Dr. Jiquan Chen, Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Sciences, was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society.
Chen is being recognized for his work related to climate change and research in the areas of landscape ecology and ecosystem sciences.
“I’m honored,” Chen said. “The fellowship is a recognition of an individual scientist for achievement and represents a significant contribution to a specific field.”
According to the letter from the association, Chen will be “honored for distinguished contributions to advancing ecosystem-to-landscape ecology, particularly to the field of edge effects and carbon-water cycling under changing climate and human influences.”
The American Association for the Advancement of Science was founded in 1848 and serves about 10 million individuals around the world. Current Fellows anonymously nominate other professionals in their fields.
The University of Toledo now has two AAAS Fellows. Dr. Krishna Shenai, professor of electrical engineering, received the honor in 2006 and joined the UT faculty in 2007. UT, Ohio State University, Ohio University, Kent State and Oberlin College are institutions in the state that have AAAS Fellows.
“This is a high honor for Dr. Chen that recognizes the outstanding contributions he has made in his field,” said Dr. Karen Bjorkman, dean of the UT College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “Dr. Chen’s achievement is another indication of the ever-increasing quality of faculty we have here at The University of Toledo. I congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition, and I am confident he will represent the University well as an AAAS Fellow.”
Chen, who noted the AAAS Fellowship is one of the most prestigious programs in his field, agreed the award reflects on the quality of the faculty and degree programs at the University.
“I encourage my colleagues to aim high for this award and similar programs,” Chen said. “UT has many excellent faculty members, and we should cultivate a culture of pursuing fellowships and other awards to benefit our community and educational environment.”
Chen will be inducted as a new AAAS Fellow for 2011-12 at a Feb. 18 ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia.
