Three KU professors in ecology & evolutionary biology named AAAS fellows

LAWRENCE — Three University of Kansas professors have been elected as 2022 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows, a distinct honor within the scientific community.

This year’s fellows:

• Maria Orive, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
• Robert Moyle, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and senior curator at the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum
• Michael Engel, University Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

The 2022 class of AAAS fellows includes 506 scientists, engineers and researchers across many disciplines. The fellows are recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.

"These scholars have demonstrated true excellence in their fields, and their achievements reflect well on their department and on our entire university,” said Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. “In our new strategic plan, faculty awards and accolades are one of the metrics we use to measure our success. I offer congratulations to these researchers for their outstanding scientific contributions.”

Orive was recognized for distinguished contributions to evolutionary theory, including on population genetics of organisms with complex life cycles, and exceptional service to the development and stewardship of scientific research through scientific societies.

Moyle was recognized for distinguished contributions to the field of ornithology, particularly in molecular systematics, biogeography and evolution in island systems.

Engel was recognized for distinguished contributions to the fields of entomology and paleontology, particularly the morphological systematics and evolutionary biology of bees and other insects, and for communicating that knowledge to the public.

Including the three new honorees, KU now has 17 active faculty members listed as current fellows on the organization’s website.

To become a fellow, a researcher must be nominated by either one of the AAAS’s 24 steering groups, the organization’s CEO or three previously elected fellows, so long as two of those three fellows are not from the nominee’s institution. The nomination is referred to a relevant steering committee, which sends a list of finalists to the AAAS Council for selection.