The list includes USF’s first Black honoree
TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2022) – The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named 10 University of South Florida researchers as new Fellows, including a College of Education associate professor who will become the university’s first Black faculty member to receive one of the world’s most prestigious honors for academic research.
Ruthmae Sears is being recognized for her work in mathematics education as well as leading a team of academic experts in a recent study of structural racism and effects on the daily lives of people for the city of St. Petersburg.
The new AAAS Fellows span multiple colleges and disciplines, bringing the total number of Fellows at USF to 92.
“Our faculty are the lifeblood and backbone of the University of South Florida,” USF President Rhea Law said. “And this distinguished, diverse group of faculty, who represent a wide range of disciplines, is a big reason why USF is America’s fastest-rising university, driving growth and economic development in the Tampa Bay region and beyond.”
The new AAAS Fellows from USF are listed below, with citations. (Full bios are available here.)
Norma A. Alcantar, professor and associate dean for research (Engineering) – For seminal work in sustainable functional technologies to remove pollutants and purify drinking water, novel therapies for Alzheimer’s and cancer, ocean oil spill clean-up methodologies, and advances in aquaculture systems.
Delcie Durham, professor emerita (Engineering) – For seminal contributions to sustainability and green engineering with an emphasis on product realization through lifecycle analysis and thermodynamic principles of energy and exergy for energy conversion and storage devices.
Valerie J. Harwood, professor and chair of the Department of Integrative Biology (Biological Sciences) – For distinguished contributions to the field of biology, particularly for advances to microbial source tracking research and technologies, and demonstration of differential survival of E. coli strains in the environment.
Richard Heller, professor (Medical Sciences) – For distinguished contributions to medical engineering, particularly in drug and gene delivery, developing delivery systems and protocols for in vivo non-viral gene transfer, and advancing cancer immune gene therapy.
Chuanmin Hu, professor and director of the Optical Oceanography Lab (Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Sciences) –For distinguished contributions to the field of marine science, particularly for the discovery of the Atlantic Sargassum belt, and pioneering research in remote sensing algorithms, data products and applications.
Randy Larsen, professor and associate dean for research and scholarship (Chemistry) – For distinguished contributions to the field of physical and biophysical chemistry, particularly for the advancement of time resolved thermodynamics of biomolecules and porous material photophysics.
Stephen R. McNutt, professor (Geology and Geography) – For distinguished contributions to the field of volcano seismology, particularly volcanic hazards assessments, triggering effects of tides and sea level, and development of databases on volcanic earthquake swarms and volcanic tremor.
Yashwant Pathak, professor and associate dean for faculty affairs (Pharmaceutical Sciences) – For distinguished contributions to the field of pharmacy, particularly for developments in nanotechnology and drug delivery systems, especially in treating cancers and age-related macular degeneration.
Ruthmae Sears, associate professor and associate director for the Coalition for Science Literacy (Education) – For distinguished contributions to social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at both national and community levels, and for contributions to mathematics education.
Marilyn Stern, professor (Psychology) – For distinguished contributions to the field of psychology, particularly for development of parent-involved interventions for obese children and adolescents, pediatric cancer survivors and at-risk youth.
The new Fellows will be formally inducted during a virtual event in February.
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About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. 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.
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, visit www.aaas.org.