KU delegation makes connections at AAAS gala in Washington, D.C.

KU’s fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science were well-represented at the AAAS Fellows 150th Anniversary Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.  

The University of Kansas supported the Sept. 21 event as an institutional sponsor and invited a delegation of fellows to participate as a way to elevate the institution’s visibility in the organization and form connections that contribute to opportunities for engagement related to research and science policy, career development, and potential collaborations with peers.  

Faculty attending the gala were:

• Sharon Billings, University Distinguished Professor in ecology & evolutionary biology and senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research
• Donna Ginther, Roy A. Roberts & Regents Distinguished Professor of economics and director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research
• Allard Jongman, professor of linguistics
• James Kindscher, professor of anesthesiology, pain & perioperative medicine
• A. Townsend Peterson, University Distinguished Professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and senior curator of ornithology at KU’s Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum
• Joan Sereno, professor of linguistics
• Candan Tamerler, Charles E. & Mary Jane Spahr Professor of mechanical engineering and associate vice chancellor for research
• Ilya Vakser, professor of molecular biosciences and director of KU’s Center for Computational Biology

Also attending from KU were Matthias Salathe, KU’s chief research officer and senior vice chancellor for research at the Medical Center; Shelley Hooks, vice chancellor for research on the Lawrence campus; and Robin Lehman, director of faculty recognition and awards on the Lawrence campus. 

AAAS fellows are awarded for their scientific excellence, achievement and service to society. Candidates are reviewed by steering groups of the association’s 24 sections. Following approval by a majority of the appropriate group, they are included in the slate of fellow nominees presented to the AAAS Council for a final vote. 

Thirty of KU’s current faculty members have been elected for the honor. The university will seek to nominate candidates for the 2025 fellows nomination cycle, which runs from late January through mid-April. Nominees are required to have been continuous members of AAAS for the four-year period leading up to the nomination year. For more information, please contact Robin Lehman.