Seven L&S Professors Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

By Genevieve Shiffrar

May 11, 2001

Seven faculty in the College of Letters and Science have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) this year. They are among 72 new NAS members, one member elected posthumously, and 15 foreign associates.

UC Berkeley's total membership in the National Academy of Sciences is now 122, including another new member from Berkeley, Pat Zambryski from Plant and Microbial Biology in the College of Natural Resources. UC Berkeley now exceeds Stanford in the total number of NAS members; only Harvard can boast more members.

Election to the National Academy of Sciences is considered one of the highest honors for scientists worldwide. Abraham Lincoln established the Academy in 1863 to provide scientific expertise to federal government whenever asked to do so. Through the years, the Academy has expanded to include the National Research Council, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. Today, most policy and technical work is conducted by the National Research Council. However, members may be asked to volunteer their time to study an issue.

L & S's newest members of the National Academy of Sciences:

• Leo Breiman, emeritus professor of statistics, founded and directed the Statistical Computing Facility. His research interests include machine learning and predictions in high-demensioned spaces.

• Stuart Freedman of the Physics department measures precisely atoms and nuclei using state-of-the-art technology and techniques.

• Inez Fung is a professor of geophysics and the Director of the Center for Atmospheric Science. Professor Fung studies geophysical fluid dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, atmosphere-ocean interactions and implements large-scale numerical modeling and remote sensing of earth systems.

• Alexander Glazer, a professor in Molecular and Cell Biology studies macromolecular complexes--their structure, function, and assembly. He also is interested in the use of fluorescent probes.

• Robion Kirby of the Mathematics department studies the topology of manifolds.

• Mimi Koehl of Integrative Biology uses the tools of engineering--fluid and solid mechanics--to explore biological structure, such as the ways in intertidal organisms adapt to wave action and the evolution of aerodynamics of insects.

• John Kuriyan of Rockefeller University will join the departments of Molecular and Cell Biology and the College of Chemistry on July 1, 2001. Dr. Kuriyan uses x-ray crystallography in structural biology.

Please join Dean Paul Licht of the Biological Sciences and Dean Buford Price of the Physical Sciences in congratulating these exemplary scientists.