Three Pitt Faculty Elected 2006 AAAS Fellows

PITTSBURGH-Three University of Pittsburgh faculty members have been awarded the distinction of 2006 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (AAAS). They are Kenneth D. Jordan, professor of chemistry; Robert Y. Moore, Love Family Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience; and Jeffrey H. Schwartz, professor of anthropology and history and philosophy of science. The AAAS Fellows were announced in the journal Science Nov. 24.

This year, 449 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 or blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin Feb. 17, 2007, at the Fellows Forum during the 2007 AAAS Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Information on Pitt's 2006 AAAS Fellows follows.

Jordan was elected to the AAAS Section on Chemistry "for pioneering work in electron transmission spectroscopy, for theoretical studies of water and water clusters, and for explorations of reactions at semiconductor surfaces."

A researcher in Pitt's Gertrude E. and John M. Petersen Institute for NanoScience and Engineering, Jordan also directs the University's Center for Molecular and Materials Simulations. He studies the properties of molecules and clusters, of reaction at surfaces, and of electron and proton localization and transfer in polyatomic molecules and water clusters. His theoretical studies of semiconductor surfaces have provided insight into the role of chemical reactions breaking and re-forming bonds on such surfaces. Jordan's research on the properties of water was named one of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of 2004 by Science.

Jordan is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and Sigma Xi. His awards include the University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award and the Pittsburgh Award from the Pittsburgh Section of ACS.

Moore was elected to the AAAS Section on Neuroscience "for pioneering work on the origin of biological rhythms and the anatomical correlates of neurodegenerative disease, and for outstanding service to the community."

The consummate physician-scientist, Moore has made important contributions in areas related to research, education, and clinical care. Through the use of positron emission tomography, his current research seeks to better understand Parkinson's disease, dementia, and the brain's circadian clock for controlling sleep and arousal. One such study has as its ultimate aim the development of a simple, inexpensive battery of tests to help identify individuals at risk for developing Parkinson's. In the clinic, his practice has been focused on movement disorders, and he currently directs Pitt's Huntington's Disease Clinic in collaboration with the local chapter of the Huntington's Disease Society of America. Moore is equally active as both teacher and mentor to neurology residents, medical students, and undergraduates alike.

Moore joined the faculty of Pitt's School of Medicine in 1990 and served as chair of the Department of Neurology from 1996 until 2000. His career has included numerous recognitions and honors as well as participation on editorial boards and membership to many of the most prestigious professional and scientific societies. He is past president of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms and of The Cajal Club (Society of Neuroanatomists). More recently, he was appointed by President Bush to the President's Committee for the National Medical of Science.

Schwartz was elected to the AAAS Section on Anthropology "for innovative and significant contributions to evolutionary theory and to hominid and primate systematics and evolution and for excellence in teaching and popularization of science."

A fellow in Pitt's Center for Philosophy of Science, Schwartz also is a research associate in the Department of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In March 2005, he was named a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. Originator of the orangutan theory of human origins, Schwartz wrote The Red Ape: Orang-utans and Human Origins (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987), which provides more evidence for his theory and fully explains his rationale. An updated and totally revised edition of The Red Ape was published in 2005 by Westview Press.

Schwartz and colleague Ian Tattersall, curator of anthropology at the American Museum, embarked on a major undertaking a decade ago when they began the study of the human fossil record. Published in a four-volume compendium, The Human Fossil Record (Wiley-Liss, 2002-05), the work includes descriptions, photographic images, diagrams, and drawings of virtually the entire human fossil record. In addition, Schwartz recently completed a forensic reconstruction of George Washington depicting him at ages 19, 45, and 57. The life-size models are on display at Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Garden.

Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed by their peers upon members of AAAS, the world's largest federation of scientists. Potential fellows are nominated by AAAS steering groups, the AAAS chief executive officer, or any three current fellows, only one of whom can be associated with the nominee's organization. The tradition of AAAS Fellows distinction began in 1874.

Founded in 1848, the AAAS has worked to advance science for human well-being through its projects, programs, and publications in the areas of science policy, science education, and international scientific cooperation. The association also publishes Science, an editorially independent, multidisciplinary, weekly peer-reviewed journal that ranks among the world's most prestigious scientific journals.

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11/27/06/tmw