Chemist and Computational Biologist Elected Fellows of National Science Organization

Two College of Natural Sciences faculty members have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

AAAS fellows are chosen annually by their peers to recognize their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

The 2014 fellows are:

Ron Elber, professor in the Department of Chemistry. Elber was recognized for his groundbreaking work on the development of computer simulation methodologies and their applications to complex biological systems. Elber's research focuses on algorithm development and computational prediction of the structure, function and dynamics of biomolecules. His group recently developed a quantitative non-Markovian theory (Milestoning) that extracts information from short-time dynamics and allows the calculation of long-time biologically relevant processes.

William H. Press, professor in the Departments of Computer Science and Integrative Biology. Press was recognized for a lifetime of national service to computation, physics, astronomy and interdisciplinary science as a professor, national lab deputy director, and in many other roles. Press does research in computational biology, especially whole genome statistical studies. His interests include fast numerical and statistical algorithms, data mining, pattern recognition and the interdisciplinary application of mathematical and statistical methods across the physical and biological sciences and to societal issues including international security.

The new fellows will be honored during the AAAS Fellows Forum at the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting in Chicago on Feb. 15. They join 41 previously honored AAAS fellows in the college.

For more information, contact: Lee Clippard, College of Natural Sciences, 512-232-0675