Three Georgia Tech professors have received the award of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow for 2008. Election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

The following Georgia Tech faculty received this prestigious honor:

Bridgette A. Barry: For distinguished contributions to understanding energy conversion and oxygen evolution of photosynthesis by innovative integration of molecular spectroscopy with chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology.

Charles A. Eckert: For distinguished contributions in collaborative research with a wide variety of chemical companies in developing green and sustainable chemical processes.

Gary S. May: For distinguished contributions to electrical and computer engineering, particularly for innovative approaches to education and workforce diversity.

This year, AAAS has awarded 486 members this honor because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. New Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on Saturday, February 14, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting in Chicago.

These AAAS Fellows will be announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science on December 19, 2008.

The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of Fellow if nominated by the steering groups of the Association's 24 sections, or by any three Fellows who are current AAAS members (so long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee's institution), or by the AAAS chief executive officer.

Each steering group then reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.

The Council is the policymaking body of the Association, chaired by the AAAS president, and consisting of the members of the board of directors, the retiring section chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.