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SUMMER 2006
Awards and Honors

The University of Georgia has a long tradition of unique and innovative research. This section contains a cross section of national and international recognitions awarded to UGA faculty in the past year.

Elected Fellowships in 2006

American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows
AAAS Fellows are elected by peer members in recognition of their efforts to advance scientific discovery and its applications.

Michael Arnold
Professor of Genetics
Arnold is being recognized for his role in defining the importance of reticulate evolution.

Jeffrey Bennetzen
Giles Professor and Eminent Scholar of Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics
Bennetzen discovered the lineage-specific contributions of different classes of transposable elements — pieces of DNA that can move from place to place on a chromosome — to genome structure and evolution.

Robert Ivarie
Professor of Genetics
Ivarie has greatly contributed to the field of avian genomics and avian transgenices for pharmaceutical protein production in egg whites.

Richard Meagher
Professor of Genetics
Meagher has made many contributions to the fields of plant genetics and cell biology, plant and animal biotechnology, and in particular, phytoremediation – the use of plants to clean up environmental pollutants.

Susan R. Wessler
Regents Professor of Plant Biology
Wessler studies the role of transposable elements in the evolution of genomes.

American Heart Association Fellows
AHA Fellows are selected based on academic accomplishments in hypertension research and service.

Adviye Ergul
Professor in Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy
Ergul studies the role of endothelin, a naturally occurring substance in the human body that causes blood vessels to narrow, in complications associated with diabetes and hypertension.

Awards and Invitations

Valery Alexeev
Distinguished Research Professor of Mathematics, was invited to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Madrid
The International Congress is held every four years, and this invitation is considered to be one of the most prestigious speaking engagements in mathematics. Alexeev is a world-renowned expert in algebraic geometry.

Bruce Beck
Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar of Environmental Systems Analysis, was appointed an Institute Scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
IIASA is an inter-disciplinary scientific research organization located in Austria. Beck, who has researched and written extensively about water pollution, will advise the director of IIASA on the future direction of water initiatives.

Peter Brosius
Professor of Anthropology, received the Lourdes Arizpe Award from the American Anthropological Association
This is the first biennial Lourdes Arizpe Award given. It honors those who have contributed to the application of anthropology to environmental issues and discourse. Brosius focuses on researching and teaching about ways that anthropological ideas can make a difference in conservation efforts.

Elected Officer in 2006

Sigma Xi
An international honor society for science and engineering, Sigma Xi publishes the journal American Scientist. Members are elected to the society based on research achievements, and over 200 members have won a Nobel Prize.

James W. Porter
Meigs Professor of Ecology
Porter has been elected president of Sigma Xi. He is a marine ecologist specializing in the disease ecology and long-term health of reef-building corals.