Two Professors in the Department of Plant Sciences Elected as AAAS Fellows

Two professors in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis have been elected in this year’s class of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, the world’s largest general scientific society. Part of their cohort were nine other UC Davis professors, bringing the campus-wide total of elected AAAS fellows to 11.

The association elevates members to the rank of fellow in recognition of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

The association released the 2020 list of 498 fellows on Nov. 24, and held a formal announcement in the AAAS journal Science on Nov. 27. A virtual induction ceremony for the new fellows is scheduled for Feb. 13.

Here are the fellows from the Department of Plant Sciences, along with their AAAS citations. Click on the boxes below to see the professor’s respective faculty page.

Valerie Eviner

 

For distinguished contributions to community and ecosystem ecology, particularly the interactions among soils, plants, community structure and ecosystem processes.

Daniel J. Kliebenstein

 

For distinguished contributions in the field of plant metabolomics and quantitative variation, and for exceptional service on his home campus and to the scientific community.

Also of note is Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology, who served as a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences from 2009-19. Ross-Ibarra was recognized by the AAAS for his application of evolutionary approaches to better understand adaptation, domestication and improvement in maize and its wild relatives.

Founded in 1848, the American Association for the Advancement of Science 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.

(Article adapted from the original by Andy Fell, Strategic Communications, UC Davis, with edits and additions by Matt Marcure, Communications, Department of Plant Sciences)