Iowa State, Ames Lab researchers honored for distinguished efforts to advance science

AMES, Iowa - The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is honoring five researchers from Iowa State University and the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory.

The five have been elected AAAS Fellows for their "scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications."

The researchers and their award citations are:

  • Vikram Dalal, director of Iowa State's Microelectronics Research Center, Thomas M. Whitney Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and associate of the Ames Laboratory, "For distinguished contributions to research in solar energy conversion materials and devices and for invention of industrially important photovoltaic devices."
  • Cynthia Jenks, Ames Laboratory assistant director for scientific planning and division director of chemical and biological sciences, "For major discoveries about surfaces of aluminum-rich quasicrystals, for sustained scientific outreach, and for leadership in scientific planning within the Ames Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy."
  • Peter Nara, director of the Center for Advanced Host Defense, Immunobiotics, and Translational Comparative Medicine; W. Eugene Lloyd Chair in Toxicology; professor of biomedical sciences and immunobiology; and chief executive officer, president, chairman and co-founder of Biological Mimetics Inc., "For distinguished contributions to the field of infectious diseases, host-pathogen interaction, immunology and new vaccine technology development."
  • Balaji Narasimhan, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering, Vlasta Klima Balloun Professor of Engineering and associate of the Ames Laboratory, "For distinguished contributions that bridge materials science, immunology, and bioengineering, particularly for the science of degradable biomaterials for vaccine development and drug delivery."
  • Steven Rodermel, professor of genetics, development and cell biology, "For distinguished contributions to the field of photosynthesis, particularly for understanding nuclear-chloroplast genetic coordination, and for university and (National Science Foundation) administrative service."

These five are part of this year's class of 539 new AAAS Fellows. They'll be presented certificates and gold and blue (representing science and engineering) rosette pins on Feb. 18 at the annual meeting of the AAAS in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. The association was founded in 1848, includes 262 science societies and academies and serves more than 10 million people.