Emory faculty named 2022 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
By Brian Katzowitz
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named six Emory faculty members as 2022 Fellows, which is one of the largest classes of AAAS Fellows selected from Emory in more than a century. These scientific leaders have been awarded the distinction of Fellow because of their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.
The following Emory faculty have been elected as 2022 AAAS Fellows:
Gregory L. Fenves, PhD, has a nearly 40-year career as an educator, engineering researcher and higher education leader. He has been elected for his “academic leadership and contributions to computational modeling and the creation of open-source software for earthquake engineering analysis.” He has been president of Emory University since 2020. Prior to Emory, he was president of The University of Texas at Austin from 2015 to 2020, having previously served as executive vice president and provost and dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering. Fenves was a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley, for 20 years and served as chair of its Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Ben Lopman, PhD, is professor of epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health, with a secondary appointment in environmental health. He has made significant contributions “to the field of infectious diseases, particularly for the study of the epidemiology of enteric diseases, evaluation of new vaccines, and modeling the impact of vaccination strategies.” Since the onset of the pandemic, Lopman’s team has worked extensively on the epidemiology of COVID-19, developing population-based methods to monitor the pandemic, model transmission and vaccination and designing studies for vaccine evaluation.
Anita H. Corbett, PhD, a Samuel C. Dobbs Professor of Biology in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, has made “distinguished contributions to the fields of molecular biology and biochemistry, particularly studies of RNA binding proteins linked to human disease.” She joined Emory College of Arts and Sciences administration in 2022 as senior associate dean for research. In this role, she coordinates efforts to promote and support research by the faculty in the arts and sciences. She also works with the Office for Undergraduate Education to support and promote research by Emory College students. She received her PhD from Vanderbilt University in 1992 and did postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School before joining Emory in 1997.
Kathy Griendling, PhD, is a professor of medicine in the Cardiology Division, vice chair for research in the Department of Medicine and executive associate dean for faculty affairs and professional development in the School of Medicine. Griendling has been a leader in basic vascular biology research for the past 30 years and is cited for her “distinguished contributions to the field of physiology and founding the field of vascular NADPH oxidases.” She has published more than 150 original research articles, 98 book chapters and reviews, 18 editorials and edited two books. Three of her papers have been cited more than 2,000 times and her work has resulted in five patents.
David S. Weiss, PhD, is a professor of medicine in the Infectious Diseases Division at Emory University School of Medicine, director of the Emory Antibiotic Research Center and a faculty member in the Emory Vaccine Center. His research is largely focused on understanding mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, one of the world’s greatest public health threats, and is cited for his distinguished contributions to “the development of methods to detect and treat resistant infections.” Weiss received his PhD in microbiology from New York University in 2004 and completed his postdoctoral training at Stanford University before joining Emory University.
Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, is acting professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. She is both a radiation oncologist specializing in the care of patients with breast cancer and a bioethicist, and she has been elected for her efforts in “reframing gender disparities as an ethical issue, leading institutions, funders, and professional societies to change their policies.” An internationally recognized clinical trialist and health services researcher, her medical research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and focuses on improving the quality of care received by patients with breast cancer, both by advancing the ways in which breast cancer is treated with radiation and by advancing the understanding of patient decision-making, cost and access to appropriate care.
These distinguished researchers join a class of 508 scientists, engineers and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines. To be considered for the rank of Fellow, members must be nominated by the steering group of one of the association’s 24 sections, by three previously elected Fellows or by the AAAS chief executive officer.
An induction ceremony will be held in Washington, DC, in the spring of 2023.
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.
