Seven faculty members at UCSB have been awarded the distinction of Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

“This year’s election of seven of our faculty members as AAAS Fellows is a remarkable testament to the caliber of research at UC Santa Barbara,” Chancellor Henry Yang said. “I am proud to salute my distinguished colleagues, and I know that our campus and community join me in applauding their achievement. This prestigious honor is a meaningful affirmation from their peers of the extraordinary contributions that each of these seven scholars has made to advancing the frontiers of science and serving our society.”

The newly elected members from UCSB are:

» Bjorn Birnir, professor of mathematics and director of the Center for Nonlinear Science, for distinguished applied mathematical contributions to the understanding of instances of turbulence flow in three dimensions arising in geomorphology, and for contributions to mathematical biology.

» Mark Brzezinski, professor of ecology, evolution and marine biology, for seminal advances in the understanding of the biology of diatoms and their role in the cycling of carbon, and the biogeochemistry of silicon in the ocean.

» Richard Church, professor of geography, for innovative contributions to human geographic science and technology, including modeling location-based-services, forest conservation, health, fire and police services, environmental management and network analysis.

» Frank Davis, professor with the Bren School for Environmental Science & Management, for distinguished scholarship in landscape ecology and contributions to public policy on protection of natural resources.

» Steven Gaines, director of the Marine Science Institute and, as of Jan. 1, 2010, dean of the Bren School for Environmental Science & Management, for fundamental contributions to ecology, particularly for integrating empirical and theoretical approaches to larval dispersal, and the dynamics of populations in the oceans.

» Pierre Petroff, professor of materials and of electrical and computer engineering, for his pioneering work on the growth and spectroscopy of semiconductor self-assembling quantum wires, quantum dots and nanostructure quantum devices.

» Norbert Reich, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, for distinguished contributions to the enzymology and pharmacology of DNA methylation in bacteria and eukaryotes.

“I am very proud of the distinction being bestowed on the faculty in the Sciences Division at UC Santa Barbara,” said Pierre Wiltzius, Susan & Bruce Worster Dean of Science, Division of Mathematical, Life and Physical Sciences of the College of Letters and Science. “I am particularly pleased by the breadth of research areas covered by these scientists, from mathematics to chemistry, marine science to geography and ecology.”

This year, 531 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS 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. The presentation will take place Feb. 20 at the AAAS Fellows Forum, during the 2010 AAAS Annual Meeting in San Diego.

This year’s AAAS Fellows will be announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science on Friday.