For the sixth consecutive year, USF leads Florida institutions in number of fellows elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science
TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 24, 2020) – Eight University of South Florida faculty members who have led their disciplines in research, innovation and scholarship, have been named new Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of higher education’s most prestigious honors bestowed by peers.
The USF faculty members hail from a wide range of disciplines and colleges. Several also share a common theme of cutting-edge research that has focused on the health and social well-being of children and form the basis of evidence-based standards of care.
The new class brings USF’s total number of Fellows to 81. For the sixth consecutive year, USF has the fourth highest number of new AAAS Fellows elected in 2020 among individual institutions worldwide.
“Faculty are the intellectual lifeblood of our world-class research university, and I’m proud to congratulate USF’s exceptionally talented scholars selected for the 2020 class of AAAS Fellows,” said USF President Steve Currall, who himself was named a AAAS Fellow in 2013. “This lifetime distinction from AAAS is especially meaningful because it reflects recognition by peers of our faculty’s outstanding contributions to the fields of science and technology.”
The USF faculty members are among 489 scholars recognized this year.
The new AAAS Fellows from USF are (full bios are available here):
Tammy Allen, Ph.D. (Psychology) — for distinguished contributions to the field of psychology, particularly her pioneering research into work-family challenges and developing theories, methodologies and tools in the emerging area of research.
Dr. Barry Bercu (Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology) — as a physician scientist, he was the first to clinically describe and coin the term Growth Hormone Neurosecretory Dysfunction (GHND).
Charles B. Connor, Ph.D. (Geosciences) — for his significant contributions in the fields of volcanology and natural hazards assessment that have contributed to national and international policies on preventing and mitigating natural disasters and advancing the understanding and prediction of volcanic eruptions.
Gloria Cruz Ferreira, Ph.D. (Molecular Medicine) — for distinguished contributions to the field of iron-heme metabolism, particularly using enzymology and spectroscopy to study heme synthesis and the molecular basis of heme-related disorders.
Richard Gitlin, Ph.D. (Electrical Engineering) — for pioneering research focused on leading-edge digital communications, broadband networking and wireless systems; he is the co-inventor of the digital subscriber line, which revolutionized communications and networking.
Howard Goldstein, Ph.D. (Communication Sciences & Disorders) — for foundational advancements over the past several decades in the field of language development in individuals, especially children, with developmental disabilities.
Jeffrey Krischer, Ph.D. (Pediatrics and Internal Medicine) — for distinguished contributions in diabetes research, particularly for advancing understanding of mechanisms of autoimmunity and disease progression and designing, conducting, analyzing multi-center clinical trials worldwide.
Raymond Miltenberger, Ph.D. (Child & Family Studies) — for significant contributions advancing applied behavior analysis research that has led to better safety programs for children in areas of abduction prevention and firearms.
The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874.
This year’s honorees will be formally announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science on Friday. A virtual induction ceremony for the new Fellows will be held in February.
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About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.
About the American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, as well as Science Translational Medicine; Science Signaling; a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances; Science Immunology; and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more. For additional information about AAAS, see www.aaas.org.