The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world's largest general scientific societies, has awarded the distinction of Fellow to Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria. Election as a Fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers.
As part of the section on Agriculture, Food, and Renewable Resources, Dr. Serageldin was elected for his distinguished contributions to the eradication of poverty and hunger in developing countries through international agriculture research, technology, and knowledge.
He is among the 308 members elected as Fellows by the AAAS this year. These individuals are honored for their scientifically or socially prominent efforts toward advancing science or its applications. New fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin on Saturday, February 19, at the Fellows Forum during the 2005 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
This year's AAAS Fellows will be announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal, Science , on 29 October 2004.
The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of Fellow if nominated by the Steering Groups of the Association's 24 sections, or by any three Fellows who are current AAAS members (so long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee's institution), or by the Chief Executive Officer.
Each Steering Group then reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.
The Council is the policymaking body of the Association, chaired by the AAAS President, and consisting of the members of the Board of Directors, the Retiring Section Chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, founded in 1848, is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association. In addition to organizing membership activities, AAAS publishes the journal Science , as well as many scientific newsletters, books and reports, and spearheads programs that raise the bar of understanding for science worldwide.
For more information on AAAS visit: www.aaas.org