Photo courtesy of USF
By Jenna Nicastro
The University of South Florida is home to 11 out of 471 fellows selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), making USF the third largest cohort of fellows chosen from all national universities in the 2024 selection process.
AAAS fellowships are highly distinguished awards within the science community and 2024 marked the 150th anniversary of the AAAS fellows’ program.
The 2024 USF faculty list of fellows is as follows:
- John Arthur: An anthropology professor, recognized for his contributions to the field of ethnoarchaeology.
- Kathryn Arthur: An anthropology professor recognized for her contributions to the field of anthropological archaeology.
- Theresa Beckie: A professor and PhD program director in the college of nursing, recognized for her research in the field of cardiovascular sciences.
- Patrice Buzzanell: A professor in the department of communication, recognized for her contributions to organizational communication in regards of the feminist theory.
- Jianfeng Cai: A chemistry professor, recognized for his contributions to the field of bioorganic and medicinal chemistry.
- David Diamond: A psychology professor, recognized for his research in the fields of neuroscience and cardiovascular diseases.
- Srinivas Katkoori: A professor in the Bellini college of Artificial Intelligence, recognized for his contributions to the field of the ‘Internet of things.’
- Cecile Lengacher: A professor in the college of nursing, recognized for her contributions to the field of oncology.
- Brad Seibel: A professor in the college of marine science, recognized for his contributions to the fields of marine animal physiology and ecology.
- Sylvia Wilson Thomas: A professor in the department of electrical engineering and the vice president for research and innovation, recognized for her contributions to the field of electrical engineering.
- Vladimir Uversky: A professor in the department of molecular medicine, recognized for his contributions to discovery and understanding of human diseases.
Two of the fellows, John and Kathryn Arthur, have been working together since 1990 and both find it to be an “honor” to share their accomplishments with each other, said Kathryn Arthur.
While working in Ethiopia together, they each specialized in different subfields of anthropology. In fact, Dr. John Arthur noted that the AAAS fellowship is the first award that they have received at the same time, which “makes it more special,” according to John Arthur.
During their time in Ethiopia, John focused on ceramic ethnoarchaeology, which directly addresses archaeological issues of “social organization and diet,” said John Arthur.
This led to John Arthur being the first to document beer production based on how the ceramic pots were affected by the lactic acid in the beer.
Dr. Kathryn Arthur was selected to be an “honorary fellow” alongside both her husband and nine other USF faculty members, recognizing her lifetime of achievements, she said.
Arthur’s focus on anthropological archaeology led to many discoveries, including her discovery in Southern Ethiopia of a 4500-year-old male named “Bayira,” which means firstborn, in the Gamo language.
Both anthropologists continuously further their research and discover new findings that shake the anthropological world.
The commemoration of the 2024 fellows will take place on June 7 in Washington D.C. Fellows will receive a certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin that represents science and engineering, along with a feature in the March issue of Science, a journal published by the AAAS.
