Two professors and a retired science-writer administrator have been elected as fellows in the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Recognized for their contributions were: Elwyn Simons, James B. Duke professor of biological anthropology and anatomy and head of the division of fossil primates; Dennis Thiele, George Barth Geller Distinguished professor of pharmacology and cancer biology; and Dennis Meredith, former assistant vice president and director of research communications at the Office of News and Communications, who retired earlier this year.
They are among the 449 fellows who were elected this year, and join 45 other Duke faculty and staff members as AAAS fellows.
"The AAAS is one of the largest, if not the largest organization, aimed at advancing science and advancing science education and the dissemination of scientific information... so certainly being named a fellow is a great honor," Thiele said.
AAAS is an international non-profit organization that aims to advance science around the world through its programs, projects and publications, including the journal Science.
Fellows can be nominated each year by the steering groups of the association's 24 sections, AAAS' chief executive officer or any three fellows who are AAAS members.
"I'm very honored, given that the AAAS is the foremost scientific society in the country," Meredith said. "One of my heroes, Elwyn Simons at Duke, became a fellow at the same time so that makes it all the better."
The new class of fellows will be honored at the association's annual meeting next February in San Francisco.
Fellows are recognized for significant contributions in their fields and hold the titles for life, said Lonnie Shekhtman, AAAS communications officer.
"They're being recognized by their peers for their efforts to advance science and the applications of science," Shekhtman said.
Thiele said he hoped the honor is a result of years of sustained research in the fields of pharmacology and cancer biology, rather than one particular breakthrough.
"I suspect that it's due to long-term sustained contributions to scientific discovery and to the dissemination of scientific information," he said.
Although many AAAS fellows are researchers and scientists, those who help explain and interpret scientific information for the public are also important, Shekhtman added.
"Communicating science to the public or important issues in science to the public-like the evolution debate and stem cell research and climate change-is also extremely important," she said.
Meredith was recognized "for exemplary leadership in university communications" and "important contributions to the theory and practice of research communications," according to a Duke statement.
Being a research communicator is quite different from being a researcher, Meredith said, adding that he is honored to be in great company.
Simons was recognized for "outstanding contributions to paleoprimatology" through field research in Wyoming, Egypt, India and Madagascar, according to the release, but was not available for comment.
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