nicotine addiction. He also studies alpha-neurotoxins, which are derived from snake venom.
Mustard, who studies how the surfaces of planets are shaped and looking for major changes, said he is interested in both planetary and environmental science. He also said he hopes to answer the question of whether life ever existed elsewhere in the solar system.
Kane, who is also the chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine, directs and helps build graduate training programs and gets funding for them. Her research is focused on asbestos fibers and nanomaterials and the adverse health effects with which they are associated. She collaborates with Robert Hurt, professor of engineering, in her research. Kane has also worked on a number of both national and international advisory panels.
Herbert is the chair of the Department of Geological Studies. He said he focuses on "understanding the ways in which climate can change naturally," by studying the ocean's bottom. He and his team produced the world's longest paleotemperature, a recording that helps understand how temperature changes over time.
