Two KU professors named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

LAWRENCE — Two University of Kansas professors have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Alice Bean, distinguished professor of physics and astronomy, and David Darwin, distinguished professor and chairman of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, will both be honored during the 2017 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston. They were formally announced as new fellows in the journal Science.

Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. This year, AAAS awarded 391 members this honor because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

Bean received the honor for her contributions to particle physics, undergraduate research, and her creation of novel outreach that includes policies around climate change and the “Quarked!” project.

“I am honored to be elected a fellow of AAAS,” Bean said. “My father, who passed away earlier this year, was also a fellow of the AAAS, so I’m happy to be continuing the family tradition of promoting the understanding of science.”

Darwin was honored for distinguished contributions to the field of concrete structural behavior and durability, particularly for bond and anchorage of reinforcement, and cracking and corrosion control.

“I have been proud to be a member of AAAS for many years, and it is a truly fine organization,” Darwin said. “I’m very appreciative of this recognition.”

KU now has 16 current faculty members listed as fellows on the AAAS website.