Six Rutgers Professors Named Fellows of Top National Science Association

New inductees join 43 previously named Rutgers fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Six Rutgers professors are among 503 scholars that the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elevated to the rank of fellow. The pre-eminent national scientific organization selects fellows based on their efforts in advancing science or fostering applications considered scientifically or socially distinguished.

Joining 43 previous Rutgers fellows, the new inductees will receive an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin Saturday, Feb. 19, at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2011 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The new Rutgers AAAS fellows are:

Eva Y. Andrei, Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences

Andrei studies the electronic properties of graphene, a one-atom thick membrane of carbon that could one day be the heart of speedy and powerful electronic devices. In 2009, the AAAS journal Science cited her findings in its list of the year’s 10 groundbreaking scientific achievements. She is a fellow of the American Physical Society and holds the Medal of Physics from CEA, a French government research organization.

The association cited Andrei “for profound low-temperature experiments ranging from Wigner crystallization of electrons to Dirac fermions in graphene.”

 

 

Karl F. Nordstrom, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

Nordstrom studies the dynamic processes affecting the size, shape and location of beaches and dunes in ocean, estuarine, and tidal inlet environments. He assesses winds, waves and currents and their effect on coastal sedimentation and landform evolution. He also studies natural hazards, land use, and restoration of naturally-functioning environments in developed municipalities. Nordstrom has been at Rutgers for his entire academic career, beginning with his matriculation as an undergraduate in 1959. He received his A.B. in German in 1963 and his master’s and doctoral degrees in geography in 1970 and 1975, respectively.

The association cited Nordstrom “for distinguished contributions to the fields of coastal and Aeolian geomorphology, especially for trend setting research concerning the dynamics and management of human-altered systems.”

Karin M. Rabe, Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences

Rabe’s research focuses on theoretical analysis and prediction of the structure and properties of materials, and applying these methods to the design of new materials that could be used in future electronic and magnetic data storage devices. She is a fellow of the American Physical Society and received the society’s David Adler Lectureship Award in Materials Physics in 2008. Earlier in her career, she received a Presidential Young Investigator Award and an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship.

The association cited Rabe “for fundamental contributions to the development and application of theoretical and computational methods for the study of structural phase transitions in solids.”

 

 

Barbara J. Turpin, Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

Turpin investigates atmospheric chemical transformations that convert gaseous pollutants into aerosols – tiny particles suspended in the air. These particles are associated with increased heart attacks, reduced visibility and climate change. Her field and laboratory research contributes to strategies for controlling air pollution and protecting public health. Turpin is a member of the Center for Environmental Exposure and Disease at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The association cited Turpin “for major contributions to our basic knowledge of the properties and effects of organic aerosols.”

 

 

Eileen White, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University.

White conducts research in programmed cell death (apoptosis) and cell self-digestion (autophagy). Recent breakthroughs in the latter area of study, described as a means of survival for a cancer cell through self-cannibalization, have been reported by White and her colleagues. She is a member of the Council of Scientific Advisors for the American Association for Cancer Research and has previously served on the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Cancer Institute and other review panels for the National Institutes of Health.

The association cited White “for distinguished contributions to the field of cancer research through elucidating mechanisms of cell death and survival regulation and as associate director of CINJ.”

 

 

Chung S. Yang, Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

 

Yang studies natural means of cancer prevention – in particular, the use of green tea and vitamin E. He teaches a popular undergraduate course on diet, nutrition and disease prevention, and does research on cancer mechanisms in the esophagus and colon. Yang is director of the Center for Cancer Prevention Research, a collaboration among several Rutgers groups and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and other academic institutions and corporations. He is also a leader in the Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The association cited Yang “for distinguished contributions to the field of pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences by studying cytochrome P450 enzymes, drug metabolism, toxicity, mechanisms of carcinogenesis and cancer prevention.”

About the AAAS

Founded in 1848, the AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and works to advance science for human well-being through its projects, programs and publications. The tradition of selecting AAAS fellows began in 1874.

AAAS includes 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. The association conducts many programs in the areas of science policy, science education and international scientific cooperation. Its prestigious peer reviewed journal Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated readership of 1 million.

Media Contact: Carl Blesch
732-932-7084 x616
E-mail: cblesch@ur.rutgers.edu