Three University of Iowa faculty members, two from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) and one from the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, have been awarded the distinction of 2012 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

They are:

Charles Brenner, professor, Roy J. Carver Chair, and head of the Department of Biochemistry in the Carver College of Medicine, "for distinguished contributions to the field of NAD metabolism, particularly for identification of the eukaryotic nicotinamide riboside pathway and previously unknown steps in NAD biosynthesis.” Brenner, who received his doctorate from Stanford University School of Medicine in 1993, joined the UI faculty in 2009. His research involves identifying metabolic pathways that respond to changes in nutrient availability. Findings from Brenner's lab have profound implications in microbial systems, for dissecting the mechanism of action of niacin, and for development of nutritional approaches to metabolic diseases.

Leonard MacGillivray, professor in the CLAS Department of Chemistry, “for outstanding contributions to the fields of supramolecular solid-state chemistry and crystal engineering, particularly for discovery and characterization of novel organic reactions within crystals.” MacGillivray, who received his doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1998, joined the UI faculty in 2000. In addition to organic reactions in crystals, his research has included work on organic semiconductors, made from carbon-based materials, which can be used to make electronic “paper” and other flexible electronic materials.

Sarah Larsen, professor in the CLAS Department of Chemistry, "for distinguished contributions to the synthesis, characterization, and applications of microporous materials including nanocrystalline zeolites, and for excellence in chemical education and outreach." Larsen, who received her doctorate from Harvard University in 1992, joined the UI faculty in 1995. Her work includes studying zeolites—porous nanomaterials widely used in catalysis, adsorption and ion-exchange—that are being developed for applications in environmental catalysis, water purification, and drug delivery and fostering undergraduate research in nanoscience.

The three UI recipients are among 702 individuals elected this year by peers. AAAS members are elevated to the rank of "Fellow" because their efforts to advance science or its applications are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. The new Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a rosette pin on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013, during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.

The nonprofit AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Its journal, Science, has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of one million. For the latest research news, log onto the AAAS Website EurekAlert!.